Apple's 'Surprise and shine' event could bring a foldable iPhone Ultra

[Reuben82]

Apple has scheduled its September event, titled Surprise and Shine, for Wednesday September 9th at Apple Park, a day later than its typical Tuesday slot due to the US Labor Day holiday. Expectations center on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, alongside Apple's rumored first foldable device, widely expected to be called iPhone Ultra, expected to measure roughly 5.5 inches closed and about 7.8 inches open according to supply chain reporting ahead of the event

As covered previously, supply chain analysts including Ming-Chi Kuo have suggested the standard iPhone 18 and cheaper iPhone 18e may not actually launch alongside the Pro models this time, instead arriving separately around March 2027, a break from Apple's typical unified fall lineup driven partly by surging RAM and NAND chip prices. The new A20 Pro chip is expected to headline performance improvements for both the iPhone Ultra and 18 Pro models, while rumors also point to a new Apple smart home product referred to as HomePad potentially making an appearance

Given the foldable iPhone's rumored price is expected to land considerably higher than Apple's existing flagship devices, and supply constraints have already reportedly affected other product categories this year, availability at launch remains a genuine open question. Curious what people think about Apple entering the foldable phone market this late compared to Samsung and other competitors, does arriving years after rivals with a more refined first attempt make more sense than rushing an earlier, rougher version

Apple Sept. 9 event - iPhone Ultra, iPhone 18 Pro all the new products to expectwww.tomsguide.com

[Carol_83]

The standard iPhone 18 launching separately in 2027 rather than alongside the Pro models this fall is going to be a genuinely confusing shift for casual buyers used to Apple's usual unified release cadence every September

[ClusterCanopy]

Worth watching whether supply actually meets demand at launch this time, high profile Apple launches with severe initial shortages have become almost an expected part of the pattern in recent years regardless of the specific product involved

[QubitZero68]

Waiting this long to enter foldables could genuinely work in Apple's favor, hinge durability and crease visibility have been the two biggest recurring complaints with early foldables from other manufacturers, and Apple's had years to study those specific failures

[NovaBurst]

A premium price point for the foldable feels inevitable given both the genuinely new technology involved and Apple's own typical positioning, curious how many buyers are actually willing to pay a significant premium purely for the folding form factor itself

[Abbie46]

Chip price pressures specifically shaping Apple's actual release strategy shows how much the broader RAM and NAND shortage is rippling into product decisions well beyond just pricing, this is changing entire launch timing

[Bob93]

That HomePad smart home rumor would be a genuinely interesting new category for Apple to enter, the smart display space has been surprisingly quiet from major players recently despite obvious demand