Apple's big September event is set for this Wednesday, and the company is preparing to introduce three new iPhone models: the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the much-rumored iPhone Ultra. The announcement represents a major step upmarket for Apple's annual iPhone cycle and a simultaneous reshaping of its hardware roadmap. With the event just days away, details from supply chain reports and developer findings have combined to give a fairly detailed preview of what should be on stage.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: what to expect

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are positioned as the direct successors to last year's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. For the first time in several generations, Apple appears to be making the Pro models the entry point into its newest lineup, with no standard non-Pro iPhone launching alongside them. Expectations are high, and the rumored feature list is substantial.

• A20 Pro chip with improved power efficiency and sustained performance.
• A major camera upgrade, particularly the Main camera with a variable aperture that will give photographers more control over depth and light.
• A 35% smaller Dynamic Island, giving the front of the device a cleaner, more contemporary appearance.
• New color options, with a bold burgundy finish expected to headline the launch.
• The best battery life Apple has ever delivered according to reports, with the iPhone 18 Pro Max expected to gain a significant jump over its predecessor.
• A redesigned Camera Control button with new gestures and capabilities.
• Apple's own C2 cellular modem, building on the company's push to bring more components in-house.
• New satellite features, including support for satellite-based 5G in some capacity.

The Pro models will almost certainly continue to use a titanium frame and OLED display with ProMotion technology. Apple has been refining its display technology year after year, and the 18 Pro line is expected to ship with even brighter panels and advanced power management. The move to a smaller Dynamic Island may be significant, but if Face ID continues to work alongside the smaller cutout, the change will be more cosmetic than functional. Still, it signals that Apple is steadily working to eliminate the island entirely in future models.

One area that deserves special attention is the camera system. The variable aperture main sensor is something Apple has not offered since the iPhone 4-era, and the company's modern implementation may bring substantial photography improvements. A variable aperture allows the lens to open wider to gather more light or stop down to keep more of the scene in focus. This could be particularly beneficial for portrait photography, where depth control is often a challenge. The Ultra Wide camera is also expected to receive an upgrade, although Apple is likely to leave the periscope Telephoto arrangement largely unchanged on the smaller Pro.

Price, however, will not be an afterthought. The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to start at a higher price than the iPhone 17 Pro did. Analysts have suggested a starting point of $1,399, but some observers believe Apple may aim for a more crowd-pleasing $1,199 or $1,249. Either way, the cost of entry into Apple's newest phones will be higher than ever. Even with a rising starting price, Apple has repeatedly demonstrated that it can sell large volumes of Pro model iPhones. The pandemic-era supply disruptions and global smartphone maturity have not stopped consumers from buying more expensive devices.

iPhone Ultra: Apple's first foldable flagship

The most anticipated product of the event is likely the iPhone Ultra. If Apple follows recent rumors, the iPhone Ultra will be the company's first foldable iPhone and will carry a starting price above $2,000. It represents Apple's most ambitious attempt yet to justify a new high-end tier above the Pro Max lineup.

The design reportedly resembles the book-style foldables that Samsung and others have popularized, with an outer display around 5.4 inches when closed and an inner display measuring 7.8 inches when open. That inner display size borders on iPad mini territory, which means users will get a much more immersive experience than any traditional iPhone can offer. The outer display is larger than many devices that were already considered compact, so the Ultra should still feel like a full phone when closed.

In terms of materials, the iPhone Ultra is expected to borrow heavily from the iPhone Air. A titanium border should keep the weight low while maintaining structural stiffness. Rumors also point to a slim profile, though a foldable device necessarily carries more depth than a standard slab phone. Apple will probably make its fold in a way that minimizes the crease and avoids external display compromises, two areas where many rivals have struggled.

Camera hardware on the Ultra will be a bit less extreme than the Pro Max. The device is expected to feature two rear cameras, a Main and an Ultra Wide, with two front-facing cameras, one for each display. That setup suggests Apple is positioning the Ultra as a premium but not camera-centric alternative to the Pro line. Buyers looking for the absolute best camera may still choose the Pro Max.

In a somewhat surprising move, the Ultra will reportedly use Touch ID rather than Face ID. Because the device cannot always be opened to the inner display, Apple may have determined that a physical fingerprint sensor or a side-mounted fingerprint reader is the easiest way to unlock the phone in both configurations. It would mark the first time since 2018 that a new flagship iPhone has omitted Face ID in favor of Touch ID, breaking a key connection with the original Face ID era.

Software will almost certainly make the difference for this hardware. iOS 27 is expected to introduce native side-by-side multitasking, adaptive landscape layouts, and a new app docking experience designed for large screens. The 7.8-inch inner display invites comparison to the iPad mini and suggests Apple wants to offer a true productivity device in a phone form factor. The Ultra will be supported by the same A20 Pro chip found in the iPhone 18 Pro, along with a vapor chamber cooling system to manage thermal output during long gaming or productivity sessions. A C2 modem keeps it in line with the rest of this year's launches.

What's missing: iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2

The most striking development around this launch is not what is coming out, but what is not coming out. Normally Apple refreshes its entire smartphone portfolio each September, including a base model iPhone 18 and a second-generation iPhone Air. That will not happen this year. Instead, reports indicate that Apple has pushed the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 to early 2027.

The move is doubly surprising because it means Apple is deliberately giving up the holiday sales season for its most affordable new models. During the fourth quarter last year, the standard iPhone 17 accounted for a large share of worldwide iPhone shipments. Without a new base iPhone, Apple will have to rely on the continued scale of older models, plus the allure of the new Pro phones, to carry the quarter. The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus may remain in the lineup at reduced prices, but they will be entering their second holiday cycle.

The supply-chain perspective adds some context. The industry is experiencing a memory crisis that has affected pricing across nearly every electronics segment. Fabricating the A20 Pro chip in high volume is one matter, but sourcing the DRAM and NAND flash needed for a broad lineup is another. By shifting the lower-volume base models to early 2027, Apple gives itself more time to secure memory supplies and keep component costs under control. The alternative, launching too many SKUs at once with inconsistent memory pricing, could have created order delays and a significant revenue hit.

There may also be a strategic rationale. Apple has spent the past several years moving its iPhone lineup upward in price while emphasizing that iPhone Pro models deliver the latest and best tech. It has been a hugely successful approach. The company has been rewarded with record services revenue and a strong upgrade retention rate, and the price ladder continues to climb. Removing the lower end of the fall lineup, even temporarily, allows Apple to position every new phone introduced in September as a high-end product. The audience that would historically buy a $799 or $899 iPhone may now feel pressure to buy an older phone or wait until early 2027.

What this means for buyers

For people planning to upgrade in the next few months, the launch creates a clear fork in the market. Those who need a new iPhone now can expect amazing choices in the Pro and Ultra tiers, but they will need a much larger budget than in previous years. Consumers who want a new iPhone without paying flagship prices will have to consider buying a current-generation iPhone 17 model, waiting for clearance deals, or sitting tight until early 2027.

Early adopters who want the foldable experience will be paying a significant premium to enter Apple's new ecosystem. That premium is partially justified by the hardware complexity of a foldable smartphone, and partially by the halo effect of a second-generation product. The iPhone Ultra's launch will attract the same experimentation that accompanied the original Apple Watch Edition, even if sales volumes remain limited.

The Pro line remains the safer recommendation for technology enthusiasts who want cutting-edge features without accepting the form-factor risk of a first-generation foldable. For many owners of an iPhone 15 or older, the jump to an iPhone 18 Pro will bring a huge step forward in chip performance, battery life and camera capability. Even owners of an iPhone 17 Pro, however, should hold back unless they feel particularly drawn to the variable-aperture camera and expanded satellite functionality.

Apple is likely to announce the exact launch dates, preorder windows and carrier offers during Wednesday's event. A number of analysts expect the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to begin shipping right after the event, while iPhone Ultra may follow a few weeks later because of complex manufacturing requirements. Whatever happens, the event will reshape the iPhone roadmap for the next several quarters and frame Apple's strategy leading into late 2026 and early 2027.

Are you planning to upgrade to a new iPhone this fall? Which model looks most appealing to you? With three high-end devices and no lower-priced alternative coming until early 2027, this will be the most expensive iPhone season in the company's history.

Source: 9to5Mac News