Mark Your Calendars: Expected iPhone 18 Pro & Foldable Pre-Order Dates
'iPhone Fold' Concept Image [Demon's Tech / YouTube]
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We already know Apple has a bunch of new products being released this fall, but September could turn out to be an even more action-packed month than usual.
From the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone (aka the “iPhone Ultra”) to a new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 and even possibly an Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini, there’s likely something shiny and new coming for everyone.
In addition to reports warning buyers to anticipate long delivery windows immediately out of the gate, we now have expected dates for the September Apple event and the pre-order date for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup and foldable iPhone. Mark your calendars and have your wallet ready.
According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple’s fall event to officially announce new product releases and give customers their first peek is likely to land on Wednesday, September 9. Typically, this event is held on Tuesday of the second week of September, but since September 7 is Labor Day and a popular travel holiday, Apple is likely to follow its usual playbook and push it to the Wednesday.
This particular second week of September includes another wrinkle Apple will likely respectfully acknowledge. Pre-order dates for newly released iPhones are usually the Friday after the event. This year, that would be Friday, September 11. To boot, it’s the 25th anniversary of the day 2,977 innocent victims lost their lives in the terrorist attacks. According to Gurman, Apple will push the pre-order date for the foldable iPhone and iPhone 18 Pro to Saturday, September 12.
This would mirror what Apple did for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in 2015 — the last time September 11 fell on the Friday after an Apple event, and the only other time in the past fifteen years that preorders have opened on a Saturday.
The official release date for new iPhones is usually one week after the pre-order date. The release date marks the end of the pre-order period and is the official day the item becomes available for public purchase, delivery, and in-store pickup. If Gurman’s dates are accurate, this means the release date for the iPhone 18 Pro will likely be on Friday, September 18. While it could slip to the following Saturday, that would be unprecedented. In 2015, the iPhone 6s models landed in stores on Friday, September 18.
As for the release date of the foldable iPhone, there’s a good chance that won’t arrive until October or later. Competing rumors suggest that supply chain and production delays could push its availability into October or beyond. Apple likes to follow tradition, so there’s still a chance it will appear alongside the iPhone 18 Pro. If the rumors are true, the regular (non-Pro) iPhone 18 won’t be available until spring 2027 as part of a new split-launch strategy to release it alongside the iPhone 18e.
If you want the new iPhone 18 Pro or foldable iPhone “Ultra,” start planning. There will definitely be a race to be at the top of the pre-order list. Given the uncertainty around supply chain hurdles, there’s no telling how long you’ll have to wait until your order arrives. Good luck!
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
