Apple held its “Surprise and Shine” event—the first major launch under new CEO John Ternus (who succeeded Tim Cook). The company introduced its first foldable iPhone (Duo), the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, refreshed Apple Watch models, AirPods 5, and major Siri AI / Apple Intelligence upgrades. Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro models open today, September 12, with availability starting September 18. The Duo arrives later in October. AI features, health sensing, and continuity tools form the core software push; limited updates touch satellite connectivity and Handoff. No major new Mac, iPad, Apple TV, Vision Pro, or MacBook announcements featured in this cycle.
- iPhone Duo (first foldable): Passport-sized foldable with 7.6-inch inner Super Retina XDR display (≈50% more area than 18 Pro Max), thin design, starts at $1,999 (up to 2 TB). Pre-orders October 16; available October 23. iOS redesigned for dual-screen use; supports Apple Pencil.
- iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max: A20 Pro chip, variable-aperture main camera, major battery gains, faster charging, new colors (including glacier and burgundy). Prices $1,199 / $1,299. Pre-orders open today (September 12); on sale September 18. No base iPhone 18 this fall.
- Apple Watch Series 12 & Ultra 4: New Health Sensing System, improved accuracy, up to 50-hour battery on Ultra 4, Audio Intelligence features (conversation summaries, privacy-focused). Available for pre-order; ships September 18. Starts at $399 / $799.
- AirPods 5: Open-ear design with stronger Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive EQ, hands-free Siri AI, live translation. Starts at $129 (wireless-charging case higher).
- Artificial Intelligence (Siri AI / Apple Intelligence): Rebuilt Siri with personal context, on-screen awareness, cross-app actions, dedicated Siri app, private iCloud conversation sync. English beta with iOS 27 on September 14; more languages in October. A20 Pro optimized for on-device AI. Daily usage limits noted for some features.
- Handoff: New iPhone Handoff lets one phone number work across two devices (eSIM required). Launches with iOS 27; initially T-Mobile in the U.S. (extra monthly fee); expands later.
- iCloud & Continuity: Siri conversation history syncs privately via iCloud across devices. Broader Continuity enhancements support the new hardware and AI.
- AirDrop: Earlier 2026 security research identified vulnerabilities that could crash AirDrop and related Continuity features (Handoff, etc.); Apple has been addressing them.
- Space technology / satellite: Free Emergency SOS, Messages, Find My, and related satellite features extended another year for eligible iPhones (partner Globalstar; Amazon acquisition in progress). No full satellite 5G on the new Pro models.
- App Store / other ecosystem: Supporting software updates (iOS 27, watchOS 27, etc.) roll out September 14. No major App Store policy or Vision Pro / Apple TV / Mac / iPad / MacBook hardware news in this September wave.
