Apple News 24 Hours

Last updated: September 18, 2026, 2:01 PM ET

iPhone 18 Pro Launch Day

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max launched today in markets around the world, capping a launch cycle that began with last week's unveiling and ran through a global preorder wave. The first preorders are now reaching customers across time zones, with Friday, September 18 in Australia and New Zealand marking the earliest deliveries. Apple Stores in most locations are also offering pickup for customers who missed the preorder window, and inventory appears broadly available on day one.

The launch extends beyond phones. First orders of the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra, and Air Pods 5 are arriving to customers simultaneously, making this one of Apple's broadest hardware release days in recent memory. Ahead of the launch, Apple CEO John Ternus teased the event from the company's Fifth Avenue flagship in New York, where the store was readied for the morning rush.

The Fifth Avenue Spectacle

Apple's famous glass cube on Fifth Avenue was turned burgundy to mark the release, a signature lighting change the company reserves for major product moments. The celebration was not without friction: child safety protesters targeted the flagship during the launch, drawing attention to ongoing debates over protections for younger users. Inside the stores, Apple has hidden tiny "hello" signs as an Easter egg for customers, a detail tied to the new camera zoom demonstration. The company has also buried similar signs inside retail locations for iPhone 18 Pro users to discover, turning the demo tables into a scavenger hunt.

Camera and Hardware Changes

The headline hardware change this cycle is the variable aperture lens. Like the iPhone 17 Pro models, the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max carry the feature forward, but Apple has refined the control scheme and the way the system shifts between stops. Photographer Austin Mann published his camera review of the device, focusing on changes to the Main camera and the iOS Camera app. Early unboxings highlight new colors and better photos alongside a smaller Dynamic Island, a cosmetic change users have requested for several generations.

Reviewers have largely converged on a consistent verdict. The first review roundup describes elite cameras and no real surprises, with much of the attention already shifting to the iPhone Duo. A separate hands-on review paired the phone with the Apple Watch Series, and iOS 27 shipped alongside both. For buyers deciding what to try first, Apple has highlighted a set of features that define the launch, from camera controls to display refinements.

iPhone Duo Looms Over the Launch

The most persistent theme in coverage is the phone that has not shipped yet. Ahead of iPhone Duo's arrival in October, hands-on videos have revealed a split keyboard, app multitasking, and other interface changes that position the device as a different category altogether. The AppleInsider Podcast worked through every new detail learned about the iPhone 18 Pro, the Apple Watch lineup, and iOS, with the Duo casting a long shadow over the discussion.

Software: iOS 27 and mac OS 27

Apple released iOS 27 to everyone this week, and much of the early coverage has focused on features that have nothing to do with AI. iCloud+ subscribers received new benefits in the release, including several Apple Intelligence-related additions tied to the subscription tier. On the Mac side, Siri AI is the marquee change, and a video walkthrough argues the assistant has finally come to life after a decade of incremental updates. Apple's new Siri app changes how users interact with the assistant, and the company has published guidance on when to use the app versus the "Hey Siri" wake phrase.

The Photos app in mac OS 27 also received a refresh, part of a broader system release cycle that has kept developers busy. On the developer side, the Web Kit blog detailed Safari 27 for developers, including support for MCP that lets AI agents interact with the browser in new ways.

Pricing, Repairs, and Day-One Housekeeping

Two cost changes are worth flagging for buyers. Apple has raised the out-of-warranty battery replacement fee to $129 for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in the U.S., up from the prior tier. The updated service pricing applies specifically to the new models and does not affect older devices. Separately, new iPhone 18 Pro units require a day-one update, so customers should expect a software install before the phone is fully ready to use.

On the subscription side, Apple is offering a three-month Apple One Premier trial worth $120 to new and qualifying returning subscribers, a promotion timed to the hardware launch.

Analyst View and Component Costs

Evercore raised its AAPL price target to $380 on iPhone demand, citing upgrade activity around the iPhone 18 Pro. The call reflects a view that the installed base is due for replacement, though the firm's thesis leans heavily on the Pro tier rather than the broader lineup. On the supply side, Apple has reportedly agreed to pay Samsung more for RAM and storage chips starting in 2027, a signal that memory pricing pressure will persist into the next product cycle and could complicate margins.

Accessories and Ecosystem

Readdle updated PDF Expert for iOS 27 with handwriting recognition and expanded Apple Pencil support, including the Pro. OWC's SoftRAID 9 adds RAID 6 and RAID 6+ protection, but the feature is restricted to mac OS 27 owners, tying storage redundancy to the latest OS. WhatsApp began rolling out an in-chat search button on iOS after a beta period, a small but widely used interface change.

Meta entered the personal agent race with Muse for iPhone and Mac, launching the assistant across both platforms and adding a Mac app nine days after the initial release. The move puts Meta in more direct competition with Apple's own assistant efforts just as Siri AI reaches the Mac.

Legal and Regulatory

A judge blocked OpenAI from seeing the terms of a settlement between Apple and Space XAI, in a dispute stemming from Elon Musk's litigation against Apple. Judge Mark Pittman rejected OpenAI's request to obtain X and Space XAI's confidential settlement details in the antitrust suit, keeping the terms sealed. In the UK, Apple challenged government secrecy around an encryption backdoor order, asking a court to lift restrictions on what the company can publicly disclose about the directive.

Market and Community

Apple maintained its lead in the global true wireless stereo market even as the category slowed, with open-ear earbuds gaining ground as the fastest-growing segment. And for anyone who wants to imagine a different phone entirely, a fan site launched an interactive tool that lets visitors design the next iPhone, a playful counterpoint to the polished launch narrative running across Apple's retail footprint today.