Apple iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Ultra to launch on September 9: Likely specifications and price

Apple will hold its "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday, September 9, at 10.30 pm IST at Apple Park in Cupertino, and this year the lineup breaks a pattern the company has followed for close to a decade. Three phones are expected on stage: the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple's first foldable, which leaks have settled on calling the iPhone Ultra. The standard iPhone 18, the iPhone 18e and the second-generation iPhone Air have reportedly been pushed to spring 2027. That leaves the entire autumn lineup sitting at the expensive end of the range, with no cheaper model arriving a week later to take the pressure off.The event is also the first that John Ternus will host as chief executive, after taking over from Tim Cook on September 1, and he inherits an awkward pricing situation. Memory costs have climbed steeply through 2026, Apple has already raised prices on Macs and iPads in June, and the iPhone has so far been shielded from that. Most estimates now point to increases of Rs 9,000 to Rs 26,000 over last year's equivalents in dollar terms, with the foldable landing in a bracket no iPhone has occupied before. Preorders are expected on Saturday, September 12, rather than the usual Friday, which falls on September 11 this year, with retail sales starting Friday, September 18. India is expected to be part of the first wave for the Pro models, though foldable availability at launch is less certain.Apple iPhone Ultra likely specifications and priceThe iPhone Ultra is a book-style foldable that opens wider than it is tall, closer to an iPad mini cut in half than to the tall Android foldables sold here. Reports point to a 5.4 to 5.5-inch outer screen and a 7.8-inch inner display, a titanium frame, and a body around 4.5mm thick when open and roughly 9mm when shut. That is thinner than the iPad Pro and close to the thickness of a current Pro Max, which is the specific claim worth testing in person.Two things had to go to get there. There is no room for the Face ID module, so authentication moves to a Touch ID power button of the sort the iPad Air and iPad mini already use. There is also no telephoto lens, leaving a 48-megapixel main and a 48-megapixel ultra-wide on the back, positioned so they work whether the phone is open or shut. Both screens get their own front camera.Most of Apple's engineering effort has reportedly gone into the crease. A liquid metal hinge, ultra-thin glass, a structural glass mid-frame and an optically clear adhesive that fills micro-cracks over time are all in play, with a target crease depth below 0.15mm. The intent is not just an invisible crease out of the box but one that stays invisible after a year of folding, which is where every rival has struggled. A magnetic Apple Pencil was prototyped and reportedly dropped over concerns the tip would mark the inner display.Software is the other open question. iOS 27 is expected to bring side-by-side apps, iPad-style landscape layouts and sidebars, and beta code already references hinge angle detection, which suggests something similar to Samsung's Flex Mode. Apple has been pushing developers towards app adaptability for months. Whether third-party apps actually stretch properly on day one will decide how this phone reviews.FeatureExpected specificationInner display7.8-inch OLED, minimal crease, liquid metal hingeCover display5.4 to 5.5-inch OLED, hole-punch cameraProcessorA20 Pro, 2nm, up to 18% faster than A19 ProMemory and storage12GB RAM, 256GB to 2TBRear cameras48MP main + 48MP ultra-wide, no telephotoFront camerasOne per display, 18MP to 24MPSecurityTouch ID on the power button, no Face IDBatterySplit cells, roughly 4,900mAh to 5,800mAh totalConnectivityApple C2 modem, MagSafe chargingBuildTitanium border, about 4.5mm open and 9mm closedWeightAround 229g to 240gColoursSilver or white, plus a near-black deep indigoSoftwareiOS 27 with side-by-side multitaskingExpected price$1,999 to $2,299 for 256GB, about Rs 1,76,000 to Rs 2,02,000Higher configurationsUp to $2,699 for 1TB, about Rs 2,37,000Apple iPhone 18 Pro likely specifications and priceThe iPhone 18 Pro keeps the 6.3-inch size and the camera plateau introduced last year, so this is an internal upgrade rather than a redesign. Cases from the 17 Pro are expected to fit. The A20 Pro moves to a 2nm process and is tipped to be about 18 per cent faster and 30 per cent more efficient than the A19 Pro, with a wider memory interface and a larger cache for the efficiency cores.The camera change is the one that matters. The main sensor is expected to get a variable aperture, letting the phone stop down in harsh light and open up indoors, which is the first meaningful shift in iPhone exposure control in years. A three-layer stacked sensor is also rumoured, which would help with readout speed and low light. The Camera Control button is reportedly being simplified, with the capacitive layer removed after two years of complaints about accidental launches.The Dynamic Island is expected to shrink by around 35 per cent, from roughly 20.7mm to 13.5mm, though at least one leaker maintains that change has slipped to next year. Under-display Face ID, rumoured for a while, is not happening. Dark Cherry is the headline colour, alongside a light blue and silver, and leaked SIM trays suggest black may be missing from the lineup entirely.iPhone 18 ProExpected specifications and priceDisplay6.3-inch LTPO+ OLED, Dynamic Island around 35% smallerProcessorA20 Pro, 2nm, WMCM packagingMemory12GB RAMMain camera48MP with variable apertureOther cameras48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto with wider apertureCamera ControlRevised, capacitive layer removedBattery4,288mAh in most marketsConnectivityApple C2 modem, satellite 5G supportBuildAnodised aluminium, around 8.8mm to 9mm thickColoursDark Cherry, light blue, silver, dark greyExpected price$1,299 to $1,399, about Rs 1,14,000 to Rs 1,23,000Last year for referenceiPhone 17 Pro started at $1,099Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max likely specifications and priceThe Pro Max is where the battery gains land. A 5,567mAh cell would be nearly 10 per cent larger than last year's 5,088mAh unit, and paired with the 2nm chip and the more efficient LTPO+ panel, it should stretch what is already the longest-lasting iPhone. Units sold in China are expected to carry a smaller 5,391mAh cell because a physical SIM slot takes up room.That capacity comes with weight. The phone is expected to be about 0.25mm thicker and seven grams heavier at roughly 240 grams, with a camera plateau that grows from 11.23mm to 11.54mm. Some reports suggest the variable aperture camera may be exclusive to this model, which would be unusual but not without precedent, since the 15 Pro Max was the only phone in its year to get the tetraprism telephoto.iPhone 18 Pro MaxExpected specifications and priceDisplay6.9-inch LTPO+ OLEDProcessorA20 Pro, 2nmMemory12GB RAMBattery5,567mAh, 5,391mAh in ChinaWeight and thicknessAround 240g, roughly 0.25mm thicker than the 17 Pro MaxMain camera48MP variable aperture, possibly exclusive to this modelCamera plateau11.54mm, up from 11.23mmConnectivityApple C2 or Qualcomm modem depending on marketColoursDark Cherry, light blue, silver, dark greyExpected price$1,399 and up, about Rs 1,23,000Higher configurations1TB could rise by close to $300 over the 17 Pro MaxWhat more Apple is expected to launch at September 9 eventBeyond the phones, Apple is expected to show the Apple Watch Series 12 with a ceramic case option returning, the Apple Watch Ultra 4, and the AirPods 5 with a new H3 chip. A smart home hub, a refreshed Apple TV and a new HomePod mini are all in the running as well, though those may be held for a smaller event later in the year. Software dates should be announced at the same time. iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27 and the rest are expected to reach existing devices in the week following the event, with September 14 the most cited date.Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.