Apple will kick off a new era on Wednesday when chief executive John Ternus takes the stage for the first time at the company's annual iPhone launch event.
Ternus took over from Tim Cook on 1 September, ending Cook's 15-year run as chief executive.
Under the succession plan, Cook has moved into the role of executive chairman, while remaining involved in areas such as engaging with policymakers.
Ternus, an engineer who joined Apple in 2001 and rose to lead hardware engineering, inherits a company facing intense competition in artificial intelligence.
A first for the iPhone's form factor
Ternus is widely expected to oversee the debut of Apple's first foldable iPhone, alongside upgrades to the iPhone 18 Pro range and the Apple Watch lineup.
Apple has named the event "Surprise and shine", scheduled for 9 September at 10am Pacific time.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the foldable iPhone will echo the styling of established rivals such as Samsung's foldables, while carrying a price that could exceed $2,000.
Various analyst estimates have put the starting price anywhere between $1,999 and $2,500, depending on storage and configuration.
Samsung's own Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at $1,899, with the higher-end Z Fold 8 Ultra starting at $2,099, giving a sense of the market Apple is entering.
It would mark the most significant change to the iPhone's form factor since the device launched in 2007.
The rest of the lineup
Beyond the foldable, Apple is expected to show off its latest iPhone 18 Pro models, likely featuring the company's newest processor and camera improvements, including a redesigned aperture for better control over lighting.
Apple refreshed the Pro lineup's design with the iPhone 17, so major cosmetic changes are considered unlikely this time.
It remains unclear whether Apple will launch its standard iPhone 18 model this month, with some reports suggesting the base model could instead arrive alongside the iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air in spring 2027.
That would represent a shift in Apple's usual approach of launching its full iPhone range simultaneously, and could help smooth out seasonal swings in revenue.
Apple is also expected to unveil the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, alongside internal updates and software improvements.
Pressure beyond the phones
Apple faces growing competition in fitness and health tracking from rivals such as Oura and Samsung, both of which sell ring-based trackers, adding pressure on Apple to evolve its own devices and software.
For Ternus personally, Wednesday's event doubles as an early signal of the direction he intends to take the company, and how far he is willing to deviate from the products and priorities that defined Cook's 15 years at the top.
