‘Surprise and Shine’ — Apple reveals when to tune into its September event and teases what’s coming — here’s what to expect and how we might finally meet a folding i Phone | Tech Radar
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‘Surprise and Shine’ — Apple reveals when to tune into its September event and teases what’s coming — here’s what to expect and how we might finally meet a folding i Phone
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You can officially mark your calendars for September 9, 2026, as Apple has just made its annual September event official by sending out invitations with the tagline "Surprise and shine," announcing the Special Event.
In true Apple time, the September 9 event kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (3am September 10 AEST) and will be livestreamed at Apple Park, specifically in the Steve Jobs Theater. We’re fully expecting the Cupertino-based tech giant to stick with a virtual format, though, for the keynote itself, and if you didn’t score an invite, fear not, as it’ll be livestreamed to the world, and our expert team here at Tech Radar will be breaking it all down in real time.
“Surprise and shine” doesn’t just stand as the annual event where we expect Apple to unveil its next generation of i Phones, Apple Watches, and a few other devices, but it arrives eight days after John Ternus steps into the role of CEO. Our bet is that he still kicks off the show with a ‘Good Morning,’ and who knows, Tim Cook might still make an appearance.
Surprise and shine! It’s almost time for the #Apple Event, on Wednesday, September 9! pic.twitter.com/SLk Ic Nm Lw PAugust 26, 2026
Surprise and shine! It’s almost time for the #Apple Event, on Wednesday, September 9! pic.twitter.com/SLk Ic Nm Lw PAugust 26, 2026
The rumored hardware list is long for September 9, and all eyes are pointing to Apple entering the folding phone market with what will likely be called the i Phone Ultra. A device that’s purported to be similar in overall size and shape to the most recent Galaxy Z Fold 8, and that might make the foldable phone category a bit more mainstream with some Apple touches.
That won’t be the only i Phone, though, as the i Phone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are expected, but don’t hold out hope for a standard i Phone 18 or second-generation i Phone Air. According to the rumor mill, the focus will be on the Pros, with the follow-up to the i Phone 17 and i Phone Air arriving later. You can expect a next-gen Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Series 12, and we might see a new Home Pod Mini and a long-awaited update to the Apple TV.
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What does the ‘Surprise and shine” invite tell us?
After months of rumors, our eyes now turn to examining every part of the invite for 'Surprise and shine." For one, it's on a bright blue background that somewhat resembles the skies over Apple Park, but the center features an Apple logo with colorful flare and blur around it.
There also appears to be a circle flowing from it, which might hint at the venue, the Steve Jobs Theater, the circular Apple Park Ring, or how the new Siri AI ebbs and flows.
Potentially, the middle of the Apple logo shows a vertical line, which could hint at the folding i Phone. Though your guess is as good as ours at the moment.
The best news? Apple is promising us a surprise, and that's something we can all get excited about.
For starters, it will be John Ternus' first special event as Apple's CEO, and it arrives at an interesting time, with a ton of hardware expected. And just weeks before the event, Apple unveiled its next-generation M6 and M5 Ultra chips and refreshed both the Mac mini and Mac Studio. Might it have been to get some of the devices out of the way for a packed September event?
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It could very well be, as we're expecting the i Phone 18 Pro, the i Phone 18 Pro Max, the foldable i Phone – likely named i Phone Ultra –, the Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4. There are also chances for new Air Pods, though it'll likely be the next-generation entry-level — Air Pods 5 and Air Pods 5 with ANC, replacing the duo of Air Pods 4 — and not the recently leaked Air Pods Pro with Cameras, as recent reporting suggests those won't be due out until 2027.
Then there's also a rumored refresh of the Home Pod mini and the Apple TV 4K — the streaming box that connects to the TV, not the Apple TV streaming service, though it does run on this device — that's been rumored for quite some time, and was theoretically waiting on Siri AI to be released to power some new features.
Considering that Siri AI will release this Fall, likely in the back half of September, as a beta for consumers with a waitlist at first as part of the generally available i OS 27, i Pad OS 27, mac OS 27 Tahoe, watch OS 27, and tv OS 27, there is a good chance that Apple will debut these next-generation home products. It's also likely a necessary stepping stone before we get the reported Home Screen device with a robotic arm. Still, even more importantly, Siri AI needs a spot in the home rather than just on i Phone, i Pad, Apple Watch, and Mac.
Both the next-gen Home Pod mini and Apple TV 4K are reportedly on Apple's roadmap for 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman; alongside that Air Pods Pro leak, several other products were mentioned, including a new Siri Remote for the Apple TV.
It's likely, though, that the i Phone Ultra will be the big reveal — and potentially the first one more thing in the Ternus era at Apple — alongside the i Phone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max.
The only other question mark as we roll into September is the next Beats product: over-ear headphones likely to be named Beats 360, according to recent leaks. Considering product pages were up, and Beats has coyly seeded some units to superstar athletes, it feels like a reveal could be coming in the next few weeks. It's unlikely we'd see these at Apple's September event, as Beats rarely gets time during the keynotes, but anything is possible. These might be released around the same time these new products formally debut.
The good news on all fronts is that we don't have much longer to wait — with Apple invites out for the 'Surprise and Shine' September 9, 2026 event and even some visual teasers out and about, we're just 14 days away from the next special event.
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Jacob Krol is the US Managing Editor, News for Tech Radar. He’s been writing about technology since he was 14 when he started his own tech blog. Since then Jacob has worked for a plethora of publications including CNN Underscored, The Street, Parade, Men’s Journal, Mashable, CNET, and CNBC among others.
He specializes in covering companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google and going hands-on with mobile devices, smart home gadgets, TVs, and wearables. In his spare time, you can find Jacob listening to Bruce Springsteen, building a Lego set, or binge-watching the latest from Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars.
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