Apple is preparing to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro during the second week of September, with Wednesday, September 9, emerging as the most likely date for the company's annual hardware event, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman as reported by Forbes and Tom's Guide. The timing reflects a scheduling puzzle this year: Labor Day falls on Monday, September 7, and Apple traditionally avoids holding events the day after a national holiday, pushing the reveal to midweek.
The event is shaping up to be one of Apple's most significant in years. Gurman reports that Apple will use the occasion to introduce not just the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but also the company's first foldable phone, referred to as the iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold, alongside the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and possibly a new Apple TV box and HomePod mini, Tom's Guide reported.
The September date also carries symbolic weight as the first major keynote helmed by incoming CEO John Ternus, who is set to take over from Tim Cook on September 1, according to Forbes.
Pre-Order Timing Complicated by September 11 Anniversary
Apple typically opens pre-orders on the Friday following its September keynote. This year that would fall on September 11, the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Gurman, writing in Bloomberg's Power On newsletter, said he finds it "unlikely that Apple would pick that date," noting that the last time a product-launch Friday landed on September 11, Apple shifted pre-orders to the following Saturday. He expects the company to take a similar approach this year, most likely moving iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra pre-orders to Saturday, September 12.
If that holds, the retail release date would follow roughly a week later, landing on either Friday, September 18, or Saturday, September 19, depending on whether Apple opts for a full week between pre-orders and launch, Tom's Guide reported.
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max appear on track for the standard September rollout, the iPhone Ultra's release timeline is murkier. Forbes contributor David Phelan noted conflicting reports suggesting the foldable device could either ship in full at launch, arrive with limited availability, or be pushed into October due to production issues.
What's Rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro and the Foldable iPhone Ultra
According to Tom's Guide, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to feature a variable aperture camera system for improved depth-of-field control, a faster A20 chip, a new "dark cherry" color option, a smaller Dynamic Island cutout, and a larger battery, at least in the Pro Max model.
The iPhone Ultra, meanwhile, is rumored to adopt a short, squat, passport-like form factor comparable to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8. Reported specifications include a 5.4- to 5.5-inch front display, a 7.8-inch internal display when unfolded, dual 48-megapixel rear cameras with no telephoto lens, Touch ID rather than Face ID, and a 4,883 mAh battery. The device is also said to eliminate the visible crease that has affected competing foldables, though it remains unclear whether Apple can match or exceed Samsung's Flex Titanium hinge technology, Tom's Guide reported. Notably, the standard iPhone 18 is not expected to launch until the first half of 2027, separating it from the Pro and Ultra models on the annual cycle.
Why Apple Sticks to a September Calendar
Forbes detailed the structural reasons Apple rarely deviates from its autumn launch window. Multi-quarter semiconductor wafer reservations with manufacturing partner TSMC lock in production capacity long before phones reach store shelves, and because Apple's custom silicon has no off-the-shelf equivalent, TSMC cannot easily accommodate sudden schedule shifts. A September launch also lets Apple secure freight and shipping capacity ahead of the holiday rush, positioning strong sales to land within the fourth quarter for Wall Street. Cellular contract cycles reinforce the timing too, since many iPhone owners come out of contract around the same period, giving carriers a natural renewal point. Apple's subscription services, which include free trial periods timed to new device purchases, further tie hardware releases to September. The same rhythm governs software: iOS updates unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in May are refined over the summer before reaching new hardware each fall.
Memory Prices Are Driving Up Production Costs
Separately, research firm TrendForce reports that Apple faces sharply rising production costs for the iPhone 18 series, driven primarily by memory components. TrendForce estimates the bill-of-materials, or BOM, cost for the 256 GB iPhone 18 Pro will rise roughly 38 percent year-over-year, with memory's share of total BOM cost climbing from about 10 percent a year ago to approximately 34 percent in the third quarter of 2026, and potentially exceeding 40 percent by the first half of 2027. That marks a shift from previous generations, when the application processor and display were the dominant cost drivers.
TrendForce believes Apple is likely to absorb part of this increase by accepting lower gross margins rather than passing the full cost onto consumers, following a pricing approach the company has used with recent MacBook launches, in an effort to preserve shipment volumes and market share. The firm also suggested Apple could raise prices on older iPhone models still in its lineup to help offset the pressure.
TrendForce cautioned that Android manufacturers, which generally operate on thinner margins than Apple, are likely to face an even sharper squeeze and may need to raise retail prices more steeply or discontinue models that have become unprofitable. With memory prices having risen five- to sevenfold since early 2025 by TrendForce's estimate, the firm expects global smartphone production to remain under downward pressure from the second half of 2026 through 2027.
