August is upon us, and there is about a month left until Apple's end-of-year product releases start. The iPhone 18 Pro and folding iPhone are coming, but there's a lot more on the docket.
Apple has a historically busy schedule of announcements, launches, and major events, and 2026 is no exception. However, while the first half has already been packed with launches, the second half of the year is always busier.
This is chiefly because Apple tends to hold many of its major launches in the fall, making it the busiest period of its calendar.
While the bulk of events that matter will be product launch-related, not everything will be hardware being prepped for sale.
Though Apple's very regular with its scheduling, it doesn't telegraph specific dates far in advance for most events. However, it's not hard to make an educated guess where appropriate.
What follows is a schedule of when you can expect important events to occur before 2027 arrives, and what should emerge from them.
John Ternus will inherit the role of CEO on September 1. He will be taking over the position from Tim Cook, who will move to a new executive chairman role.
This is the only event on this list with a definitive date, as Apple indicated it was transitioning between CEOs back in April. The aim was to give the company a smooth leadership change, giving Ternus and the entire organization a chance to prepare and gradually shift over.
John Ternus [left] with Tim Cook [right] – Image Credit: Apple
While this isn't an event that will directly impact consumers in the short term, it is a major one for Apple itself. The CEO sets the tone for future projects and product changes, affecting the company years down the road.
Based on the long tenures of Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Ternus can easily be in the same role for a decade or more.
Apple has already made some changes to its structure, including quite a few hardware team alterations. But there will probably be more reshuffles in the months after Ternus takes the reins, as he sets things up for his turn in the saddle.
The first major event in the Ternus era will happen only a few weeks later. It is also the biggest one for the company.
Typically held in the second week of September, the event is known for Apple's iPhone launches. It's a major presentation, since it will show off the iPhone 18 generation and other hardware.
The main launches will be the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but crucially not the iPhone 18. Apple is expected to be splitting up the iPhone 18 generation, delaying the non-Pro models until early 2027.
It's a decent idea, as it does allow Apple to concentrate its promotion on the higher-end devices that tend to sell more in the holiday shopping season. It also reduces the strain on the Apple supply chain as mass production for those models can happen later.
iPhone 17 Pro in a case. The iPhone 18 Pro should look very similar.
The iPhone 18 Pro line will be largely similar to the iPhone 17 Pro generation in terms of construction and appearance. The camera bump could be a tiny bit bigger this time around, but aside from new colorways like dark cherry, they should be practically the same.
As usual for Apple, the main changes are internal, with the use of the A20 Pro chip bringing massive performance improvements. Some schematic leaks also show that changes to the packaging will help the chip run cooler for longer, which will reduce the instances of thermal throttling.
The C2 modem is also a good bet for the inbound model.
Sadly, another good bet is a change in cost, as the iPhone temporarily escaped the June price rises of other products. Analysts believe that the iPhone 18 Pro will be more expensive this fall, possibly costing consumers up to $300 more than the iPhone 17 Pro counterparts.
The iPhone Fold has been a long-rumored device, but it seems that it will be finally making its debut this fall. That is, barring anything that can delay it further.
Even if there is a delay, it could just be one that affects the ship date, not the unveiling. It's possible that Apple can introduce it in September but actually put it on sale months later.
This happened for the iPhone X, which was shown in September 2017 but couldn't be preordered until late October and then actually shipped in early November.
As for what to actually expect from the iPhone Fold, you could end up calling it something different for a start.
There have been rumors of Apple potentially using the Ultra name for the iPhone Fold, following its usage elsewhere in its empire.
A render of what the iPhone Fold could look like – Image Credit: AppleInsider
You can expect it to have two displays, with an external 5.3-inch screen always in view. The internal screen can be unfolded, book style, to reveal a 7.8-inch display.
