Apple's Sept 9 event opens device wave running to 2029

Apple's Wednesday "Surprise and Shine" event opens the longest run of device releases in its history, a pipeline through 2029 that new Chief Executive Officer John Ternus will use to revive product-driven growth.

"We have a huge launch next week that's going to be phenomenal," Ternus wrote to employees Tuesday in his first address since taking over Sept 1. "I'm just as excited about what lies beyond that, including the incredible products already in the works and the ones we haven't even imagined yet."

Bloomberg reported Friday that the Sept 9 showcase, expected to include the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max plus the foldable iPhone Ultra, marks the start of a device wave running through 2029 and beyond. By early 2027 Apple plans the foldable iPhone, a smart home hub with a screen, and refreshes of AirPods, Apple TV, HomePod mini, iPad mini, iMac and MacBook Pro. In 2027 it is developing AirPods with camera sensors, a home security sensor and service, and smart glasses; 2028 and beyond could bring a robotic-arm smart home hub, an Apple Vision Pro overhaul, a camera pendant for artificial intelligence and augmented-reality glasses.

The pipeline marks a shift for a company that spent 15 years refining existing lines and building services revenue, with few genuinely new categories since the Apple Watch and AirPods. The September lineup goes all-premium — the entry-level iPhone 18 is held until spring 2027 — with the foldable Ultra expected to price between $2,000 and $2,500 and the Pro models potentially rising $200 to $250.

A hardware engineer's answer

The products were largely developed by Ternus' hardware engineering team before he succeeded Tim Cook, who stepped down Sept 1 to become executive chairman. Cook's decision to let Ternus introduce work he oversaw set the Sept 1 handover date, days before the event. Ternus joined Apple in 2001 on the product design team and ran hardware engineering from January 2021.

The foldable Ultra, Apple's first entry in a category Samsung has led since the Galaxy Fold in 2019, is reported to carry a 7.8-inch inner display and 5.5-inch cover screen on the A20 Pro chip built on a 2nm process. Samsung shipped the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra in July with an 8-inch display at just over 4mm unfolded. Apple has confirmed none of the specifications, and the company's plans remain fluid, with devices subject to delay or cancellation.

The all-premium September lineup is a structural change to how Apple sells the iPhone rather than a scheduling quirk. The flagship moment now contains only the expensive tier, with volume products getting their own window six months later — a cadence that could lift average selling prices across the cycle.

What the roadmap means for the supply chain

A multi-year release cadence spanning new form factors could smooth order flow for Apple's suppliers and component makers, which have ridden uneven iPhone cycles for years. The foldable's hinge and display stack, the smart home hub and the camera-equipped AirPods each add new bill-of-materials content, giving contract manufacturers and chip suppliers a longer visibility window than the annual September refresh.

The bet comes as Apple's software story faces pressure. Siri was rebuilt on a custom Google Gemini model and shipped as a standalone app, and the company settled a $250 million class action over AI features marketed before they were ready. Google's Pixel 11 put Gemini into the operating system weeks before Siri got comparable models. Ternus' answer is to compete on hardware, where Apple's silicon and design advantage is most defensible.

The real test is the 2027 slate, where Ternus' own decisions start landing. Apple has been testing four frame designs for AI smart glasses ahead of a 2027 launch — the category where hardware and software stop being separable, since a wearable display is only as useful as the assistant behind it. Apple shares, a heavy weight in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, will be judged on whether the pipeline converts into sustained revenue growth rather than a one-time launch bump.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.