Apple has finally put a date in the diary. Invites went out on 26 August for an event at Apple Park on Wednesday 9 September, under the tagline “Surprise and Shine”. That is the usual fortnight of notice Apple has given for the last few years, so no great shock there.
What is a shock is what will not be on stage. There is no standard iPhone 18 this September. Apple is splitting the lineup for the first time, and the phones we see in a couple of weeks are the expensive ones.
What is actually launching in September?
Three phones are expected: the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple’s first foldable, which the rumour mill has settled on calling the iPhone Ultra. Announcement in the first half of September, phones on shelves in the second half, following the pattern of every recent launch.
The regular iPhone 18, the cheaper iPhone 18e and a second generation iPhone Air are all being held back until around March 2027. If you were waiting for the standard model, you have a long wait.
It is also worth knowing that this will be the first keynote run by John Ternus, who takes over from Tim Cook as chief executive on 1 September. Ternus came up through hardware engineering, so there is a fair bit of interest in what his first launch looks like.
Why is the standard iPhone 18 waiting until 2027?
Two reasons, and only one of them is strategy.
The strategic bit is straightforward enough. Splitting the range gives Apple two launch moments a year instead of one, and lets the premium models have the autumn spotlight to themselves without the cheaper phones sitting next to them on the same table.
The other reason is less tidy. Memory prices have gone through the roof because of demand from AI data centres, and the move to TSMC’s 2nm chip process needs long lead times. Pushing the volume models back by six months means Apple can get the Pro models out on schedule without the two ranges fighting over the same components.
What is rumoured for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max?
Do not expect a redesign. Most reporting points to a phone that looks very much like the iPhone 17 Pro from the back, with the same raised camera and three lenses in a triangle. Screen sizes are staying at 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches.
The front is where the change is. The Dynamic Island is expected to shrink by roughly a third, with the Face ID flood illuminator moving underneath the display to free up space. Full under display Face ID, the one everyone has been asking about for years, is not happening this generation.
Under the bonnet, both models should get the A20 Pro chip, the first iPhone chip built on TSMC’s 2nm process. One well known leaker has claimed it is up to 18% faster and up to 30% more power efficient than the A19 Pro in the current phones. Take the exact figures with a pinch of salt, though the direction of travel is believable.
The bigger story might be the modem. Apple is expected to drop Qualcomm for its own C2 chip, and the headline feature is browsing the web over satellite, without Wi-Fi or a mobile signal. That would go well beyond the emergency SOS satellite feature that has been on iPhones since the 14.
On cameras, the main sensor is tipped to get a variable aperture, which would let you actually control how much light reaches it rather than leaving it fixed. There is also talk of telephoto improvements and a 24MP front camera. The Camera Control button is reportedly being simplified down to pressure sensitivity only, with the haptics and tactile layer removed, apparently because not enough people were using it to justify the cost.
Colours are always the least reliable rumour going, but Dark Cherry has come up more than once, alongside Light Blue, Dark Grey and Silver. Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue may be on the way out. Battery capacity on the Pro Max is put at somewhere around 5,100mAh by supply chain sources, a modest step up rather than a leap.
The foldable iPhone
This is the one people are genuinely curious about. Apple’s first foldable is expected to open book style, with a smaller screen on the outside at around 5.5 inches and a much larger one inside at roughly 7.8 inches. Apple is reportedly going wider than Samsung and Google have, using a 4:3 shape rather than a tall narrow one.
Because the thing is so thin when open, Face ID is not expected to fit. Touch ID built into the side button is the working assumption, similar to the iPad Air. A titanium casing and a hinge designed to keep the crease down are both part of the rumour picture.
Price is the sticking point. US reporting has it near $2,000, which would make it comfortably the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold. Early supply is also said to be very limited, so getting hold of one at launch may be difficult even if you want to spend that.
What about the iPhone 18, 18e and Air 2?
These arrive in spring 2027, and the rumours are a mixed bag. The standard iPhone 18 should get an A20 chip, though there is persistent talk of Apple trimming costs elsewhere to absorb the memory price rises. Display specifications and GPU cores have both been mentioned as possible casualties. The iPhone 18 and 18e are also expected to share more components than previous pairs of models have.
The iPhone Air 2 looks like a genuine fix rather than an iteration. The first Air was criticised for its single rear camera and for running hot, and the second is rumoured to address both with a proper dual camera setup and a redesigned cooling system.
The software side is not a rumour
iOS 27 was announced back in June at WWDC, so this part is settled. Siri has been rebuilt from scratch, now runs on a custom Google Gemini model for its cloud work, and gets its own standalone app for the first time. It can read what is on your screen and act across apps, which is the thing Apple promised in 2024 and did not deliver.
The good news for anyone not buying a new phone is that iOS 27 supports every device that ran iOS 26, going back to the iPhone 11. It arrives this autumn as a free update, most likely within a few days of the new phones going on sale.
Will the iPhone 18 be more expensive?
Probably. Apple put up Mac and iPad prices in June, memory costs are up across the industry, and the Pro models are where Apple has room to move. Nobody sensible is putting a firm number on it yet, so treat any specific price you see as guesswork.
Should you wait, or buy now?
If you want the newest Pro model and the budget is there, waiting a fortnight costs you nothing. You will at least know what you are choosing between.
If you are not fussed about being first, launch day is quietly one of the better moments to buy. Prices on the outgoing generation tend to soften once attention moves on, and the refurbished iPhone 17 Pro already sits well below what it cost new. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is the one to look at if screen size and battery life matter more to you than having the latest chip.
For most people, honestly, the standard refurbished iPhone 17 is plenty. It has the 120Hz display and the improved front camera, and it will run iOS 27 and the new Siri without complaint. Go back a generation or two and the older models are still solid performers for everyday use at a much friendlier price.
Every handset we sell is fully tested and unlocked, graded from A+ down to C so you can pick the balance of condition and price that suits, and covered by a 12 month warranty. Buying one also keeps a perfectly good phone out of a drawer or a bin, which is a decent side effect of not chasing the launch.
Have a look at the full range of refurbished iPhones to see where the value sits at the moment.
Frequently asked questions
When is the iPhone 18 being released?
Apple’s event is on 9 September 2026, with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max expected to go on sale in the second half of that month. The standard iPhone 18 is not expected until around March 2027.
Is there an iPhone 18 launching in September 2026?
No. Only the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and Apple’s first foldable are expected in September. The regular iPhone 18, the iPhone 18e and the iPhone Air 2 are all held back to spring 2027.
Will the iPhone 18 Pro have under display Face ID?
Not fully. The Face ID flood illuminator is expected to move under the screen, which allows a smaller Dynamic Island, but a completely hidden front camera and sensor array is not expected this generation.
How much will the foldable iPhone cost?
Nothing is confirmed, though US reporting suggests around $2,000, so we could realistically expect it to be around £2000 too! That would make it the most expensive iPhone Apple has released, and early stock is expected to be limited.
Should I buy a refurbished iPhone 17 instead of waiting?
If you want the newest Pro model, waiting a couple of weeks makes sense. If you mainly want a fast, capable phone that runs iOS 27, a refurbished iPhone 17 or 17 Pro gives you most of the same experience for a lot less, and prices on the current generation usually ease once a new one arrives.
