Apple confirmed a Surprise and shine keynote for September 9 streaming from Apple Park and John Ternus becomes CEO on September 1; AAPL trades near $313 (up 15.13% year-to-date and roughly 8% below its July peak) and briefly crossed a $5 trillion market cap last month. Reports peg the lineup as iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and Apple’s first foldable with a 5.5-inch outer/7.8-inch inner display, 4.5mm open thickness, side-button Touch ID and rumored entry pricing above $2,000 (higher tiers past $2,500); an AI-driven memory shortage has tripled chip prices, pressuring margins and potentially creating neutral to negative effects on crypto adoption, mobile wallet security considerations, token launches and DeFi/DEX/CEX liquidity.

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In Brief

Apple will hold its 'Surprise and shine' keynote on September 9 at Apple Park.
The iPhone 18 Pro lineup and Apple's first foldable phone headline expectations.
AAPL trades near $313, up 15.13% this year but below its July peak.

Apple has confirmed a “Surprise and shine” keynote for Wednesday, September 9, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. The company will stream the event live from Apple Park in Cupertino.

Marketing chief Greg Joswiak posted the invitation on Wednesday. Tim Cook shared the post and said he is counting down, yet neither executive named a single product.

Apple Enters the Ternus Era With Its Stock Off the Peak

Counting down with everyone! https://t.co/FhRumftT4S
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 26, 2026

The timing carries weight. John Ternus, who has led Apple’s hardware engineering, becomes chief executive on September 1, eight days before the keynote.

Cook shifts to executive chairman after 15 years in the top job. Therefore, September 9 becomes the first launch under Apple’s new leadership.

Cook praised his successor when Apple announced the handover in April.

“John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor,” Tim Cook, Apple CEO, statement.

Investors have backed the transition so far. AAPL closed at $313.45 on Wednesday, up 1.15% on the day and 15.13% for the year.

The stock still trades roughly 8% below its July peak, however. Apple briefly crossed $5 trillion in market value last month.

Soft guidance then pushed shares below support after the June quarter results. Traders now treat the keynote as the next catalyst.

AAPL Stock Chart. Source: TradingView

Foldable iPhone Headlines the September 9 Lineup

Apple has confirmed no hardware. Reports point to the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the first foldable model.

Those reports describe a 5.5-inch outer screen paired with a roughly 7.8-inch inner display. Touch ID sits in the side button instead of Face ID.

That choice keeps the phone at 4.5mm when open. However, it also costs the device a telephoto lens, leaving a 48-megapixel main camera and an ultra-wide.

Price sets the real test. Early reports put the entry model above $2,000, with higher storage tiers passing $2,500.

Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 should also appear. A new home hub, an updated Apple TV 4K, and a refreshed HomePod mini sit on watchlists, too.

Cost pressure hangs over the launch. An AI-driven memory shortage has tripled chip prices and already forced the company to lift Mac and iPad pricing this year.

Analyst Dan Niles argues that Apple’s slower approach to AI spared it a costly capital expenditure trap. Others counter that the company still trails rivals on artificial intelligence features.

Pricing, therefore decides how the market reads on September 9. Investors want to know whether Apple can charge a premium for a folding screen without denting volumes.

Read the article at BeInCrypto