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Apple Event Rumors Point to Foldable iPhone and iPhone 18 Pro Only

The reported shift to a staggered release schedule, with the standard iPhone 18 delayed until spring, would break Apple's recent pattern of launching its full lineup each September and could test demand in the budget-conscious Japanese market where the iPhone 17 has been popular.

Key Facts

  • The Apple Event is scheduled for September 9 in the U.S., which is September 10 at 2:00 a.m. Japan time.
  • KeyBanc Capital Markets predicts the iPhone 18 Pro will cost $1,249, up $150 from the previous model, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max will cost $1,399, up $200.
  • The foldable iPhone, possibly called iPhone Ultra, is expected to start at $2,199, according to the KeyBanc report cited by Investing.com.
  • ASCII.jp reports a theory that only the foldable iPhone and iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will be announced, with the standard iPhone 18 coming next spring.
  • Rumored colors for the iPhone 18 Pro are Silver, Light Blue, Dark Cherry, and Dark Gray, according to ASCII.jp.

Reporting from 6 sources: 4Gamer.net, GAME Watch (Impress), ASCII.jp, Automaton, and 2 more.

Apple Event Rumors Point to Foldable iPhone and iPhone 18 Pro Only

Japanese tech media are running extensive rumor roundups ahead of Apple's September 10 event, with a consensus forming that this year's announcement will skip the standard iPhone 18 entirely. The prevailing theory, repeated across multiple ASCII.jp articles, is that Apple will only unveil the foldable iPhone and the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, with the regular iPhone 18 potentially arriving next spring. This would mark a departure from last September, when four iPhone 17 models were announced at once. The event, scheduled for September 9 in the U.S. and September 10 at 2:00 a.m. Japan time, is also notable for being the first Apple Event since John Ternus became CEO, according to GAME Watch. Analysts cited by U.S. financial media Investing.com expect the iPhone 18 Pro to rise to $1,249, a $150 increase, with the Pro Max reaching $1,399. The foldable device, widely referred to as the iPhone Ultra, is predicted to start at $2,199. KeyBanc Capital Markets expects three models to be announced, and warns the event could be a negative factor for Apple's stock price.

The event lands on a Wednesday, September 9 in the U.S., one day later than Apple's usual Tuesday slot for the second week of September. ASCII.jp notes the shift is due to a U.S. holiday, and theorizes pre-orders could move from the standard Friday to Saturday, September 12 at 4:00 p.m. Japan time. Production of the foldable is still not sufficient, and ASCII.jp draws a parallel to September 2017, when the iPhone X took pre-orders in October and released in November, well after the iPhone 8. A worse case would follow the Apple Vision Pro, whose release outside the U.S. was delayed by several months.

The foldable's shape and name are both open questions. ASCII.jp points to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8, announced in July, as the likely reference: it opens to 4:3, closes to a landscape passport size, weighs 201g, and is thinner when closed (8.9mm) than an average smartphone, including the iPhone 17 Pro. On naming, the leading candidate iPhone Ultra would sit above the Pro Max as the top tier of the lineup, which ASCII.jp doubts, since the Pro Max is the most popular model. A Threads user spotted a deleted CASETiFY page titled "iPhone Duo Case" with hinge protection, later rewritten to "iPhone Ultra Case" before removal, per Hong Kong's Unwire.hk.

Synthesized by Yomimono from the 6 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.

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