Apple Sets Sights on September for iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Unveiling

As the world waits with bated breath for the latest iPhone models, a respected industry voice has hinted that the next Apple keynote, which will unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, may take place earlier than initially predicted. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the special event could be held on Tuesday, September 8, rather than Wednesday, September 9. Gurman notes that Apple's September iPhone events typically follow a familiar pattern, with the company holding the event on the first Tuesday or Wednesday after Labor Day to ensure the new phones are available for sale by mid-September. This allows Apple to lock in a couple of weeks of fourth-quarter revenue and stock the channel ahead of the holiday season. However, it is worth noting that the exact calendar date changes most years, and Labor Day falls on the first Monday of September. In the last 10 years, the keynote has never been held earlier than September 7, with Apple often holding the event in the week after Labor Day. This year, Labor Day is on Monday, September 7, which suggests that the keynote will likely take place in the following week. While Gurman believes that Tuesday, September 8, is the most likely date for the debut of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the company's first foldable iPhone, possibly called the iPhone Ultra, others disagree. One reason for this disagreement is that keynotes do not typically fall the day after a public holiday, as Apple likes to give its staff and guests a break. As such, September 8 may not be the best choice for the event. Instead, Wednesday, September 9, could be a more likely date for the keynote. Once the keynote is announced, the rest of the schedule will fall into place, with pre-orders opening on the following Friday, September 11. The exact timing of the pre-orders will likely be 5 a.m. Pacific Daylight Savings Time, 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time, and 1 p.m. London time. Customers will be able to go online on the night before, Thursday, September 10, to put their desired purchase in the shopping bag in advance, allowing them to quickly complete their purchase when pre-orders open. The general release of iOS 27, the software that will run on the new models, will probably happen on Monday, September 14. The first reviews of the new products will likely appear on Tuesday, September 15, or Wednesday, September 16, with reviews of other released products, such as the next Apple Watches, possibly appearing on Thursday, September 17. As for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max release date, it seems clear that the phones will be available for purchase on Friday, September 18. However, the release date for the foldable iPhone is less certain, with some speculation that it may be delayed due to technical challenges. Apple's keynote will provide more information on the release dates for all the new iPhone models.