Apple News 8 Hours

Last updated: September 9, 2026, 3:00 PM ET

Apple Event Kickoff

Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event kicks off today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with the online Apple Store taken down ahead of the expected announcements. The company is expected to unveil the foldable iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, new Apple Watch models, and Air Pods. For those unable to watch live, Mac Rumors is offering a spoiler-free video stream of the proceedings, while 9to5Mac has published a guide on how to watch the event and a roundup of rumored products. Apple Insider's Andrew O'Hara is on the ground at Apple Park and has reported on the special welcome run held for attendees ahead of the launch.

iPhone 18 Pro Rumors

In the hours leading up to the event, a flood of last-minute leaks has painted a detailed picture of the iPhone 18 Pro. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has leaked all color options for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, with no major surprises expected in the palette. A separate report from 9to5Mac confirms Gurman's color predictions, suggesting Apple is sticking with familiar finishes. New Apple CEO John Ternus has posted a mysterious teaser video on X that appears to hint at a variable aperture camera system for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, a feature that would be a first for the iPhone. 9to5Mac notes this would be Ternus's first product unveiling as CEO, adding extra significance to the camera tease. A leaked video shows the iPhone 18 Pro's new 3-in-1 Dynamic Island mode in action, activated inside the iOS 27 simulator, allowing three Live Activities to be displayed simultaneously. Apple Insider reports that the Dynamic Island is shrinking while becoming more useful, with the ability to show more Live Activities at once. Code found in iOS 27 suggests the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could support 25% faster charging, a significant improvement over current models. A series of screenshots shared with Mac Rumors purportedly show Verizon's AI assistant leaking detailed specs about the iPhone 18 Pro, adding another layer to the pre-event rumor mill.

Pricing and Pre-Orders

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will increase the price of its high-end iPhones by just $100 per model, a more modest increase than initially feared. To encourage upgrades, Apple is reportedly softening its trade-in policies, offering better pricing for devices with minor cosmetic damage such as small scratches or dents. 9to5Mac confirms Apple is offering trade-in incentives to encourage users to upgrade to the new models. Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro are expected to begin on Saturday, September 12 at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time, according to multiple sources. Mac Rumors corroborates the September 12 pre-order date, citing the X account Shrimp Apple Pro.

iPhone Duo Foldable

The foldable iPhone Duo is expected to be the star of today's event, with Bloomberg reporting that it will come with Apple Pencil support, a significant addition for productivity-focused users. There had been widespread speculation that the foldable would be named the iPhone Ultra, but 9to5Mac explores three possible explanations for why that name may not appear today. Samsung, which has dominated the foldable market, has offered "advice" to Apple that 9to5Mac suggests reveals its fears about the build quality of Apple's first foldable device. Mac Rumors has compiled a list of 20 last-minute rumors covering both the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro, including display specifications, battery life, and camera capabilities.

Apple Watch and Air Pods

Leaker "pdfu" has shared code-level details about the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4's new AI day summary feature, offering a clearer picture of what the AI tool will track, including activities, workouts, and health metrics. On the Air Pods front, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple had planned to introduce high-end in-ear Air Pods with built-in cameras for analyzing the surrounding environment at today's event, but the launch has been pushed to 2027. 9to5Mac rounds up the latest AirPods 5 feature rumors ahead of the event, including improved audio quality and new health sensors.

Deals and Accessories

B&H is celebrating today's Apple Event with a flash deal on the M5 Pro MacBook Pro, offering $200 off the 48GB RAM configuration, bringing it down to $2,899. 9to5Mac's deals roundup highlights a giant $500 price drop on select M5 Pro MacBook Pro models, along with $100 off Air Pods Max 2 and an all-time low on Air Tag. Amazon and Best Buy are offering up to $600 off select 2026 MacBook Pro models. For those looking to expand their Mac's connectivity, OWC's new $130 USB4 Hub adds four ports and HDMI 2.1 support, along with 81W of charging pass-through.

Mac Comparisons and Industry News

Mac Rumors has published a comprehensive buyer's guide comparing the Mac mini and Mac Studio, highlighting 20 key differences between the two desktop lines announced last month. In industry news, Apple has fallen behind Samsung in brand intimacy for the first time in 16 years, according to MBLM's 2026 report, with Apple's brand intimacy score falling sharply while Samsung held steady. The 9to5Mac Security Bite podcast continues its look at Mac threats in 2026, with a preview of OBTS v9 in part two of the series.

Retail and Store Updates

The Apple Lakeside store in Essex, England, will reopen on Saturday after a major redesign featuring new sustainable materials. Apple has also taken down its online storefront in multiple regions ahead of today's event, with Mac Rumors confirming the store is down for the "Surprise and Shine" event. Apple Insider notes the online store is down as the company prepares its pages for the new product launches, with 9to5Mac also tracking the store downtime ahead of the foldable iPhone Duo announcement. Apple has also released a mysterious teaser video ahead of the event, building anticipation for the "Surprise and Shine" tagline. The company's news hub at 9to5Mac is providing comprehensive coverage of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Duo, Apple Watch, and Air Pods announcements, while Apple Insider's last-minute leak analysis suggests no color surprises for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. Mac Rumors is also running a live blog covering the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch, and Air Pods announcements as they happen.