Apple September 9 Event: Foldable iPhone Ultra, iPhone 18 and AirPods Camera Rumors
Apple's September 9 event may unveil a $2,000-plus foldable iPhone Ultra, alongside iPhone 18 Pro models, Gemini Siri HomePods and camera-equipped AirPods.
Summary
Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone at its September 9, 2026 event, more than five years after Samsung entered the category and as Tim Cook hands the CEO role to former hardware engineering vice president John Ternus. The rumored iPhone Ultra may cost more than $2,000, below the $3,500 Vision Pro, with a 5.5-inch cover display opening into a 7.8-inch, iPad-like screen. Early testers cited by Mark Gurman describe a premium, pocketable device that is shorter and wider than a typical iPhone. Expected features include MagSafe, side-by-side app multitasking, iOS rather than iPadOS, a less-visible crease, Touch ID instead of Face ID, and main and ultra-wide rear cameras without a telephoto lens. Its chip reportedly also powers the budget MacBook Neo.
Apple may release the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max while delaying the standard iPhone 18 by six months, its first premium-first launch sequence. A Gemini-powered Siri update could accompany refreshed HomePods, with unreleased models appearing in a macOS preview. Researcher Aaron Perris found the same preview demonstrating camera-equipped AirPods using Visual Intelligence to save information about viewed objects. Gurman says the cameras provide Siri with low-resolution visual data rather than taking photos or video, but the concept could still trigger privacy concerns and comparisons with Meta camera wearables despite Apple’s privacy-focused brand.
Positives
- A 7.8-inch unfolded display could provide an iPad-like workspace while retaining a pocketable 5.5-inch cover screen.
- Early testers cited by Mark Gurman describe the foldable iPhone as premium, pocketable and comfortable to use.
- Side-by-side multitasking would let iPhone Ultra owners run two applications simultaneously across the unfolded screen.
- Apple reportedly reduced the visible display crease, addressing a persistent weakness of existing foldable phones.
- Gemini-powered Siri could expand through refreshed HomePods and AirPods that understand low-resolution visual information.
Risks & concerns
- A price above $2,000 would make the iPhone Ultra nearly twice as expensive as conventional premium phones.
- No telephoto camera would leave the costly foldable with the dual-lens system used by Apple’s more basic iPhones.
- Touch ID may replace Face ID because of space constraints, requiring users to adjust to side-button authentication.
- The standard iPhone 18 may arrive six months after the Pro models, disrupting Apple’s usual simultaneous release schedule.
- Camera-equipped AirPods could provoke privacy concerns despite reportedly capturing low-resolution information rather than photos or video.