Apple’s September Event: 4 Things to Watch (From the First Foldable to Ternus’s Debut)

Apple hasn’t stacked this many “firsts” into a single September keynote in over a decade.

A brand-new CEO taking the stage for the first time. The first genuine form-factor change since the iPhone X. A chip built around a completely different priority than the ones before it. This isn’t a routine “slightly better camera” refresh — it’s shaping up to be one of the more consequential Apple events in recent memory, and it lands this Wednesday, September 9, at 10 a.m. Pacific.

Here’s exactly what to watch for, and why each one matters more than the headline suggests.

1. The First Foldable iPhone

Apple’s biggest hardware bet in over a decade is finally here. Widely expected to be called the iPhone Ultra, it folds like a book, opens to a tablet-sized display, and closes down to a passport-shaped footprint. Pricing is expected to start north of $2,000.

Why it matters beyond the spec sheet: This is Apple’s first major departure from the flat-glass-slab design that’s defined the iPhone since 2017. A foldable display isn’t just a novelty — it changes what “working from your phone” can actually look like, from split-screen multitasking to genuinely tablet-sized reading and writing on a device that still fits in your pocket.

The catch: At $2,000+, this isn’t a device most people need on day one. Treat it as the headline act, not the upgrade decision — the more practical AI improvements this cycle are happening elsewhere in the lineup.

2. iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max — With a Chip Built for a Different Job

Both models are expected to ship with the new A20 Pro chip, alongside a smaller Dynamic Island, a simplified Camera Control button, and a new “Dark Cherry” color option. The Pro Max reportedly gets a larger battery and, in some configurations, a variable aperture camera exclusive to that model.

Why it matters beyond the spec sheet: The A20 Pro isn’t just faster — early signals point to it being specifically designed to handle more AI processing directly on the device, rather than sending it out to the cloud. If that holds true, it’s arguably the more important announcement of the day, even standing next to a folding phone.

3. Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4

Expect updated sensors and refined internals rather than a dramatic redesign — Apple is reportedly treating this as a quieter, more incremental update this cycle.

Why it matters beyond the spec sheet: Faster silicon on your wrist means less friction between having a thought and capturing it. A quick voice note, a fast Siri request, a summary check — the kind of small task that either gets done in three seconds or doesn’t get done at all. Don’t skip past this one just because it’s not the flashiest announcement of the day.

4. John Ternus’s Debut as CEO

This is the one nobody’s spec sheet can capture, and it might end up mattering more than everything above it combined.

Tim Cook stepped into the executive chairman role on September 1. This Wednesday marks the first keynote led by his successor, John Ternus — a career hardware engineer, not a services or software executive. That background is worth sitting with. The person now setting Apple’s overall direction spent his career building chips and devices, not managing subscriptions and platform partnerships.

Why it matters beyond the headline: Leadership transitions at this scale don’t happen often, and they tend to signal priorities before a single product roadmap confirms anything. A hardware-first CEO taking the stage for the first time, on the same day Apple unveils its most significant hardware bet in a decade, is not a coincidence worth ignoring.

What’s Missing This Cycle

One notable absence: no standard iPhone 18. Apple is reportedly holding the more affordable, non-Pro model back until spring 2027 — breaking from its usual same-day release pattern. If you’ve been waiting for a budget-friendly refresh with the new AI capabilities built in, that wait just got longer.

How to Actually Watch

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern / 6 p.m. BST on Wednesday, September 9, streaming live on Apple’s website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube. No ticket, no signup — just show up a few minutes early if you want to catch it from the start.

What’s Coming This Week

This is just the preview. Wednesday, we’ll be back the moment the keynote wraps with a full breakdown of what the AI changes announced actually mean for how you work — not the marketing version, the practical one. Thursday, we’re going deeper on what Ternus’s debut signals about Apple’s AI strategy going forward. And by the weekend, once the dust settles, we’ll show you exactly how to put every new Apple Intelligence feature to work.

Four things to watch on Wednesday. A full week of what they actually mean right after.