iPhone Ultra launch LIVE: Apple's first foldable, Ternus' first keynote
After WWDC, Apple's 9 September event could be even more pivotal
It feels like this Apple event has been a long time coming. Today, 9 September 2026, marks a step change for the Cupertino giant.
That's because the now company Chair, former CEO Tim Cook, has paved the way for a new leader, in CEO John Ternus, to take to the stage for his first full keynote.
That might not profoundly affect everyday customers, of course, but what's expected to launch today will – as Apple, finally, is set to reveal its first folding iPhone.
The iPhone Ultra won't be the only star of this show, though, with rumours of a new camera for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, an amped-up iPhone 18 Pro, and absence of base iPhone 18.
There are also more products expected across Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple TV 4K and HomePod – although those are far from guaranteed, with the focus expected to be on the foldable, and a mini event to follow in the near future likely.
So, follow along via the live feed below from 18:00 in the UK – that's 13:00 EDT, 10:00 PDT – or stay tuned ahead of time, as we'll be live and bringing you the latest rumours and reveals in the run-up to Apple's big 'Surprise and Shine' event.
Watch Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' event live right here
The biggest headlines so far
Is it just iPhones, iPhones, iPhones?
No! Apple is selling an ecosystem, after all, so while the iPhone Duo will no doubt be centre stage, there'll be plenty more to talk about.
Key among those topics, from a hardware point of view, is the alleged Apple Watch 12's reveal.
While the key new details about this wearable fitness tracker and smartwatch aren't out in the wild, one small yet important detail has leaked.
As we reported this week, it's thought that the new Watch 12 will come with a heap more storage on board.
Is that just to drive up the price, is it an optional upgrade, or does it hold a core function for what the Watch 12 can deliver? We'll find out later on...
What about the iPhone 18?
It's September and, in Apple terms, that's meant one mainstay, year after year, since 2012 (ignoring the 2020 aberration): a new iPhone.
This year, however, things are likely going to look a little different. It's rumoured that Apple won't launch an iPhone 18 at all.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves: there's expected to be an iPhone 18 Pro and step-up iPhone 18 Pro Max with an even more advanced camera.
Just no 'base' iPhone model this year. That ought to leave more space for the alleged iPhone Duo's reveal.
And with the iPhone 17 so strong, it also makes sense – why make a marginal gain if it's not going to really benefit customers?
Originally the rumour was that Apple might take a Samsung-style split of events: focusing September on the folding iPhone, with the other models pushed by some months to create a bi-annual, er, 'duo' of launch events – as Samsung prefers.
It appears that won't be the case, however, with iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and Duo the trio from today's keynote.
So why 'Duo'?
Speaking of the key product: why would Apple opt for the 'Duo' name?
It's all in the marketing, really, isn't it? It's an iPhone. But it's also a tablet – akin to a 'mini iPad'.
Note that I didn't say 'iPad Mini', as Apple will still very much want you to buy one of those.
It's just that the iPhone Duo will be able to supplement that experience, the segue from pocketable device to larger-screen product.
That does suggest to me that the iPhone Duo will be the next step in iOS – or a subset of that operating system.
Just as the first-ever iPhone rewrote the rules – Steve Job's classic 2007 reveal, announcing it as (paraphrasing here) iPod, phone and internet communicator, was a landmark deliver – the iPhone Duo has to do the same to succeed.
Closed and it'll be the widest iPhone you've ever used. Open and it'll mirror an iPad's aspect ratio precisely – but I don't think with the same degree of control overall, leaving iPadOS as the platform to sit between iPhone and Mac.
But the Duo is going to have to be different. Is a big screen for content consumption enough? It has been for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, granted, so Apple's play may really lean on the same approach.
So, while I really don't like the Duo name – blame that on Microsoft's history – I can see the logic in what it defines about this incoming iPhone revolution.
Seeing double
iPhone Duo pic.twitter.com/qokDU5Y0IKSeptember 9, 2026
Well, well, here's one way to kick things off. The "iPhone Ultra" might not be called that at all. Indeed, it may be called the "iPhone Duo".
As we reported this morning, seasoned leaker IceUniverse, X post embedded above, has intel that the Duo name is what to expect.
Oh dear. Did nobody mention Microsoft's disastrous Surface Duo launch? It seems a very odd name pathway for Apple to follow in my view.
Still, a name is but a name. It's the product itself that's really key – especially as it's expected to cost upward of $2,000 (and, presumably, the same in Sterling – we shall see).
The countdown begins
Dry your eyes for the absence of Tim, but let's be tears-of-joy excited for the opportunity that Apple has got with today's event – and just how different it could be (but, er, probably won't be).
It begins in 9 hours from now, so strap in ahead of the event proper, as we'll be bringing analysis, predictions, reminders from previous Apple Events, and more throughout the whole day. What a mid-week treat!