4 Days to Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' Event — iPhone Ultra, iPhone 18 Pro & Everything We're Expecting

iPhone 18 Pro — four confirmed colorways heading into September 9 — Source: 9to5Mac

The countdown is on. In four days, Apple takes the stage for its most anticipated September event in years — a keynote that insiders are calling transformative. The lineup reportedly spans the boldest iPhone redesign in half a decade, Apple’s first-ever foldable device, and a deeper push into on-device AI. Here’s everything we know heading into September 9.

iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max — The Camera Island Era

The biggest visible change in years: Apple is replacing the familiar camera bump with a full-width horizontal Camera Island — a spanning bar across the rear that houses an expanded sensor array and gives the Pro models a dramatically cleaner, more architectural silhouette. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will be powered by the new A20 Pro chip (2nm TSMC process), offering an 18% CPU speed gain and 30% better power efficiency over A19 Pro.

• Camera: Variable aperture main sensor (industry first) — 48MP; upgraded 24MP front camera; periscope telephoto with 10x optical zoom (Pro Max)
• Dynamic Island: 35% smaller (20.7mm → 13.5mm width)
• Colors: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, Silver, Black Titanium
• Battery: Pro Max reaches 5,567 mAh — the largest ever in an iPhone
• Price: Starting at ~$1,299 (Pro) / ~$1,399 (Pro Max); pre-orders September 12, ships September 18

iPhone 18 Pro’s dramatically smaller Dynamic Island — Source: MacRumors

The new Dark Cherry colorway — a deep burgundy-red that’s already generating buzz — Source: Macworld

iPhone Ultra — Apple’s First Foldable

The biggest surprise in “Surprise and Shine” may be the iPhone Ultra — Apple’s first foldable smartphone, and the device the entire industry has been speculating about for years. Leaked dummy units confirm a passport-style form factor: a 5.5-inch external OLED display that folds open to reveal a 7.8-inch inner screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio (near iPad proportions).

• Thickness: 4.5mm unfolded (ultra-thin titanium frame), 9mm folded
• Chip: A20 Pro with 12GB RAM; Touch ID side button (no Face ID)
• Camera: Dual rear cameras (ultrawide + wide angle); no periscope telephoto in fold form factor
• Colors: Silver White, Deep Indigo Blue (glass rear)
• Price: Starting at $2,000 — up to $2,500 for high-capacity variants
• Software: iOS 27 with exclusive iPad-level multitasking (split view, Stage Manager)

iPhone Ultra physical dummy units — the hinge design and form factor confirmed — Source: MacRumors / Sonny Dickson

Apple Watch Series 12 & Ultra 4

Apple Watch continues its evolution as a genuine health platform. Series 12 brings the new S11 chip and the long-rumored blood pressure monitoring — moving from trend tracking to actionable hypertension alerts pending regulatory sign-off. The ceramics case option reportedly returns, alongside a thinner chassis profile. Apple Watch Ultra 4 targets serious athletes and explorers: enhanced motion sensors, satellite map support for offline navigation, and peak brightness improvements for harsh outdoor conditions. Both run watchOS 13, deepening integration with iPhone 18’s ambient intelligence features.

AirPods 5 — AI Listening Matures

At least two AirPods models are expected. The new AirPods 5 line features Apple’s H3 chip with lower latency, improved adaptive transparency, and a new Conversation Awareness mode that’s smarter about voice vs. ambient sound. Reports of a health-monitoring AirPods Pro 3 — with in-ear hearing diagnostics and heart rate detection — are circulating, though whether that ships September 9 or later remains unclear. The AirPods Max may see a colorway refresh to match the iPhone 18 palette.

Apple Intelligence 2.0 — On-Device AI Takes the Lead

Software is half the story. Apple Intelligence 2.0, powered by A20’s enlarged neural engine, promises real-time language understanding without cloud dependency — a Siri that doesn’t just respond to commands, but anticipates context across apps. Apple is expected to expand its Private Cloud Compute architecture for tasks that exceed on-device capacity, while maintaining its privacy-first stance. For iPhone 18 Pro users, this means contextual screen awareness, cross-app automation, and summarization capabilities that work even without an internet connection.

iPhone 18 Pro side profile — slim titanium frame, refined button placement — Source: 9to5Mac

Note: Standard iPhone 18 Won’t Be There

A notable absence: supply chain reports and analyst consensus now firmly suggest the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Plus, and iPhone Air 2 are not part of the September 9 lineup. Apple is expected to reserve those models for a spring 2027 event — an unusual move that concentrates September’s spotlight entirely on the Pro tier and the foldable Ultra. If you’re waiting for the base model to make your upgrade decision, you’ll be waiting a bit longer.

What This Means for Accessories: WiWU Has Been Preparing

Every major iPhone redesign reshapes the accessories world — new chassis dimensions, new camera geometry, new materials. The Camera Island is one of the most significant rear-panel changes in years, which means cases, grips, and MagSafe mounts all need to be rethought from scratch. At WiWU, we’ve been tracking leaks and engineering ahead of the curve. Our iPhone 18 Pro accessory lineup — including cases precision-cut for the Camera Island, updated MagSafe power banks, GaN chargers, and more — is ready for launch day.

Whether you’re going for the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, or the extraordinary foldable Ultra, we’ve got the protection and power to match.