Apple Sets September 9 Event for New iPhones and Its First Foldable

Apple has officially set the date for its next major product launch. The company will hold its event on September 9, with the latest iPhone models expected to take center stage and Apple's long-rumored foldable phone potentially making its debut.

This launch carries more weight than a typical iPhone event. Apple's first foldable could open a new premium category for the company at a time when rising component costs are putting pressure on smartphone prices and consumer demand.

Apple's first foldable could be the big headline

The rumored foldable iPhone is expected to be one of the most important new products in Apple's lineup. Analysts believe the high-end device could help push average selling prices higher while also supporting stronger margins.

The phone is expected to use a book-style design with an internal display roughly comparable in size to an iPad mini. That would give Apple a direct competitor to Samsung's premium foldables while introducing the format to Apple's enormous customer base.

The timing is important, too. Foldable smartphones remain a relatively small part of the overall market, but manufacturers are increasingly treating them as a path toward future growth.

John Ternus will lead his first major Apple event

The September launch will also mark a leadership change at Apple.

John Ternus is scheduled to become Apple's CEO on September 1, replacing Tim Cook, who will move into the role of executive chairman. Ternus has spent years leading Apple's hardware organization, making his first major product event as CEO particularly significant.

His appointment has been viewed as a sign that Apple intends to build on its hardware strengths while looking for new areas of growth. The first foldable iPhone could become an early symbol of that strategy.

Samsung still leads the foldable market

Samsung currently has the strongest position in the foldable smartphone market, which has been growing despite the higher prices attached to these devices.

The company has also been refining its foldable portfolio as competition increases. Earlier this year, Samsung introduced a wider passport-style foldable as it looked to strengthen its position ahead of Apple's entry.

Apple will therefore be entering an established category rather than creating one from scratch. The difference is that Apple's massive installed base could give foldables a significant boost once an iPhone becomes part of the market.

Memory shortages are pushing smartphone prices higher

The foldable launch is happening against a difficult backdrop for consumer electronics.

A severe shortage of memory and storage chips has pushed component costs higher, forcing manufacturers to reconsider pricing. Apple has already increased prices on several Mac and iPad products as it deals with those pressures.

The company has also warned that supply-chain shortages could weigh on sales. That makes a premium product such as the rumored foldable particularly important because Apple can potentially offset some of those pressures through a higher selling price.

Apple could ship millions of foldable iPhones

IDC expects Apple to ship more than 17 million foldable iPhones by 2027. Even a fraction of that volume would give the category a significant boost, particularly if existing iPhone users begin considering foldables as their next upgrade.

IDC also expects global foldable smartphone shipments to grow 12.6% this year. That stands in sharp contrast to broader smartphone shipment forecasts, which point toward a much weaker overall market.

Apple's entry could therefore arrive at exactly the right time for a category that needs a major new source of demand.

Prepare your data before switching to a new iPhone

A new iPhone can be exciting, but upgrading also means moving years of photos, contacts, messages, documents, and other personal content. Planning your content transfer before the new phone arrives can make the setup process much smoother.

Smart Transfer can help simplify that transition by giving you a straightforward way to organize and move personal files between devices. It can also complement tools such as Smart Switch when you are preparing for a new phone and planning your data transfer. 

For people moving between platforms, it is worth cleaning up unnecessary files before starting. Removing old downloads, duplicate photos, and unused content means you can bring across the information you actually want rather than filling your new device with years of digital clutter.

A major moment for Apple's iPhone strategy

Apple's September 9 event is shaping up to be more than another yearly iPhone refresh. The company is expected to introduce its latest flagship models while potentially opening an entirely new product category with its first foldable iPhone.

At the same time, the event marks the beginning of John Ternus' tenure as CEO and comes as Apple navigates higher component costs and a challenging smartphone market.

If the foldable iPhone arrives as expected, it could become one of Apple's most closely watched launches in years. And with analysts already predicting millions of shipments, the device may have a much bigger impact on the smartphone market than its premium price suggests.