Apple has scheduled its next major product event at Apple Park under the tagline Surprise and shine. The presentation is set to introduce the first foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro line and an upgraded Siri AI platform. The event also marks a major leadership transition, serving as the public debut for incoming chief executive John Ternus as Tim Cook moves to executive chairman.
The upcoming keynote is more than a routine gadget refresh. It gives John Ternus his first public stage to lay out his long term vision for the company. Coming from a hardware engineering background, Ternus is expected to push Apple deeper into dedicated artificial intelligence hardware to close the gap with industry rivals.
That assessment from Bank of America analysts highlights what is at stake. Part of that push centers on Siri AI, a revamped assistant built on modern large language models. The software is designed to take direct actions across native applications like calendars and messaging rather than just answering voice queries.
Launching a folding smartphone represents the biggest design shift for the iPhone since its inception. The iPhone remains the financial engine of the company, generating roughly half of total revenue. Moving into folding screens allows Apple to target high paying consumers who currently purchase rival hardware. Samsung currently leads this category with devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which sells for nearly $2,000.
Samsung leadership has welcomed the entry of a folding iPhone. Speaking to CNN, Samsung senior vice president of mobile product management Drew Blackard pointed out the benefits of broader market attention.
I think the more visibility there is on the category, the better.
Beyond the folding flagship, Apple will show off the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. These models are expected to bring modest performance gains rather than radical aesthetic redesigns. The standard base model iPhone 18 is not expected until next year.
Industry wide component shortages are putting upward pressure on retail prices. Higher memory costs already triggered price increases across iPads and Mac computers earlier this summer, and analysts warn that smartphone buyers should prepare for higher price tags at checkout.
Alongside the phone updates, the presentation will introduce the Apple Watch Series 12 and an updated Apple Watch Ultra, with the keynote streaming live from Cupertino at 10 am PT.
