Apple held its annual fall event on Wednesday, titled “Surprise and Shine,” at its Cupertino, California, headquarters. The keynote was led by John Ternus, who stepped into the CEO role earlier this month following Tim Cook’s departure. The presentation began at 1 p.m. ET and was broadcast live on Apple’s events page and YouTube channel.
Ternus introduced the iPhone 18, the latest generation of the company’s smartphone, which sees a significant price increase due to a global memory chip shortage. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max begins at $1,299. These prices represent a jump from the previous iPhone 17 line, which ranged from $799 to $1,999. Devices will be available starting September 12 in black, silver, glacier blue, and a new burgundy shade that Ternus described as “sophisticated and unique.”
The new models feature Apple’s A20 chip, which includes a six-core CPU with two super cores designed to boost performance by up to 20%. Ternus also emphasized the integration of Apple Intelligence, stating that AI tasks will run primarily on-device to protect privacy. If additional processing power is required, the system will utilize private cloud computing resources.
“When greater capability is needed, private cloud compute extends that same level of privacy protection, ensuring that nobody, not even Apple, can access what’s yours,” Ternus said.
In what many consider the event’s major highlight, Apple debuted its first foldable iPhone, reported by Bloomberg and MacRumors to be called the iPhone Ultra. The device is expected to carry a price tag of approximately $2,000. Dan Ives, a partner at Yorkville Ives & Co., told CBS News that the foldable could be a major success, marking the beginning of a new hardware era under Ternus.
Analysts noted the significance of the event for Ternus, who inherits Apple’s massive market position. Dipanjan Chatterjee, an analyst at Forrester, remarked that while Ternus has a strong foundation, he must build upon the high standards of execution and monetization set by Cook. The company has been working to close the gap in artificial intelligence with rivals like Alphabet, having previously showcased Siri upgrades focused on privacy and daily utility.
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Is the new burgundy color actually any good, or just another marketing excuse to sell more units?
On-device AI processing is exactly what we need. Glad Apple is prioritizing data privacy over cheap cloud tricks.
The price hike on the iPhone 18 Pro is brutal. Global chip shortages should not punish loyal customers like this.
Finally, a real competitor to Samsung in the foldable space. John Ternus is off to a bold start!
$2,000 for a foldable? I’ll stick to my sturdy iPhone 15 until the hinges actually last more than a year.