Apple’s First Launch Under John Ternus: What to Expect on September 9

The Apple ‘Surprise and Shine’ event on September 9 is not just another product cycle. It marks Apple’s first launch event led by a CEO other than Tim Cook in fifteen years. 

This year’s event is expected to include the new iPhone 18 Pro model, Apple’s first foldable iPhone, updated Apple Watches, and possibly the AirPods 5. The bigger story, however, is what the event reveals about Apple’s pace of innovation under its new leadership. 

What Is the Apple Surprise and Shine Event? 

"Surprise and Shine" is the tagline Apple chose for the event on September 9. The event takes place at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. 

It is Apple's traditional fall showcase, the event that typically anchors the year's biggest smartphone and wearable launches. This year, the event also marks John Ternus's debut as CEO. Ternus took over eight days earlier, when Tim Cook moved into the executive chairman role on September 1. 

Apple's invitation stayed characteristically vague and avoided the word "iPhone" entirely. Analysts and supply chain sources have filled in the details through months of reporting. 

Why Does the Apple CEO John Ternus Keynote Matter? 

Ternus joined Apple in 2001 and spent 25 years rising through product design and hardware engineering before taking the CEO role. That background differs from Cook's operations-focused career. 

In his first memo to staff, Ternus described the coming launch as "phenomenal," setting expectations before Apple had announced a single product. The main question is whether his engineering background will shape a more technical presentation style than Cook's. 

The transition is also part of a broader executive reshuffle. Johny Srouji has stepped up as chief hardware officer, and other senior responsibilities have shifted around Ternus. 

What Apple Event Product Launches Should Buyers Expect? 

Multiple supply chain analysts and technology publications have reported consistent details about the Apple September 9 event lineup: 

• Apple's first foldable iPhone will reportedly use a book-style design, dual rear cameras, and a display engineered to minimize visible creasing. Most reporting refers to it as the "iPhone Ultra," though some call it the "iPhone Fold." 

• iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will reportedly use Apple's new 2-nanometer A20 chip. Most reports describe the design as an iterative update to the iPhone 17 Pro rather than a major redesign. 

• The Apple Watch Series 12 will reportedly bring a new chip and expanded blood-pressure-related health notifications, though regulators have not yet cleared that feature. Reports suggest a fourth-generation Apple Watch Ultra will share the same new chip alongside its own health-tracking upgrades. 

• AirPods 5, two models, with and without active noise cancellation, will reportedly debut alongside the new iPhones, though Apple has not confirmed the timing. 

• Apple will likely announce release dates for iOS 27 and watchOS 27 during the same week as the hardware reveal. 

One notable absence stands out: the standard iPhone 18 will not appear in this lineup. Apple is reportedly reserving the base iPhone 18 and a second-generation iPhone Air for spring 2027, a meaningful shift from its usual single-September launch model. 

What Should Buyers Not Expect at the September 9 Event? 

Setting realistic expectations matters for buyers deciding whether to wait. 

• A new standard iPhone 18: reports point to a spring 2027 release alongside a redesigned iPhone Air, splitting Apple's iPhone lineup across two launch windows for the first time. 

• New Mac hardware: a rumored high-end "MacBook Ultra" redesign and an updated 24-inch iMac will likely arrive in October or later. Apple traditionally reserves its fall keynote for iPhone and Apple Watch news. 

• A new Apple Watch SE: unlikely, since Apple only refreshed the current SE 3 last September, and no successor has surfaced in current reporting. 

• Smart home products may arrive later in the fall through separate press releases rather than the keynote itself. This category includes the iPad mini, a new Apple TV box, HomePod mini, and a rumored home hub display. 

This pattern reflects how Apple typically sequences launches, keeping the flagship keynote focused on core products and releasing secondary categories through quieter channels later in the year. 

Is Apple Entering a New Phase Under John Ternus? 

The September 9 event will be the first significant launch event for Apple under their new CEO, John Ternus. The expected arrival of the foldable iPhone also makes this one of the more significant iPhone launches in recent years. 

Apple has already announced new Mac mini and Mac Studio models on August 25, about two weeks before the keynote, while Tim Cook was still officially CEO. Those launches are reportedly linked to strong enterprise demand for AI hardware, rather than the leadership transition. 

The company is also taking a different approach to its product calendar this year. With the standard iPhone 18 and several other products reportedly pushed to later in the year or into 2027, Apple appears to be spreading its launches across multiple windows. 

For September 9, however, the focus remains on the new hardware. The keynote will also offer the first public look at how Ternus presents Apple and how the company approaches its next major product cycle under his leadership.