On September 9, 2026, Apple held its annual event and introduced its new CEO. This is the complete summary of what's new: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch, AirPods, and artificial intelligence, with prices, dates, and everything about John Ternus, the engineer who took over at the helm of the company.
On September 9, 2026, at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, Apple presented the novelties of its annual event, dubbed "Surprise and Shine." This was the debut of John Ternus as the company's new CEO.
The biggest novelty was the first folding iPhone in history, the iPhone Duo. But the event brought much more: a new iPhone 18 Pro lineup, two watches, new AirPods, and an artificial intelligence layer that spans across almost all products. Below is the complete summary with prices and dates, and who is John Ternus, the new CEO who led his first event at the head of Apple.
What Apple presented at its September 2026 event
At its September 2026 event, Apple presented the iPhone Duo, its first folding phone, the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, the Apple Watch Series 12, the Apple Watch Ultra 4, and the fifth-generation AirPods. All devices arrive with new artificial intelligence features on iOS 27 and watchOS 27. Here is the table with the official data:
Product | Main feature | Starting price (USD) | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
iPhone Duo | First folding iPhone; 7.6" internal screen | 1,999 | Presale 10/16, delivery 10/23 |
iPhone 18 Pro | A20 Pro chip; variable aperture camera | 1,199 | Presale 9/12, delivery 9/18 |
iPhone 18 Pro Max | Same base as the Pro, with a larger screen and battery | 1,299 | Presale 9/12, delivery 9/18 |
Apple Watch Series 12 | New health sensing system | 399 | Delivery 9/18 |
Apple Watch Ultra 4 | Rugged version for demanding use | 799 | Delivery 9/18 |
AirPods (5th gen) | H2 chip; live translation | 129 | Delivery 9/18 |
*Official Apple data (Apple Newsroom, September 2026). Reference prices for the United States; they vary by country. iOS 27 and watchOS 27 are released as a free update on September 14.
iPhone Duo: Apple's first foldable
The iPhone Duo is the first foldable iPhone and was the big announcement of the event, reserved for the classic "one more thing". It opens to a 7.6-inch internal screen (the largest ever seen on an iPhone) and, when folded, offers a 5.4-inch external screen.
Apple describes it as the thinnest iPhone it has ever made, with a titanium frame, IP68 resistance, and eSIM-only operation. It uses the same A20 Pro chip as the Pro line and comes in two colors. Prices start at $1,999 for the 256 GB model and climb to $3,199 for the highest-capacity version, making it also the most expensive iPhone in history. Its arrival on the market is later than the rest: pre-sale on October 16 and delivery on the 23rd.
iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max debut the A20 Pro chip, a 48 MP main camera with variable aperture, and a slimmer Dynamic Island, capable of showing up to three live activities.
Apple highlighted battery improvements compared to the previous generation. Both models increase by 100 dollars compared to 2025: 1,199 dollars for the Pro and 1,299 for the Pro Max, in their 256 GB versions. Pre-sales opened on September 12, and delivery starts on the 18th in more than 65 countries, with another 20 joining on the 25th.
Apple Watch, AirPods and Artificial Intelligence
The Apple Watch Series 12 (starting at $399) introduces a new health sensing system that measures heart rate more frequently and adds a daily fitness readiness index. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 ($799) maintains the rugged line for demanding use. The fifth-generation AirPods (starting at $129) incorporate the H2 chip and live translation. The common thread of the entire event was artificial intelligence: Apple positioned the iPhone as the best place to use AI privately, with on-device processing whenever possible, running on the new version of iOS 27 and its redesigned assistant.
Who is John Ternus, the new CEO of Apple
John Ternus has been the CEO of Apple since September 1, 2026, when he succeeded Tim Cook, who became executive chairman of the board. An engineer by training, Ternus worked at Apple for 25 years, most recently as head of hardware engineering. He led the development of products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and Vision Pro, as well as the transition of the Mac to Apple's own silicon.
The succession was announced in April 2026 and planned as an orderly transition, with Cook accompanying the handover during the northern hemisphere summer. An important nuance to read into the event: the products Ternus presented had been in development for years before he took over. In other words, this first keynote says more about his public leadership style than about his own product strategy, which will only begin to be seen in future cycles.
What Apple's CEO Change Means
The change marks a shift in the profile of the person leading the company. For 15 years, Apple was led by Tim Cook, whose background was in operations and supply chain. Ternus comes from product and engineering. The world's most valuable company chose, at a time when the industry is reorganizing around artificial intelligence, someone whose career consisted of making products work.
Industry analysts, such as Dipanjan Chatterjee (Forrester), pointed out that Ternus inherits a company at its peak and that the challenge is not just to sustain the level of execution of the Cook era, but also to position Apple to reinvent itself. His background in engineering is read by several observers as an advantage for that stage. Beyond the forecast, there is an underlying signal that interests anyone working with technology: in the hardware business, value is defined in execution, not in the announcement.
In summary…
The event left a wider and more expensive catalog, with the first folding iPhone as the main protagonist, and an institutional fact that transcends any device: for the first time in 15 years, Apple changed its leader. John Ternus takes over at a time when the entire industry is reorganizing around artificial intelligence, with the dual challenge of sustaining the level of the Cook era and finding the next big leap. The products he presented had been in development since before his arrival; those that will truly show who he is as CEO are yet to be seen.
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