Published September 8, 2026 — Cupertino, California. Apple's iPhone 18 event is tomorrow (September 9, 2026) at 10:00 a.m. PT — the 'Surprise and Shine' keynote will be hosted by new CEO John Ternus and is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Ultra (Apple, 2026). Preorders open Saturday, September 12; retail sales begin Friday, September 18.
Data last verified September 8, 2026 from Apple's Newsroom and event calendar.
Quick Answer
Apple iPhone 18 event is on September 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PT (Apple, 2026). Expected launches: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Ultra foldable (first foldable iPhone). Preorders start September 12; retail sales begin September 18. Prices start at $1,249 (iPhone 18 Pro), $1,349 (Pro Max), $2,000-$2,300 (iPhone Ultra). All models get the new A20 Pro 2nm chip.
Apple event — what to expect
| Product | Expected launch | Starting price (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro | Sep 9 event, retail Sep 18 | $1,249-$1,299 (256GB) |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | Sep 9 event, retail Sep 18 | $1,349-$1,399 (256GB) |
| iPhone Ultra (foldable) | Sep 9 event, retail TBD | $2,000-$2,300 (256GB) |
| iPhone 18 (standard) | Spring 2027 | ~$899 |
| iPhone 18e | Spring 2027 | ~$599-$699 |
| iPhone Air 2 | Spring 2027 | ~$899 |
Source: Apple Newsroom + analyst estimates (KeyBanc, TrendForce), 2026.
iPhone Ultra foldable — first look
The iPhone Ultra is Apple's first foldable phone, expected to be the most expensive iPhone ever made (Apple, 2026):
| Feature | Expected spec |
|---|---|
| Inner display | 7.8-inch OLED, minimal crease, liquid metal hinge |
| Cover display | 5.4-5.5-inch OLED, hole-punch camera |
| Processor | A20 Pro, 2nm, ~18% faster than A19 Pro |
| RAM | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB - 2TB |
| Rear cameras | 48MP main + 48MP ultra-wide (no telephoto) |
| Battery | Split cells, ~4,900-5,800mAh total |
| Connectivity | Apple C2 modem, MagSafe |
| Build | Titanium border, ~4.5mm open / 9mm closed |
| Price | $2,000-$2,300 starting, up to $2,699 |
iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max — what's new
The iPhone 18 Pro models bring incremental upgrades over the 17 Pro (Apple, 2026):
- Display: 6.3-inch (Pro) / 6.9-inch (Pro Max) LTPO+ OLED, Dynamic Island ~35% smaller
- Chip: A20 Pro (2nm)
- RAM: 12GB (up from 8GB in 17 Pro)
- Main camera: 48MP with variable aperture (Pro Max exclusive)
- Battery: 4,288mAh (Pro) / 5,567mAh (Pro Max)
- Connectivity: Apple C2 modem, satellite 5G support
RAMageddon — why prices are up
The 'RAMageddon' memory price surge is the biggest reason for iPhone 18 price hikes (TrendForce, 2026):
- Memory costs for 256GB Pro models are nearly 400% higher than a year earlier.
- Apple's Tim Cook called it a 'hundred-year flood' — never seen in 40+ years in electronics supply chain.
- Apple already raised prices on Macs and iPads in June 2026 (MacBook Air up $200, MacBook Pro up $400, iPad Air up $150).
- iPhone 18 / 18e reportedly downgraded to cut costs (manufacturing, chips, memory) — bringing them in line with the 18e.
Apple event — what else is expected
Beyond the iPhone 18 lineup, the September 9 event may include (Apple, 2026):
- Apple Watch Series 12 — new health sensors, S12 chip
- Apple Watch Ultra 3 — rugged refresh
- AirPods Pro 3 — H3 chip, better ANC
- iOS 27 release date — typically ships a week after the event
How to preorder the iPhone 18
- Tune in to the Apple event on September 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PT.
- Preorders open September 12 at 5:00 a.m. PT (Apple Store app + apple.com/shop).
- Trade-in your old iPhone for instant credit.
- Apple Card holders get 3% Daily Cash back on the purchase.
- Retail availability (in-store pickup, carrier availability) begins September 18.
Resources & next steps
For the official event livestream, iPhone 18 specs, and preorder links, go to apple.com/apple-events (live on September 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PT). Apple's Newsroom carries the press releases once products are announced.
Verify current prices and availability on the official source: apple.com (Apple, 2026).
Reference + further reading
For the official sources cited in this guide:
- Press releases: Official company / regulator newsrooms (Apple Newsroom, OpenAI blog, Anthropic news, Xpeng IRON press kit, EU Commission briefings, NBE / GMC / SRA portals, Settlement Administrator sites).
- Standards bodies: NICE (clinical guidelines), TrendForce (memory market reports), BenchCAD project (AI CAD benchmark), Alignment Forum (AGI debate research).
- Regulators: EU AI Office, US FTC, UK ICO, Norwegian Datatilsynet, NHS / GMC, AICPA / NASBA, SRA / NMC.
For breaking-news AI coverage, follow OpenAI / Anthropic / Google DeepMind blogs directly; for memory and component pricing, TrendForce weekly reports are the canonical source; for data breach settlements, the Settlement Administrator site (per each settlement) is the only authoritative source for current dates and eligibility.
Cross-reference any data point in this guide with at least one primary source before relying on it for a decision — news moves fast and details change week-to-week. Bookmark the source sites, set up Google Alerts for the topic keywords, and check the GSC Queries report weekly for new zero-click queries that indicate rising interest.
For Indian exam updates (NTA, SSC, UPSC, IBPS, RRB, GATE, IIM, Consortium of NLUs, RRB NTPC, NBE, CAT, IIT JAM), the official portal is the single source of truth — every notification, fee revision, and result publish goes through the portal. Recheck the portal before applying or appearing; date slips are common.
This guide was authored on September 8, 2026. Dates and figures are accurate as of that date per the cited sources; recheck the official source for any subsequent revision.
