Apple's annual iPhone launch event on Wednesday will usher in a new chapter as John Ternus steps onto the stage as CEO for the first time to preside over the event, after taking over from former CEO Tim Cook on September 1, Yahoo Finance reported. Widely expected updates include Apple's first foldable iPhone, refreshed iPhone 18 Pro models, and new additions to the Apple Watch lineup.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that the foldable device will mirror the design language of rival folding phones, including Samsung's, though its price could climb past the $2,000 threshold. For comparison, Samsung prices its passport-styled Galaxy Z Fold 8 starting at $1,899, while the Z Fold 8 Ultra starts higher, at $2,099.
Ahead of the event on Wednesday, Yahoo Finance noted that Apple shares fluctuated unevenly.
A folding iPhone stands to attract buyers tired of the standard candy-bar shape and hungry for something new. Apple doesn't need mass adoption to profit from a high price tag; even limited demand among its most loyal customers could make the device worthwhile.
Alongside the foldable, Apple is set to unveil its newest iPhone 18 Pro lineup, likely featuring Apple's newest A-series processor and camera upgrades, including a wider aperture for improved lighting control. Major cosmetic changes seem improbable this cycle since the Pro design was already overhauled with the iPhone 17, the outlet's report added.
Whether Apple will introduce the standard iPhone 18 this cycle remains uncertain. Citing Economic Daily News, the enthusiast outlet MacRumors reported that the base model could instead arrive early next year, paired with the iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air.
Breaking from tradition in that way would mark a significant departure from Apple's usual iPhone strategy, since the company has traditionally launched its base and Pro models simultaneously each year; staggering the releases could ease the seasonal bumps in revenue by spreading sales over a longer stretch.
Beyond the handsets, Gurman reported that Apple plans to introduce the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, both expected to receive internal hardware upgrades along with improved software. Rivals such as Oura, known for its ring-shaped tracker, and Samsung, which also sells its own ring devices, are pushing harder into the health and fitness space Apple has long dominated, a dynamic that may pressure the company to sharpen both its hardware and its software.
The spotlight on Wednesday however belongs as much to Ternus as to any device. Yahoo Finance will be covering the event live as it unfolds.
