Tomorrow, John Ternus will take the stage for the first time as Apple's CEO at a launch event—and sitting front and center could be the answer Apple fans have been waiting years for: the first foldable iPhone. The handover has been remarkably low-key. Tim Cook only officially stepped into the role of executive chairman earlier this month, even though the leadership change was actually announced back in April. Now, the real moment of transition is quietly unfolding at a hardware event.
The event, called "Surprise and shine," is set for 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT on September 9 at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California. Viewers can watch via the Apple TV app, Apple's website, or its YouTube channel.
The rumored foldable has been the subject of speculation for a long time now, and analysts with insider knowledge of the industry say the device is confirmed to appear at this event, possibly under the name iPhone Ultra. Reports suggest it will feature a roughly 5.5-inch outer display, unfolding to reveal a 7.8-inch inner screen—just shy of the iPad Mini's 8.3-inch display, essentially folding a full-size handset into something approaching tablet dimensions. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman gave the device's hinge durability and tablet-like unfolded interface a favorable review, but pointed out one notable shortcoming: the camera lacks a telephoto lens. If the price really does land above $2,000 as rumored, that gap could give plenty of iPhone Pro users pause—especially those who've grown accustomed to the zoom flexibility that comes with multiple lenses.
