Apple to Debut Foldable iPhone as New CEO Takes Reins

Starting next week, Apple will welcome a new CEO in the form of hardware chief John Ternus, who will officially take the helm at the company's product launch event on September 9 at Cupertino, California. The event, titled "Surprise and shine," will be livestreamed on the tech giant's website and marks Apple's biggest product rollout of the year.

Bloomberg News reported that the launch will introduce Apple's first foldable iPhone, signaling a significant shift in the product's design and entering the market dominated by Samsung. The foldable iPhone will be roughly the size of a standard passport and unfold to reveal a screen comparable to a small iPad. Alongside the foldable iPhone, Apple plans to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, successors to the current high-end phones, which boast faster chips, extended battery life, and substantial upgrades to the camera.

The report emphasized that the event will notably lack a new version of the iPhone Air or a standard iPhone 18, which are slated for release next year. The launch comes as smartphones have become the "retail's operating system," with consumers utilizing mobile devices for 53% of purchases. PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions research highlights that the shift toward mobile use occurs before checkout, with shoppers leveraging their phones to discover products, compare prices, read reviews, check inventory, access loyalty offers, and pay in-store.