Apple's "Surprise event" won't be your average – 3 key moments to expect

Apple’s September event invites are out, putting an end to speculation about when the company's latest launches will take place.

For anyone who hasn’t been following the news – or maybe just missed it amid the flurry of Mac announcements this week – it's Wednesday 9 September you'll need to pop in your diary.

It will be the first event to see John Ternus take the stage at Apple Park ahead of the keynote, rather than former CEO Tim Cook.

That, in itself, will be a key moment, as Ternus takes over the reins of Apple on 1 September, following Cook’s 15-year tenure.

But the “Surprise and Shine” event will likely have a couple of other milestone moments that could make this year more exciting than others. Here's what to expect:

First folding iPhone

I’m not convinced the “surprise” in the event tag refers to the first folding iPhone, because at this point it’s been so heavily rumoured that it would be more surprising if it wasn’t revealed.

That said, everything about it so far has only been a rumour, so I suppose the surprise could be what Apple’s first foldable iPhone actually brings to the party – and how it stacks up against the competition.

Speculation suggests it will have a similar format to the recently announced (and adorable, might I add) Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 – which features a squarer, wider build than the best folding phones previously.

What colourways will Apple offer in the folding iPhone? What camera capabilities will it offer? Indeed, how intuitive the software will be? Those will all come as potential surprises – and that's what keeps it exciting.

Here’s hoping there’s a hero colour rather than just black and white (the first folding iPhone deserves to be as recognisable as the iPhone 17 Pro was last year).

I also hope Apple has a trick up its sleeve for the folding iPhone that makes the Steve Jobs Theatre react the same way it did when Apple revealed Dynamic Island in 2022. That was actually a surprise – and a good one, too.

No standard iPhone 18

Another key moment might not be what it reveals, but rather what it doesn't. Apple has released a new standard iPhone every year – and in September since 2012 (ignoring "that year" in 2020 anyway) – for the last 19 years. But there’s a good chance this year will be the first time it doesn’t. At all.

Last year, despite the iPhone Pro models featuring a new design, the iPhone 17 stole the show, offering a wide range of upgrades, from an Always On Display to a better ultrawide camera.

If Apple does launch a folding phone, it may not want to overshadow it with a 'cheaper' device. It’s hard to convince people to buy a £/$2,000+ phone when there is another new one at a third of the price.

The iPhone 17e launched in March 2026, just 6 months after the iPhone 17. It’s possible Apple will push the standard iPhone 18 into that launch window instead, allowing the folding iPhone and the iPhone Pro models plenty of time to “shine”.

While this has long been rumoured, it would be a genuine surprise not to see a regular iPhone in its September reveal slot for many years. But Samsung takes this approach, with a January and June split for its Unpacked events, which has been working well – so perhaps Apple is set to follow suit.

First iPhone with a mechanical aperture

The Apple iPhone 18 Pro models will need to pull something pretty special out of the bag to compete with a folding iPhone.

As I mentioned, the iPhone had a redesign last year, so that’s unlikely to happen for a second year in a row, aside from a couple of new colour options, while a bump in speed alone probably won’t be enough to prompt anyone with a 17 Pro to upgrade.

But the Pro has always been about the camera and performance, and there’s speculation that the 'shining light' on the invite could indicate a mechanical aperture for the first time on an iPhone.

That's been rumoured for a couple of years now – though it’s said this feature may only come to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which would be a shame for those who prefer the smaller Pro model. Who knows, maybe there will be three Pro models.

Following the invite, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested that the bright light could suggest a variable aperture, adding weight to the idea. If true, it would allow you to manually adjust the aperture, similar to a mirrorless camera, allowing for better control of depth of field.

Gurman also suggested that the blue could indicate a Sky Blue colour for the iPhone 18 Pro, matching the MacBook Air.

What else is expected?

Of course, Apple’s September event is never short of announcements, so while I think the above will be the key moments – "surprises" might be a bit of a stretch – I’d also expect to see more later this year and into next.

An Apple Watch Series 12, an Apple Watch Ultra 4, and updated AirPods are all obvious upgrades.

I don’t think this will be the year for AirPods with built-in cameras, however, and while I think the HomePod with Display could be mentioned as a ‘One More Thing’ moment, I’m not convinced the September event will see its big reveal.

Nothing will be known for sure until the event itself, but at least there isn’t too long to wait. I’ll be there to report on the latest, so keep your eyes on T3 for my first impressions and thoughts direct from Cupertino.