Now is officially not a great time to buy an iPhone, with Apple sending invites for an event in September for what is likely to be the iPhone 18 and the company’s first fold.
While the the past month has been a less than ideal time to buy any phone — what with Samsung launching new Galaxy Fold models and Google with its Pixel 11 launches — now is really not the best time for people to consider a new phone, now that Apple has an official date.
It’s been rumoured and speculated on, and the current expectation is that we’ll see an iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to replace last year’s iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, covering the premium end of the market, with possibly an iPhone 17 replacement in the 18, though it may not officially arrive until next year.
But the biggest likelihood is the launch of a foldable iPhone, a gadget that has been rumoured since the first folds started turning up, and which is expected to use a similar screen design to the Samsung Galaxy Fold 8, easily one of this year’s best foldables simply due to how clever the screen and aspect ratio turn out to be.
Both compact and big, the passport-sized phone is one of the more intriguing to date, and Apple’s take is expected to be a little like that, providing the versatility of an iPhone in a short 5.5 inch size, but with a design that unfolds to be roughly like an iPad Mini.
In short, the device expected to be called the “iPhone Ultra” will likely offer the versatility of iPhone and iPad, though we don’t expect that it will be inexpensive. Foldables rarely are, and the first Apple foldable will likely command a hefty price for the privilege.
The combination of premium phone and premium fold are expected at Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event, as are new watches, with an Apple Watch Series 12, and possibly new AirPods.
Rumours have been dropping about a pair of AirPods with cameras built into them, complete with a big hint found in an upcoming update to macOS. The concept would allow the earbuds to capture pictures and send the information to Siri to detail it, adding it to the assistant’s knowledge base about your life and daily affairs. Think of it as the cameras found inside smart glasses, but more obviously in your ears.
No doubt, this will also raise the problem of privacy, a problem smart glasses are beginning to deal with. That said, Apple is a company that has typically prided itself on privacy, so it’s possible the company already has an answer for all of this.
That combination of gadgets on the way is why now is not the best time to buy a phone, even in the Android camp. Apple phone launches can lead to price cuts on the other side, potentially giving a good reason as to why waiting a couple of weeks might be the best approach.
And it’s barely “a couple of weeks”, at that.
Officially, Apple’s launch is set for September 9 in the US, which would be September 10 in Australia, making it barely two weeks away before we know what Apple has been cooking up. Whether it’s a surprise or not is another story entirely.
