iPhone 18 Launch Live: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Duo, top announcements from Apple event

Live blogiPhone 18 launch event live updates: The “Surprise and Shine” Apple event is about to begin and India Today Tech, including Cyrus John from the team, is on the ground, bringing live updates as Apple holds its biggest event of the year. At the event, we expect to see the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, foldable iPhone Duo, alongside upgrades for the Apple Watch and AirPods. And today’s event will also mark the debut of John Ternus as Apple CEO. Here are all the updates straight from Apple Park, Cupertino....Read MoreIndia Today Tech is bringing you live updates from Apple Park for the iPhone 18 Pro launch.Apple will launch the next iPhone today, or tonight if you are in India. The launch event, which is called Surprise and Shine, is notable for two things. It is John Ternus’s first event as Apple CEO. Second, Apple is widely expected to launch its first foldable at this event. Reports say it will be called the iPhone Duo. India Today Tech is on ground zero, aka Apple Park in Cupertino, with Cyrus John bringing you all the updates from the Apple event as they happen. The iPhone Duo is likely to steal the spotlight but there will be more announcements and perhaps a few surprises along the way as well like for instance, the missing case of the iPhone 18. Rumour has it that Apple may not launch it this year focusing entirely on the pro models–iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max–do the heavy lifting. Joining the lineup will be updates to Apple Watch, Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4. New AirPods Pro with camera could be in the offing too, so we’ll see about that. ...Read MoreSep 9, 2026 20:04 ISTJohn Ternus teases big camera upgrade for iPhone 18 Pro?John Ternus's last-minute tweet may be a new teaser for the iPhone 18 Pro. The clip shows light entering inside what might be a camera sensor. As the light enters, the opening becomes smaller, reducing how much light actually gets to the sensor. This, some say, may hint towards variable aperture for the main camera on the iPhone 18 Pro -- a first for the iPhone. Variable aperture would allow you to adjust how much light enters the lens. Though we will have to wait and see how this feature actually works if it makes its way onto the iPhone. Apple CEO John Ternus teases the iPhone 18 Pro before launch. Sep 9, 2026 20:03 ISTThe foldable iPhone mystery?There is no doubt that the foldable iPhone, likely to be called the iPhone Duo, is going to be one big attraction tonight. Duo? Because two screens! But I suppose what we all are waiting for is to see the design of this new foldable phone. Apple is entering the segment fairly late. The first Android phones with foldable screens appeared over 6-7 years ago. So, people are also expecting that Apple's take on the foldable phone is going to be perfect in the way Apple devices usually are. Late yes, but perfect at entry. One key part that will define the iPhone Duo is its design. Will Apple go with a pocketbook-style design, or something similar to a folded tablet? Leaks hint that the iPhone Duo is going to be smaller than other full-sized foldable phones. In other words: it would be more like a pocket-book style design, with rounded edges and a straight spine. Well, we will see how well that works in practical use when the phone arrives, which is expected to be in October. The announcement, though, is tonight. Sep 9, 2026 19:45 ISTLeaked images of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone DuoWhile we wait for Apple to take the wraps off of the new iPhones, case maker Dbrand seems to have given us a clue. On its website, the company has listed the iPhone Duo (named iPhone Ultra here) alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. That is, before Apple even announces the new devices, you can actually order cases for them. The images look accurate based on recent reports, but you may want to take them with a pinch of salt. Dbrand iPhone listings (Photo: Dbrand) Sep 9, 2026 19:39 ISTWhat else other than the new iPhone 18 Pro plus plus phones?Apart from the iPhones, Apple is also expected to launch two new smartwatches today. One will be the Watch 12. The other one would be an update to the Apple Watch Ultra. Then there are new AirPods, which too are arriving today. Although not the Pro variant. But the regular variant, possibly in two flavours. One will have the better ANC and the case with wireless charging. Anything else? Possibly not today. Though with Apple events you never know. Sometimes they do pack in a surprise or two. Sep 9, 2026 19:33 ISTThis Apple iPhone launch event is differentThere are many changes this time around at the iPhone launch event. As in the 2026 iPhone launch event is not the business as usual. As noted, a new Apple CEO is going to be kicking off the event for the first time. Well, that is John Ternus. Two, this time around Apple is only launching the high-end iPhones at the September launch event. This means we will see three phones: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the iPhone Duo, which is a foldable phone. The more mainstream iPhone, which is going to be the regular iPhone 18, will only be arriving next year around March. Along with possibly the new iPhone Air 2. Third, Apple is launching its foldable phone today. Yes, we said it. But it is worth repeating. Sep 9, 2026 19:32 ISTWhere to watch Apple iPhone 18 launch?The Apple event begins at 10 am in Cupertino. For us here in India, it will be 10:30 pm when it starts. You can watch the Apple event live via Apple's website or Apple TV. But you can also stay with us here at India Today Tech, where we will bring you all the updates from the event as well as commentary and analysis of everything Apple announces today. Apple event begins at 10:30 pm IST. Sep 9, 2026 19:27 ISTApple CEO John Ternus has tweetedJohn Ternus has tweeted ahead of the Apple event, and the change is already visible. While Tim Cook used to tweet a photo of Apple Park, or rather the sunrise at Apple Park on the event day, Ternus has tweeted a video. Take a look: Sep 9, 2026 19:23 ISTApple Store goes offlineAs is the tradition before every Apple launch, the Apple Store has been taken down temporarily. The message on the website says, "Be right back. We’re making updates to the Apple Store. Check back soon." It also has the same image from the Suprise and Shine event teaser. We can expect to see the store back online after the event is complete, and get to know more about prices for Apple's upcoming iPhones. Apple Store goes offline. Sep 9, 2026 19:22 ISTJohn Ternus to make his debutApart from the new devices, and we will come to that in a minute, today's Apple event is also significant for one more reason. The people attending the event at Cupertino will not be hearing the familiar "goood moorning" from Tim Cook as the event starts. That is because Tim Cook is no longer the Apple CEO. The new CEO is John Ternus, and this will be his first Apple event as the new chief of the company. Will he also start with a warm "goood moorning". We will see. But chances are that he may start his keynote with a simpler "hello" just like he did it on X a few days ago when he made his debut there. Sep 9, 2026 19:21 ISTFoldable iPhone may be called iPhone Duo, expected price leaksApple is finally expected to launch a foldable iPhone. Going by the leaks, this foldable iPhone could be called the iPhone Duo. The iPhone Duo may bring a passport-like form factor, similar to what we saw on the Samsung Z Fold 8 recently. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone Duo in just two colours, white and dark blue. The foldable will likely bring the best of what Apple has to offer, including a new chipset, likely to be called A20 Pro. But what about the price? Reports say that the iPhone Fold may start around $2,000 (roughly Rs 1,90,000) in the US. While we don't know about the pricing for India just yet, you can expect it to see it cost upwards of Rs 2,00,000 if leaks are to be believed. Read more about the iPhone Duo's expected price and details here: Foldable iPhone name revealed, prices and availability too leak ahead of tonight's launch Sep 9, 2026 19:18 ISTSome leaks have already hinted at the iPhone 18 Pro pricesAhead of the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro launch tonight, there are some credible leaks -- credible because they come from Mark Gurman, an Apple reporter at Bloomberg -- about the features and prices of the upcoming phones. It is expected that compared to the prices of the Pro iPhones last year, this time there will be an increase of around $100 in the prices of the new phones. What does it mean for the India prices of the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone Pro Max? Well, expect the prices to go up. Best case scenario, the prices increase by Rs 10,000. The worst case scenario? Well, the prices go up by around Rs 20,000 or even more. Read more about the possible iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max India prices here: Fresh leaks hint at India prices of the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max Sep 9, 2026 19:12 ISTApple iPhone 18 Pro launch event set to start at 10.30PM India TimeThis is one of biggest nights of the year for Apple. Or rather the biggest morning, because India Today Tech is at Apple park in Cupertino where Apple is holding its iPhone launch event. While we wait for Apple to start its event, here is a quick refresher on what we expect to see today: Apple iPhone 18 Pro, foldable iPhone launch: What to expect at September 9 event?