Apple news from September 2026

September is always the busiest month of the Apple year, and this time it was a historic one too. John Ternus officially started as CEO on September 1, Apple showed its first foldable iPhone on September 9, iOS 27 with the new Siri shipped, and the month ended with a multi-billion dollar verdict and reports of a major reorganisation. Here’s the overview.

John Ternus takes over as CEO

On September 1, John Ternus officially took over from Tim Cook, who stays on as executive chairman of the board after fifteen years as CEO. Ternus has been at Apple for about 25 years and until his appointment led hardware engineering, including several generations of iPhone.

At the end of the month, Bloomberg reported that Ternus wants a faster and leaner Apple. He is said to want to move away from the fixed spring and autumn launch rhythm so products can ship more often. Management roles in the hardware division have already been cut, including around six directors. According to the same report, Apple also considered replacing about 5,000 support staff with AI assistants, but that plan is on hold for now.

iPhone Duo: the first foldable iPhone

At the “Surprise and Shine” event on September 9, Apple introduced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone. It opens like a book, with a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display. Unfolded, Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone ever. The Duo is IP68 rated, works with the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and uses Touch ID in the side button instead of Face ID. There is no Action button.

It isn’t cheap: US pricing starts at $1,999 for 256 GB and the 2 TB model costs $3,199. There are two colours, Star White and Night Sky. Pre-orders open on October 16 and sales start on October 23 in the US and more than 70 other countries. Late in the month there were reports of production problems, so it remains to be seen how much stock there will be at launch.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: 2 nanometres and variable aperture

Alongside the Duo came the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Both run on the new A20 Pro, the first smartphone chip built on 2 nanometres, and use Apple’s own C2 modem. The biggest step is the camera: a 48MP main camera with variable aperture and manual control of aperture, shutter speed and white balance. Apple says the Pro Max gets up to 45 hours of battery life, the longest ever in an iPhone.

Prices did go up: $1,199 for the 18 Pro and $1,299 for the Pro Max, $100 more than last year. Apple also raised prices on the iPhone 16, 17, Air and 17e, and discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. The regular iPhone 18 was missing; it arrives in spring 2027 along with the cheaper models. The 18 Pro models have been in stores since September 18.

Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 and AirPods 5

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 get a new health sensing system that measures your heart rate every five seconds and your heart rate variability as often as every five minutes. That data comes together in a new Readiness view combining activity, vitals and sleep. The Series 12 now also comes in ceramic, and the Ultra 4 lasts two days on a charge.

AirPods 5 now include active noise cancellation as standard. If you want wireless charging, you need the pricier version. Both the watches and the earbuds were available to order right after the event.

iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate and the new Siri

On September 14, Apple released iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, watchOS 27, tvOS 27 and visionOS 27. The headline is the redesigned Siri with Apple Intelligence, available on iPhone 15 Pro and newer. The most advanced features only work on the latest hardware, such as the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air and soon the Duo. There are daily usage limits on the Siri AI features, and Apple announced a paid “Expanded Access” option. iOS 27 supports the same devices as iOS 26, so iPhone 11 and later.

Update 13 October: in the EU, Siri AI is currently only available on the Mac and Vision Pro, not on iPhone and iPad. Apple blames the European Digital Markets Act. That’s also why the new HomeView isn’t coming to the Netherlands for now.

iOS 27.0.1 followed on September 28, including a fix for Face ID problems on the iPhone 18 Pro, together with 27.0.1 updates for macOS, watchOS and visionOS. If you’re still on iOS 26, you get iOS 26.7.1, which patches an actively exploited CoreGraphics vulnerability. Install that update as soon as you can.

Court cases: a $5.7 billion verdict and a Siri settlement

On September 25, a US jury found that Apple infringed two Taction Technology patents with the Taptic Engine in the iPhone and Apple Watch, and ordered Apple to pay $5.7 billion in damages. The jury did not find the infringement wilful. Apple disagrees with the verdict and will appeal.

The website for the $250 million settlement over the delayed Siri AI also went live. Eligible US iPhone owners can file a claim until December 21 and should get roughly $25 per device.

Looking ahead: October 13

According to the latest reports, Apple will introduce new home products on October 13. A new Apple TV, a new HomePod mini and the long-awaited smart home hub with a display are expected. An iPad mini with an OLED display and new Macs with the M6 chip are also expected this autumn.

That was the Apple news from September 2026. See you next month for a new overview.