Apple is holding its biggest product event in years this week, and for the first time in fifteen years, Tim Cook won’t be the one presenting it. New chief executive John Ternus takes the stage for the “Surprise and Shine” event at Apple Park on Wednesday, where Apple is widely rumored to unveil its first folding iPhone alongside a refreshed iPhone 18 Pro line and new Apple Watch models, though Apple itself has confirmed none of it. Here’s when to tune in from Sri Lanka, what could be announced, and whether the long-rumored fold finally shows up.

What time is Apple’s event in Sri Lanka? 

Apple’s keynote starts at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, September 9, which works out to 10:30 p.m. that same night in Sri Lanka. The event streams free on apple.com, on Apple’s YouTube channel, and through the Apple TV app, no Apple ID or subscription needed. Like recent years, expect a polished, pre-recorded presentation rather than a live press conference with real-time questions.

Who is John Ternus, Apple’s new CEO?

John Ternus is Apple’s new chief executive, and Wednesday is effectively his first keynote in the job. Apple announced in April that Tim Cook, who had run the company for fifteen years, would move into a newly created executive chairman role, handing the CEO title to Ternus, previously Apple’s head of hardware engineering. The handover took effect on September 1. Apple watchers are treating this week’s event, and everything on its unusually long product list, as an early signal of where the company’s new leadership wants to take it.

What is the iPhone Ultra, Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone?

The iPhone Ultra is the name reportedly attached to Apple’s first folding iPhone, and the headline act expected on Wednesday, though Apple hasn’t confirmed the device exists. Early reports describe a book-style design with a roughly 5.5-inch outer screen and a 7.8-inch inner display once unfolded, both OLED panels with Promotion for up to 120Hz. It’s expected to run on Apple’s A20 Pro chip, built on TSMC’s 2nm process, paired with Apple’s own C2 modem rather than a Qualcomm one. To keep the fold thin, Apple has reportedly dropped Face ID in favour of a Touch ID sensor built into the power button, and skipped a telephoto lens, leaving two 48-megapixel rear cameras and a 24-megapixel front camera.None of this comes cheap. Pre-launch reports put the starting price near $2,000, with some estimates as high as $2,099 to $2,299 for the base model and well over $3,000 for the top storage tier. If that holds on Wednesday, it would make the iPhone Ultra Apple’s most expensive phone yet, and, once it reaches Sri Lanka through authorized retailers, almost certainly the most expensive phone sold here too.

What’s new in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max?

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to bring the same A20 Pro chip as the fold, a smaller Dynamic Island cutout, and a variable-aperture main camera that adjusts like a real lens instead of a fixed opening. New colour options reportedly include a dark cherry red alongside the usual black, silver and light blue. Apple is expected to skip a standard iPhone 18 for now, following the pattern it set with the iPhone 17 and 16e, so a cheaper standard model likely won’t arrive until spring 2027.

What else could Apple announce?

Apple is also expected to update its wearables: the Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4, with new case finishes including ceramic options and continuous heart-rate tracking, plus AirPods 5, reportedly adding active noise cancellation at a price point that has gone without it until now. Apple typically uses these September events to confirm software release dates too, so expect iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 (said to be codenamed Golden Gate internally) to get official ship dates alongside the hardware.

How much will the new iPhones cost in Sri Lanka?

There’s no official price yet, but Apple’s own US pricing for the current iPhone 17 line is a useful starting point. For the base 256GB storage option, unlocked, the iPhone 17 starts at $829, the iPhone 17 Pro at $1,099 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max at $1,199, direct from apple.com; higher storage tiers cost more on all three. At today’s exchange rate of around Rs. 328 to the dollar, those base prices work out to roughly Rs. 272,000, Rs. 360,000 and Rs. 393,000. Local retail prices typically land well above that straight conversion, since Sri Lanka has no official Apple store and import duties, taxes and dealer margins get added on top: current local listings for the same three base models run closer to Rs. 319,900, Rs. 399,900 and Rs. 479,900. If the iPhone 18 Pro line launches at a similar or higher US price, as expected, buyers here should brace for local prices to climb accordingly, and the iPhone Ultra, if it reaches Sri Lanka at all in its first wave, would likely sit well above the half-million-rupee mark.

None of this is final until Apple actually says it on stage. Specifications, pricing and even product names can still shift between now and the keynote, so treat the above as the clearest picture available from pre-launch reporting, not a confirmed spec sheet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When is Apple’s September 2026 event, and what time is it in Sri Lanka?The keynote is on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, starting at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, which is 10:30 p.m. in Sri Lanka the same night.

Where can I watch the Apple event from Sri Lanka?

Apple streams it free on apple.com, its YouTube channel, and the Apple TV app. No Apple ID or subscription is required to watch.

Will the foldable iPhone Ultra be sold in Sri Lanka?

Apple hasn’t confirmed a Sri Lankan launch window. Past flagship iPhones have typically reached authorised local retailers a few weeks to a couple of months after the US release, and the same pattern is likely here.

Is the regular iPhone 18 launching this week?

Reports suggest Apple is skipping a standard iPhone 18 for now, launching only the Pro models and the iPhone Ultra, with a cheaper standard model expected closer to spring 2027.