Apple is back with its biggest iPhone event of the year.
The company is holding its September event today, September 9, where it is expected to show its next generation of iPhones and other products. The event is also getting extra attention because John Ternus has recently taken over as Apple’s CEO.
For Apple fans, however, there is one thing that has generated more excitement than the usual yearly iPhone upgrade — the possibility of a foldable iPhone.
Could Apple Finally Enter the Foldable Phone Market?
Foldable phones are not new anymore. Samsung has been making them for years, while Google, Motorola and several Chinese smartphone brands have also entered the market.
Apple has stayed away from the category so far.
That could change this year.
Reports before the event suggest that Apple may introduce a foldable iPhone with a book-style design. Reuters has reported that analysts expect the device to be positioned as a very expensive premium smartphone, with estimates of a price above $2,500.
Apple has not confirmed all of these details, so they should still be treated as expectations until the company makes its announcement.
If Apple does launch a foldable iPhone, it could be a big moment for the category. Many people have seen foldable phones as an interesting but still relatively niche product. Apple’s entry could bring the technology to a much larger audience.
Apple Has Another Problem to Solve: AI
The iPhone is no longer competing only on cameras, battery life or processor speed.
Artificial intelligence has become a major part of the smartphone experience, and this is an area where Apple has faced criticism for moving more slowly than some of its competitors.
Apple has been working on its Apple Intelligence platform and a more capable version of Siri. The company has talked about making Siri better at understanding personal context and handling tasks across Apple’s apps and services.
The question now is how much of that vision Apple can actually deliver.
Google and other AI companies have been moving quickly with AI assistants and systems that can perform tasks rather than simply answer questions. Apple will need to show why its approach is useful for everyday iPhone users.
A Different Situation for Apple’s New CEO
There is another reason this year’s event matters.
John Ternus is now leading Apple, making this an important early test for the company’s new leadership.
Apple has built much of its reputation around products that combine hardware, software and services into one ecosystem. The next stage of the smartphone market could make that strategy even more important.
A foldable iPhone would test Apple’s hardware expertise, while AI features would test the company’s software strategy.
In other words, Apple has more to prove this time than simply introducing another faster iPhone.
What We Should Watch Tonight
There are still plenty of details that haven’t been officially confirmed.
The main questions are fairly simple:
Will Apple actually show a foldable iPhone?
How much will it cost?
What will the new iPhones look like?
What new AI features will Apple demonstrate?
And perhaps most importantly, when will customers be able to buy the new products?
Those answers will become clearer once the event begins.
Why This Launch Could Be Important
Apple’s decision on foldable phones could have an impact beyond its own product lineup.
The company has one of the largest smartphone customer bases in the world. If Apple enters the foldable market successfully, other manufacturers could face even more pressure to improve their designs, displays and software.
AI could have an even bigger long-term impact.
Smartphones are gradually becoming more than devices for calling, messaging and browsing. Companies are trying to make them capable of understanding what users need and helping them complete tasks.
Apple’s new iPhone generation will show how the company plans to fit into that future.
For now, the foldable iPhone remains one of the biggest questions surrounding today’s event. By the end of the presentation, we’ll know whether Apple is actually ready to make the jump into foldable phones — or whether the company has something else planned.