Apple has officially confirmed its "Surprise and Shine" launch event for September 9, and while pre-launch leaks are always common, what's circulating this time goes well beyond typical speculation. Nearly every major detail, which models are launching, expected pricing in Pakistan, launch timing, and available colors, appears to be locked in with a high degree of confidence.

A new leadership era at Apple

This launch event carries extra significance for a reason that has nothing to do with specs: Tim Cook has stepped down, with John Ternus taking over as CEO effective September 1. Ternus comes from a hardware engineering background, unlike Cook, whose expertise centered on supply chain optimization, cutting packaging size, reducing shipping costs, and similar cost-driven decisions. With a hardware-focused leader now in charge, there's a reasonable chance upcoming Apple products lean more heavily into meaningful hardware innovation.

A structural shift: no base model this cycle

For the first time in years, Apple isn't launching a standard base-tier iPhone at this event. Instead, this launch focuses on the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and reportedly a foldable model. The standard iPhone 18 and a rumored "iPhone Air 2" are expected to launch separately in 2027, meaning Apple is reportedly shifting to two distinct launch events per year.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: design

The physical design of the Pro and Pro Max models is expected to closely mirror last year's iPhone 17 Pro Max, same body shape, same dimensions, to the point where existing cases should fit the iPhone 18 Pro Max without modification.

The Camera Control button loses its touch function

The side Camera Control button will remain, letting users open the camera and take photos with a press, but the swipe-based touch control is reportedly being removed. This makes sense from a repair-cost angle: a failed button has historically required a full chassis replacement, an extremely expensive fix for what should be a minor component failure.

Camera system: variable aperture arrives

Internally, both Pro models are expected to change significantly more than their exterior suggests. The rear triple 48MP sensor setup continues, but the main camera introduces a variable aperture, a mechanism allowing the lens opening to physically widen or narrow.

This isn't the first time this technology has appeared in a smartphone (Samsung's Galaxy S9 had it years ago), but sensor sizes back then were too small to meaningfully benefit from it. The iPhone 18 Pro Max's larger sensor should make this feature genuinely useful, enabling better low-light photography and more naturally rendered background blur.

A new chip built on advanced manufacturing

The Pro and Pro Max models are expected to use a new chip built on TSMC's wafer-stacking technology at a 2nm process.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to comfortably deliver around two days of battery life under typical use, addressing a long-standing complaint about iPhone battery longevity.

The foldable iPhone: exciting, but not recommended yet

Apple's long-rumored foldable model is also expected to debut at this event, though the overall advice here is clear: don't buy it at launch.

When unfolded, the device reportedly transforms into something closer to a small iPad experience, not just in screen size, but in actual software capability. Early impressions suggest the software experience is the best seen on any foldable to date, but camera quality reportedly doesn't fully match what buyers might expect from a $2,000+ device. This is very much a first-generation, experimental product.

Expected pricing in Pakistan

For context on how other brands are navigating this pricing environment, see our Redmi Note 17 series coverage and our Samsung Galaxy A57 review, both show similar cost pressures reshaping what buyers get at every tier.

Frequently asked questions