Apple New iPhone Design Changes Set for Major Reveal at September Event

Apple is preparing what many expect to be its most significant new iPhone design changes in years when the company holds its annual product event on Wednesday in Cupertino, California.

For nearly two decades the iPhone has remained a rectangular slab of glass over a glass or metal back, even as it shed the home button, gained thinner profiles and rounded its edges. That familiar form is now poised for a real departure. People familiar with the plans say Apple will introduce a foldable smartphone whose bendable display opens and closes like a book.

The move comes just days after John Ternus took over as chief executive. The event will test whether the new leadership can restore some of the energy that once defined Apple’s fall launches and prove the company can still turn emerging technology into mainstream products.

Foldable phones have been available since 2018 yet still account for only a small fraction of the overall smartphone market. Apple’s entry, expected to sit at the top of the lineup alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, will show whether the company can expand that niche the way it has with other categories.

Subtle refinements join the bigger shift

While the foldable model represents the clearest break from tradition, the standard Pro models are also expected to carry visible updates. Reports point to a smaller Dynamic Island, with some Face ID components potentially moving under the display. The change would reduce the size of the familiar cutout without eliminating it entirely.

The rear design may appear more seamless, with a revised Ceramic Shield section around the MagSafe area that looks less distinctly two-toned. Camera Control is said to shift from a capacitive touch layer to a pressure-sensing mechanism, a quieter hardware tweak aimed at simplifying production.

Color options for the Pro models are also evolving. Dark Cherry is expected to replace the previous Cosmic Orange, joined by Light Blue, Dark Gray and Silver. Screen sizes are likely to stay consistent at 6.3 and 6.9 inches, and the overall body thickness should remain close to the prior generation even if the camera plateau grows slightly thicker.

A split launch and new leadership test

Apple appears ready to break from its usual single-season cadence. The Pro models and the foldable device, sometimes referred to as the iPhone Ultra, are lined up for the September showcase. Standard iPhone 18 models and a second-generation Air are instead expected to arrive in spring 2027, according to multiple reports and system-file references.

Supply constraints could limit early availability. Memory shortages in particular may stretch shipping times for the higher-volume Pro models even as the lower-volume foldable faces fewer of the same pressures.

The event itself will be Ternus’s first major stage appearance as CEO. After years of more restrained product presentations that leaned heavily on recorded video, the company faces questions about whether it can recapture the sense of occasion that once accompanied new iPhone launches. A foldable design that finally moves beyond the rectangle would give the new chief a concrete answer to critics who have argued Apple’s hardware has grown predictable.

Whether the foldable succeeds in broadening the category or the Pro refinements prove more meaningful to everyday users will become clearer once the devices reach stores. For now, the combination of a book-style form factor and incremental updates to the familiar Pro lineup marks the clearest signal yet that Apple is ready to rethink what an iPhone can look like.