Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro pre-order schedule now sits behind the company’s September 9 Surprise and Shine event. Apple is set to show the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on Wednesday, Sept. 9, while John Ternus steps into Apple’s top role just days before that stage is expected to open.
John Ternus and Apple
Ternus is Apple’s hardware engineering chief and incoming CEO. Tim Cook announced in April that he is stepping down as CEO, and he had held the job for nearly 15 years after Steve Jobs stepped down in 2011.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
The September lineup is expected to center on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, with rumors pointing to bigger batteries, variable-aperture cameras, the Apple A20 processor, more satellite connectivity, a smaller Dynamic Island and tweaked back camera islands. For buyers, that mix signals a premium launch focused on hardware changes that could affect endurance, imaging and the pace of future software features.
iPhone Ultra and spring 2027
Apple is also expected to show the foldable iPhone Ultra, which is tentatively named as Apple’s first foldable phone and is said to use a book-style design. The reported $2,000 price tag puts it in a different buying bracket from the Pro models, while the base iPhone 18, iPhone 18E and a possible iPhone Air 2 are likely to arrive in spring 2027.
That split leaves the iPhone 18 Pro pre-order schedule without a stated date in the available details. Buyers who want the Pro models now can watch the Surprise and Shine event for the first hard buying signal, while anyone waiting for the base iPhone 18 may be looking at a much longer delay.
