Apple chief executive John Ternus is preparing to lead his first major product presentation on Wednesday, September 9, with investors watching for evidence that the company can pair a widely expected foldable iPhone with a stronger artificial-intelligence strategy. Apple has confirmed the event at its Cupertino, California, headquarters, but it has not confirmed the product lineup, specifications or prices ahead of the presentation.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that analysts expect a premium phone that opens like a passport and may cost more than $2,500. They also expect updates to the iPhone Pro and Pro Max, while Apple may defer refreshes of its base, budget and Air models until spring. Those details remain analyst expectations rather than company announcements and will be tested when the event begins.
The presentation arrives eight days after Ternus formally succeeded Tim Cook as chief executive. Apple said in April that Cook would become executive chairman and continue helping with matters including engagement with policymakers. The Associated Press said Ternus previously helped develop products including Apple Watch, AirPods and Vision Pro during his years leading hardware engineering.
Artificial intelligence is the larger business test. Reuters said Apple has announced an extensive Siri overhaul that partly uses Google technology behind the scenes after earlier delays. Analysts told the news agency that Ternus must persuade users and developers that Apple can improve its assistant quickly enough to compete with Google and OpenAI, while regulatory disputes may delay availability in Europe and China.
The expected foldable could give Apple a new premium growth engine in a smartphone market strained by high memory costs. IDC said in an update published Tuesday that global smartphone shipments fell 7.4% from a year earlier in the second quarter to 276.3 million units. Even so, Apple and Samsung expanded their shares, and IDC forecasts Apple could ship more than 17 million foldable phones by 2027 and capture about 40% of that segment.
Investors will therefore judge more than a new device shape. They will assess whether Ternus can turn Apple's hardware scale and installed base of more than one billion devices, as cited by Reuters, into credible AI adoption without weakening its premium positioning. Pricing, availability, Siri performance and regional launch plans will determine whether Wednesday's event begins his tenure with a commercially meaningful product cycle.
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