iPhone event – live: Apple to launch most dramatic redesign ever, alongside a host of other products

Apple is about to hold what might be its biggest product launch ever.

The company will reveal a whole new design for its most popular ever product, the iPhone, that will allow it to fold in half. That device, rumoured to be named the iPhone Ultra or Duo, has been years in the making and is rumoured to cost over $2,000.

Alongside its first folding phone, Apple will also launch an iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, updates to the AirPods – and its new chief executive. It will be the first keynote hosted by new boss John Ternus since he took over as the head of the company at the start of September.

But it is the new device that is expected to take up much of Apple’s time, offering a glimpse at the future of the product that will decide the company’s future.

The event kicks off at 10am local pacific time, or 6pm in the UK. It will be live-streamed online but you can follow all the latest below.

New Apple CEO teases new iPhone

For the past decade or so, it’s been customary for the CEO of Apple to post on Twitter/X in the hours before the company’s big September event.

John Ternus is new to the job but he’s keeping up with tradition with his own tweet teasing today’s iPhone launch.

It shows a spotlight panning down on what appears to be a phone camera. Could be a hint that there will be a big focus on the camera, which is set to have a variable aperture for the first time.

pic.twitter.com/CLu9eRDP5b

— John Ternus (@johnternus) September 9, 2026

What to know about Apple's first foldable phone

Whether it’s called the iPhone Ultra or the iPhone Duo, what’s almost certain is that Apple is about to unveil its first ever foldable phone. It comes seven years after Samsung released the Galaxy Fold, but the delay could help it avoid some of the issues that initially plagued its Korean rival.

Over at IndyBest, Alex Lee has taken a closer look at what to expect from the new device, which include an almost-square display and similar dimensions to the iPhone 13 mini when shut.

You can read it here.

Exclusive First Dummies of what the final size of the iPhone Fold, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will look like. pic.twitter.com/X9P9uBK12p

— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) April 7, 2026

iPhone 17 prices tumble ahead of new lineup launch

The launch of a new iPhone is usually the best time of the year to buy an old iPhone, with the arrival of a fresh flagship forcing retailers to adjust the prices of older models.

The iPhone 17 Pro has already dropped by £100 at various retailers, but rather than trawl through all the offers you can just check out our round-up of all the best discounts right now.

Retailers are slashing the price of iPhone 17 Pro as new model launches this week

How to watch today's 'Surprise and shine' Apple event

Today’s Apple event is set to kick off at 10am local time, which will be 1pm if you’re on the east coast, or 6pm if you’re in the UK.

The ‘Surprise and shine’ event will be live streamed on the Apple TV app, as well as Apple’s official YouTube channel.

You can watch it here.

Most expensive iPhone ever could rise in price

The staggering price of the foldable iPhone may actually seem relatively modest in a few months, if recent trends continue.

The AI boom is causing 'chipflation', meaning gadgets are actually increasing in price after their launch. Apple has already announced price increases for existing products, including its Macs and iPads, and the new iPhones launching later may suffer the same fate.

Will 'iPhone Duo' be most expensive iPhone ever?

If the rumours are to be believed, the foldable iPhone will be the most expensive smartphone Apple has ever released. Reports suggest the base model will start at around $2,000, with the top-end device reaching towards $3,000.

For context, the previous high-water mark for a top-tier iPhone was the iPhone 17 Pro Max with a 2TB storage option that cost $1,999.

Even if you have the money, it might still be difficult to buy the foldable phone due to supply issues.

Apple to unveil foldable ‘iPhone Duo’ in biggest redesign ever – but there’s a catch

Everything to expect from the iPhone 18 Pro

It’s not just a foldable phone that Apple is unveiling today. The latest flagship, expected to be called the iPhone 18 Pro, will also get a showing.

Most major upgrades have focused on the camera in recent years, and 2026 looks like it will be no different.

Expected to receive the biggest camera upgrade ever, the iPhone 18 Pro is heavily tipped to introduce variable aperture for the first time, with the DSLR-like feature giving photographers more control over depth of field and background blur.

You can read all about it here:

Apple will launch iPhone 18 Pro today – here’s everything to expect

John Ternus's debut

New Apple chief executive John Ternus will be leading the keynote for the first ever time, after taking over at the start of September. He’s appeared in plenty of them before, and the handover has been long-planned and well-managed, but it still marks a decisive moment in his taking control of the company from Tim Cook.

It might be the first time we really get to see who he is. And it might bring with it other changes in the event itself – some rumours had suggested that Apple could return to a live format for the event, though those have got much quieter recently.

Home products on their way?

Some rumours have suggested that Apple has been working on a load of different home devices – special screens that can stay in one place and work something like a combination of an iPad and a HomePod, for instance, or even more unusual ones such as a home camera system. We might not see them at this September event, but they are expected to be coming soon.

It would make sense with Apple’s keenness to stress its new chief executive John Ternus as being focused heavily on product. What better way would there to be show that than to launch a whole host of new products – even if they’re a little weird?

Everything Apple will – and won't – reveal at its launch event

The foldable iPhone will get much of the focus, alongside the new Pro models and updated Apple Watches. But there will be some notable omissions from this September event.

You can read about all of the products coming – and not – here.

What's the new, folding iPhone called?

Recent rumours have consistently pointed to ‘iPhone Ultra’ as the name of the new foldable device. But a late entry from reliable Apple reporter Mark Gurman suggests it could be called “iPhone Duo”.

The same report also suggests that it will cost $2,000, as rumoured – but that it could have been much more. The price of the memory required for the device has gone up dramatically, but Apple has opted to eat those costs itself to ensure the device’s price does not go up too high, he reported.

Hello and welcome...

... to The Independent’s live coverage of Apple’s 2026 September event, widely rumoured to be bringing its first ever foldable phone, updated Pro models as well as AirPods and Apple Watches – and a whole new CEO.