Apple has remained tight-lipped about its next iPhone launch event, but renowned Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman believes it will follow the usual schedule and take place in the second week of September. According to Gurman, the event is likely to be held on September 9th rather than September 8th. Unlike previous years, however, the September keynote is expected to focus solely on the iPhone 18 Pro models and the iPhone Ultra, with the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air reportedly delayed until Spring 2027.
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iPhone 18 Pro and Ultra launch date, availability (expected)
Based on history, the most likely date for Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra announcement is either Tuesday Sept. 8 or Wednesday Sept. 9. But Labor Day is on Sept. 7, so Apple may prefer a travel gap day and prefer Sept. 9 for that reason.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) June 28, 2026
The iPhone Ultra and the iPhone 18 Pro models are tipped to launch on either 8 or 9 September. According to reports, as Labour Day falls on September 7th, Apple may leave an extra day for travel and logistics, making September 9th the more likely date for its fall event, where its first-ever foldable, along with the latest Pro models, will be unveiled.
It’s further being aniticipated that the pre-booking of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra could start from September 10th or 11th.
iPhone 18 Pro and Ultra prices (rumoured)
The iPhone Ultra is expected to be the most expensive offering from Apple yet. The foldable is tipped to priced at $2,000 (~Rs 1,88,000). That’s before taxes and local pricing adjustments, meaning its price in India could easily exceed Rs 2 lakh. If that happens, it would comfortably become one of the most expensive foldable smartphones on the market, making it a purchase that warrants careful consideration before taking the plunge.
The iPhone 18 Pro is also expected to carry a higher price tag than its predecessor. The increase is reportedly driven by rising memory and storage costs, which have already prompted Apple to raise prices for several products, including its MacBooks and iPads. If rumours prove accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro could start at around USD 1,399 (roughly Rs 1.32 lakh), a notable jump from the iPhone 17 Pro’s starting price of USD 1,099 (around Rs 1.03 lakh).
iPhone 18 Pro and Ultra details
The iPhone 18 Pro is reportedly set to arrive in new colour options, although its overall design is expected to remain largely unchanged from its predecessor. Under the hood, it is tipped to feature Apple’s new A20 chipset, the same processor expected to power the iPhone Ultra, and ship with iOS 27 out of the box.
While the camera hardware is likely to retain the same resolutions as the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple is expected to introduce meaningful behind-the-scenes upgrades. One of the most notable rumours points to a variable aperture for the main camera, allowing the lens to adjust its f-stop depending on the scene. This could offer better control over depth of field, improve exposure in bright conditions, and deliver more natural-looking background blur in videos.
The iPhone Ultra, meanwhile, will reportedly boast an exceptionally slim, precision-engineered hinge that could allow the foldable display to close with little to no visible crease. Furthermore, the smartphone could measure around 4.5mm thick when fully unfolded, making it even slimmer than the iPhone Air, which has a 5.6mm profile. By comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 is expected to come in at roughly 4.2mm when opened, underscoring the industry’s push towards increasingly thinner foldable devices.
The leaked renders also suggest the phone will feature a horizontally aligned dual rear camera setup and retain Apple’s Camera Control button. The larger foldable display is also tipped to support a new split-screen multitasking experience designed to improve productivity.
Apple has yet to confirm the details, so take the news with a grain of salt. But if you have been waiting for an innovative iPhone for years, the iPhone Ultra is worth keeping an eye on. The handset could be the most ambitious smartphone from the Cupertino-backed firm to date.