Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' event, marking new CEO John Ternus' first as head of the company, is expected to introduce Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Ultra, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, work on the foldable began in earnest in 2019 after former CEO Tim Cook returned from a trip to Asia where he saw people using foldables from other companies and became convinced Apple needed its own version, though rumors of a foldable iPhone date back to at least 2015.
Pricing reports have varied. Gurman's latest report points to a possible starting price of $2,199, with higher-end configurations approaching $3,000, while other estimates have ranged from around $1,999 to $2,500; analyst firm IDC has predicted a starting price near $2,500. By comparison, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to start between $1,099 and $1,199, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max between $1,199 and $1,399. Gurman reports the Ultra is made from high-quality materials Apple considers 'industry-leading,' including a titanium-and-aluminum hinge and custom Corning glass, and that Apple believes it also has a software advantage over what it sees as a more fragmented Android foldable ecosystem.
The iPhone Ultra is expected to use a book-style folding design with a 7.8-inch inner display, similar in size to the iPad mini 7, and a 5.4-inch outer display. Reports describe a liquid metal hinge, a structural glass mid-frame, and dual-layer, variable-thickness ultra-thin display glass, along with an optically clear adhesive, all intended to nearly eliminate the display crease, with one report citing a crease depth of under 0.15mm. The device is expected to measure around 4.5mm to 4.8mm thick when unfolded and 9mm to 9.5mm when folded, and to run on an A20 chip (rather than the A20 Pro used in the 18 Pro models) built on a 2nm process, with 12GB of RAM.
Several trade-offs are expected compared to the Pro models. The Ultra is reported to have only two rear cameras, a 48MP main and 48MP ultrawide, without a dedicated telephoto lens, though it may offer two 24MP front cameras. Reports also indicate Apple is dropping Face ID in favor of Touch ID built into the power button, and that the phone will not support an Apple Pencil. Additionally, moving the volume buttons to the right side of the device to simplify motherboard connections is reported to have resulted in the removal of the Action button, making the Ultra the first iPhone without either an Action button or a physical mute switch.
Reports differ on release timing. Gurman has said he would be surprised if the foldable did not launch at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro models, or within weeks after, dismissing rumors of a late-October or November delay. However, other reports point to production constraints limiting initial supply, and some suggest Apple may stagger the launch by region, starting in the U.S. Preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to open around September 12, but the Ultra's in-store availability may lag behind due to these supply concerns.
The same event is expected to include the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which are rumored to feature an A20 Pro chip, larger batteries, and a variable-aperture camera reportedly exclusive to the Pro Max, supported by code references in the iOS 27 beta pointing to new aperture-based image correction features. Beyond iPhones, the event is also expected to include the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, AirPods 5, and possibly a new smart home hub referred to as HomePad, along with updates to the HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K.