Noureldein GhanemWashington, DC — Apple heads into its September 9 keynote with a new CEO, a potentially transformative new iPhone and growing pressure to prove it can turn its artificial-intelligence ambitions into products consumers actually want.
The event will be John Ternus' first major product launch since taking over as Apple CEO from Tim Cook on September 1, ending Cook's 15-year tenure at the helm. Ternus, a longtime Apple hardware engineer, now faces one of his first major tests in the job as the company prepares to unveil its latest products.
The biggest expected reveal is Apple's first foldable iPhone, a device that would mark the company's entry into a category pioneered by rivals such as Samsung.
Reports suggest the phone could carry a price tag of around $2,000 or more, putting it firmly in Apple's premium tier and testing how much consumers are willing to pay for a new form factor.
But the keynote is about more than hardware.
Apple's AI strategy will be closely watched, particularly the company's efforts to overhaul Siri and make its AI capabilities more useful in everyday interactions.
The company has faced criticism for delays to some of its promised AI features, making the next stage of Apple Intelligence an important test of whether Apple can close the gap with rivals such as Google and OpenAI.
Here is what to expect from Apple's September 9 keynote:
John Ternus' first major product launch
Ternus became Apple's CEO on September 1, succeeding Cook after 15 years. He joined Apple in 2001 and rose through the hardware engineering ranks, eventually becoming the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering.
He is the first product engineer to lead Apple, according to the Financial Times.
That background makes the timing of his first major keynote particularly significant. Rather than inheriting a company in the middle of a quiet transition, Ternus is taking the stage as Apple prepares to introduce one of its most significant new hardware categories in years.
The question is whether Ternus can maintain the operational discipline associated with the Cook era while giving Apple a convincing new direction in hardware and AI.
A foldable iPhone
The foldable iPhone is expected to be the headline announcement.
Apple has stayed out of the foldable-phone market while Samsung and other manufacturers have spent years developing the technology.
The expected device would therefore represent Apple's first major entry into a category that has remained relatively small but could receive a significant boost from Apple's arrival.
Reports suggest the device could cost more than $2,000, although the final price has not been confirmed. The phone is also expected to sit at the high end of Apple's lineup rather than replace its conventional iPhone models.
For Apple, the challenge will be to make the technology feel less like a novelty and more like an obvious evolution of the iPhone.
The next test for Siri and Apple Intelligence
AI could prove just as important as the hardware.
Apple has spent the past two years positioning Apple Intelligence as a major part of its future, but delays to some of its most ambitious Siri upgrades have raised questions about whether the company is moving quickly enough to keep pace with competitors.
The revamped Siri is therefore likely to attract intense attention. Apple does not necessarily need to announce an entirely new AI product.
The more important question is whether it can demonstrate AI features that are useful, reliable and deeply integrated into the devices people already use.
Reports suggest the new Siri will rely partly on technology from Google, underscoring the pressure Apple faces as it tries to strengthen its position in the AI race.
What else to expect
Alongside the foldable iPhone, Apple is expected to unveil new high-end iPhone models, including the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
New Apple Watch models and AirPods are also expected to feature in the event, although Apple has not confirmed the products ahead of the keynote.
That leaves Ternus with a particularly consequential debut. Apple's latest keynote is not simply the launch of another iPhone generation.
It is the first major public showcase of the company under its new CEO, with a foldable iPhone and AI strategy likely to provide the clearest early clues about where Apple is headed next.
