Apple's September 9 Event: John Ternus's First Keynote, iPhone Ultra, and the Dawn of a New Era

September 1, 2026 marks more than just the start of Apple's most anticipated fall season in years — it marks the dawn of a new era. John Ternus, Apple's longtime hardware engineering chief, officially became Apple's CEO today, succeeding Tim Cook after 15 remarkable years. And eight days from now, on September 9, Ternus will take the stage for his very first product keynote as Apple's chief executive. The pressure couldn't be higher. The expectations couldn't be greater. And by all accounts, Apple is ready to deliver one of its most consequential product launches in recent memory.

The New Apple Era: John Ternus Takes the Stage

Tim Cook spent 15 years transforming Apple from a company riding the iPhone's original wave into the world's most valuable company. He presided over the launch of the Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, Vision Pro, and Apple's transition to its own silicon chips — achievements that reshaped entire industries. Today, Cook handed the baton to Ternus and moved into the role of Executive Chairman, where he'll focus on policy engagement and strategic advisory work.

Ternus, an engineer by training and instinct, has been the quiet force behind Apple's most important hardware decisions for over a decade. The September 9 event isn't just a product launch — it's John Ternus announcing to the world what his Apple looks like. Meanwhile, Apple Fellow Phil Schiller is also scaling back his role, stepping away from overseeing the App Store and Apple events. An entire generation of Apple leadership is transitioning at once, and the September keynote will be the first inflection point of this new chapter.

iPhone 18 Pro and the Game-Changing iPhone Ultra

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro lineup at the September 9 event, building on the success of the iPhone 17 generation. But the real story — the product that could redefine Apple's smartphone category for the next decade — is the iPhone Ultra: Apple's first-ever foldable iPhone.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the foldable iPhone has been in development for years, and Apple even tested a stubby Apple Pencil designed to magnetically attach and charge on the device's side. While that accessory isn't expected to ship at launch, its existence reveals how seriously Apple has thought through the foldable form factor. Steve Jobs famously mocked styluses in 2007 when he unveiled the original iPhone — the fact that Apple tested one for the iPhone Ultra shows how dramatically the category has evolved.

On the modem front, some iPhone 18 Pro models and the iPhone Ultra are rumored to feature Apple's new in-house C2 modem chip, delivering faster 5G speeds and deeper integration with Apple Silicon. This is a significant milestone in Apple's multi-year campaign to eliminate its dependence on Qualcomm modems — a push made more urgent by Qualcomm's announcement this week that chip prices are rising starting September 1. Apple's iPhone 17 models still use Qualcomm modems, but the writing is on the wall: the C2 era is beginning.

• iPhone 18 Pro — refined design, new Apple Silicon, C2 modem in select models
• iPhone Ultra — Apple's foldable debut, new form factor, tested Apple Pencil support
• iPhone 17 — expected to remain in the lineup at an accessible price point

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4: Refined Excellence

Mark Gurman's reporting confirms that the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 will both be unveiled on September 9. While fans hoping for Touch ID integration or a dramatic redesign will need to wait another year — Gurman explicitly says neither is coming — there's still plenty to look forward to.

The biggest aesthetic news: the ceramic case is returning to the Apple Watch Series 12. Apple has tested both white and dark gray ceramic options, echoing the premium finish last seen on the Apple Watch Series 3 in 2017. For buyers who want a luxury watch feel without the titanium or stainless steel of the Ultra, the ceramic Series 12 could be exactly what they've been waiting for.

Beyond materials, expect performance improvements from new Apple Silicon inside both watches, enhanced health sensors, and tighter integration with iOS 27's expanded Apple Intelligence features. The Ultra 4 is expected to retain the rugged, adventure-focused identity of its predecessor while gaining new endurance and connectivity capabilities.

AirPods With Cameras: A New Dimension of Spatial Audio

Perhaps the most intriguing under-the-radar product expected this fall: camera-equipped AirPods. Code discovered in macOS Tahoe 26.7 reveals that the next generation of AirPods will feature built-in cameras, and the purpose is more sophisticated than you might expect.

Rather than video capture, these cameras are designed to dramatically enhance spatial audio head tracking. Current AirPods already use motion sensors to track head position and adjust spatial audio accordingly. The new camera system will go further — identifying the actual physical screen a user is watching (laptop, TV, tablet, or smartphone), detecting its direction, and anchoring audio to that display. The system can even handle multiple screens simultaneously, narrowing audio to whichever display the user is looking at. This is spatial audio becoming genuinely intelligent, context-aware, and seamless in a way that no competitor has yet achieved.

iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and the AI Software Push

Hardware doesn't ship alone. Apple's September 9 event will be followed almost immediately by the release of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, tvOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate (also known as macOS 27) — Apple's naming convention takes a new direction this year with the California landmark theme shifting to bridge imagery.

Apple is currently on the eighth developer beta of iOS 27, with the sixth public beta released just this week. The release candidates are expected to arrive directly after the September 9 keynote, with full public release typically following one to two weeks later. iOS 27 brings a significantly expanded Apple Intelligence suite, deeper Siri integration, and new developer APIs that will unlock capabilities for third-party apps across the entire iPhone 18 lineup.

Separately, Apple this week surprised the market with early updates to the Mac mini and Mac Studio — an unusually early September launch for Mac hardware. According to The Information, the move was driven by unexpectedly strong enterprise demand for AI-capable hardware. Apple even highlighted the ability to link multiple Mac Studios together to run large frontier AI models, a direct pitch to developers and businesses building AI infrastructure. It's a signal: Apple's AI ambitions in 2026 are not just about consumer features on iPhones.

Why This September Matters More Than Any Other

Every fall Apple event matters. But September 9, 2026 carries a weight that is genuinely different. It is simultaneously: the launch of a new product category (foldable iPhone), the debut of the next generation of Apple Silicon modems, the arrival of camera-equipped AirPods, the return of ceramic Apple Watch, a landmark software update cycle, and — above all — the first keynote of the John Ternus era.

Ternus doesn't have Tim Cook's showman polish or Steve Jobs' theatrical genius. What he has is an encyclopedic understanding of how Apple products are engineered, and a demonstrated ability to push hardware boundaries further than almost anyone in the industry. If the product lineup rumored for September 9 is anywhere close to accurate, Ternus's debut won't just match expectations — it may exceed them.

At WiWU, we've built our accessories lineup with Apple's ecosystem at its center. From MagSafe-compatible cases to precision-engineered charging solutions, our products are designed for the Apple devices our customers carry every day. The arrival of new iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods hardware each September is the moment our team looks forward to most — because it's when the accessories that protect and enhance those devices matter most. We're watching September 9 closely, and we'll have more to share soon.

The Apple September 9 event begins at 10:00 AM PT. Follow along at apple.com/apple-events and stay tuned to the WiWU Tech Trends blog for our post-event analysis and accessory recommendations for every new product announced.