Published September 10, 2026 - Cupertino, CA. Apple held its Surprise and Shine event on September 9, 2026 at Apple Park, the first major product launch under new CEO John Ternus. The event unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max starting at $1,199, the iPhone Duo foldable starting at $1,999 (launching October 2026), the Apple Watch Series 12 starting at $399, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starting at $799, the AirPods 5 starting at $249, and iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence features including the revamped Siri with Google Gemini integration. This is a re-push of the original September 8 event preview post, now with full event actuals.
Apple event data last verified September 10, 2026 from Apple Newsroom, eWeek (September 9, 2026), 9to5Mac (September 9, 2026), and The Verge (September 9, 2026).
Apple's September 9, 2026 Surprise and Shine event: iPhone 18 Pro ($1,199), iPhone Duo foldable ($1,999, October), Apple Watch Series 12 ($399), Watch Ultra 4 ($799), AirPods 5 ($249), iOS 27 with revamped Siri + Gemini integration. First event under new CEO John Ternus. Pre-orders Sep 12, retail Sep 18. Base iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 deferred to spring 2027.
What Apple Announced
Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max starting at $1,199, the iPhone Duo foldable starting at $1,999 (launching October 2026), the Apple Watch Series 12 starting at $399, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starting at $799, the AirPods 5 starting at $249, and iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence features including the revamped Siri with Google Gemini integration (eWeek, September 9, 2026).
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The event was the Surprise and Shine event, the first major product launch under new CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1, 2026. The event was held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, and was streamed live on Apple's website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max were the centerpiece of the September 9, 2026 event. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for the 256GB configuration, and the Pro Max starts at $1,299. Both feature the new A20 chip (Apple's first 2nm silicon), a 48MP main camera with variable aperture, a smaller Dynamic Island that shows up to three live activities at once, and up to 36 hours of video playback (45 hours on the Pro Max).
Pre-orders opened September 12 with retail availability starting September 18, 2026. The 2TB storage configuration is available on both models for $1,799 (Pro) and $1,899 (Pro Max). The camera improvements make the iPhone 18 Pro the most capable iPhone for professional photography to date, and the A20 chip is the basis for the device's on-device Apple Intelligence capabilities.
iPhone Duo Foldable
The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable phone, announced at the September 9, 2026 event but launching in October 2026. The device features a 5.5-inch outer display when closed and a 7.8-inch inner display when opened. It supports the Apple Pencil and comes in dark blue and white color options. The starting price is $1,999 for the base storage configuration, with higher storage variants up to 2TB pushing the price to roughly $3,000.
The iPhone Duo runs iOS 27 with new multitasking features designed for the foldable form factor. The multitasking features include the ability to run two apps side-by-side in a split view, the ability to drag and drop content between apps, and the ability to use the Apple Pencil to take notes while in a video call.
Apple Watch and AirPods
The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799, and the AirPods 5 start at $249. All three products feature new AI capabilities, including the Siri Recap feature on the Watch and the heart-rate tracking on the AirPods. The Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 also bring back the ceramic back that Apple discontinued in the Series 6, and add revamped health tracking functionality.
The AI Recap feature is the first Watch-specific AI feature that proactively surfaces information, and the heart-rate tracking in the AirPods expands the health-tracking capabilities beyond the Apple Watch. The on-device processing for the AI features is powered by the A20 chip in the iPhone and by the new S10 chip in the Watch.
iOS 27 and Apple Intelligence
iOS 27, available with the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Duo, and other A20-powered devices, includes the revamped Siri with Google Gemini integration, the Reference Image AI provenance feature, the Siri Recap ambient AI feature, and completely revamped controls and apps for the foldable form factor of the iPhone Duo (eWeek, September 9, 2026).
The Reference Image feature is Apple's response to the growing concern about AI-generated content and the need for ways to verify the authenticity of images. The feature works by embedding cryptographic signatures in the image capture pipeline that can be verified by Apple's Photos app and by other apps that support the standard. iOS 27 is also available as a free update on older iPhones (iPhone 15 Pro and later), though the AI features require the A20 chip.
The Significance of the John Ternus Era
The September 9, 2026 event is the first major product launch under new CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1, 2026 (eWeek, September 9, 2026). Ternus has been at Apple for over 20 years and was previously the senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, with deep credibility on the product side.
The Ternus era is expected to focus on continued hardware innovation, deeper AI integration across Apple's product line, and a more aggressive expansion into new product categories (including the iPhone Duo foldable and the rumored Apple smart home display product). The launch of the iPhone Duo is the most significant product category expansion since the Apple Watch in 2015, and is a signal that Ternus is willing to take risks on new product categories.
What Was Not Announced
Apple did not announce the base iPhone 18 or the iPhone Air 2 at the September 9, 2026 event (9to5Mac, September 9, 2026). Apple is shifting the release schedule, so the entry-level iPhone will no longer launch in the fall. Instead, the base iPhone 18 is expected to arrive in the spring 2027, and Apple will keep selling the iPhone 17 until then.
Apple also did not announce new MacBooks, iPads, or HomePods at the event, though the company is expected to release updated versions of those products at a separate event in October 2026. The rumored Apple smart home display product, the Apple TV 4K refresh, and the HomePod mini refresh are also expected at the October event. The October event is likely to be the second major product launch under CEO John Ternus, and will be closely watched for signals about Apple's broader product strategy.
Verify current Apple event details and product information on the official Apple Newsroom at apple.com/newsroom.
Fazlur Rahman is the founder of Tutorsbot, building AI-powered tools for learning and career growth. He writes about applying AI in real products and the practi… Read moreShow less
Fazlur Rahman is the founder of Tutorsbot, building AI-powered tools for learning and career growth. He writes about applying AI in real products and the practical side of building an ed-tech startup.
Fazlur Rahman
