Macworld

September is always the biggest month of the year for Apple fans. That’s when we get the new operating systems first announced at WWDC in June, new iPhones, new Apple Watches, and sometimes more.

This year is especially monumental. It’s the first month and the first event helmed by new CEO John Ternus, the release of the biggest OS updates in years with an all-new Siri, and the unveiling of Apple’s first folding iPhone. All that and more are coming this September. Here’s what’s on the way.

New CEO, new iPhone, and more

As of September 1, Tim Cook is out as CEO (taking a backseat role as Chairman) and new CEO John Ternus is at the helm. That means the big Apple event on September 9 will be the first not headlined by Cook in 15 years. In his welcome letter to employees, he promised a “huge launch that’s going to be phenomenal.” With Ternus at the helm, will the Surprise and Shine event be different in tone or structure from what we’ve seen the last few years? We’ll find out on September 9 at 10 am. Here’s what we expect at the event:

iPhone Ultra: The marquee product of the new lineup will be Apple’s first foldable device, likely to be called iPhone Ultra. We already have a good idea of its design, but we don’t yet know about its features, particularly what Apple is doing with the software. We expect the price to top $2,000.

iPhone 18 Pro/Max: The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will be an evolutionary upgrade from the iPhone 17 Pro. The big updates are a faster A20 Pro processor and a new main camera with variable aperture.

Apple Watch Series 12: We don’t expect much to be new about the Apple Watch Series 12. There should be a faster processor, and Apple is said to be bringing back the ceramic case option, but the rumors say not to expect a change to the design or major new features this year.

Apple Watch Ultra 4: Just like the Series 12, the new Ultra is going to be primarily a “chip and ship” update with no major design changes or new features.

Apple’s iPhone event will be loaded with shiny new products—and hopefully some surprises.

Apple

AirPods 5: Apparently, there’s an AirPods 5 that could ship as early as September. Like AirPods 4, it would come in both standard and active noise-cancelling versions, but we’re not sure what will actually be new. This is not expected to be the AirPods with cameras in them, and it’s unknown what the new features might be.

Apple TV 4K: A new-generation Apple TV box with a new processor that supports the new Siri AI is supposed to ship before the end of the year. It could be announced at the September event, or it could just go up on the website one day. There’s plenty of time for this update to be released in later months, too.

HomePod mini: Just like the new Apple TV box, the main reason for this to exist is to get a new chip that supports Siri AI. As with the Apple TV, this may not even get mentioned at the event at all and could just go up on the website as an update anytime this year.

Smart home hub: The biggest question mark for Apple’s upcoming event is whether or not the company will unveil its new home hub device. This is said to be a tablet-like pad, with a new 7-inch squarish shape, that will come in both base/speaker-mounted or wall-mounted varieties. It will run a new operating system that blends some of the features of Apple Watch and Apple TV. It’s meant to control your smart home stuff, make FaceTime calls, listen to music, and so on. Rumors say it could launch this fall, but that doesn’t necessarily mean September.

Mac mini and Mac Studio: While announced in August, the new M6 / M5 Pro Mac mini and M5 Max/Ultra Mac Studio are actually shipping starting on September 22.

Apps and software updates

A whole new Siri is coming with iOS 27.

Apple

The OS 27 updates: All the “27” updates are getting ready for release in September. This is a huge release, with a complete overhaul for Siri, turning it into a real AI chatbot agent, as well as dozens of quality-of-life and performance improvements. There are helpful new features throughout, many of them AI-powered, like the Phone app surfacing relevant info when calling a person or business. Call the airline and get your ticket confirmation number from your email right on the Phone screen, for example. There are new Photos editing features, a totally new Image Playground, the ability to essentially vibe-code Shortcuts or Safari extensions, and over 250 other pain points and wishlist items addressed.

Siri AI: Part of the new OS 27 updates is a new Siri, appropriately called Siri AI. It’s an entirely new generation of AI assistant, and no longer years behind other contemporary AI chatbots like Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT. It’s more conversational and has much better world knowledge, more easily understands you and your context, and can even look through your Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Contacts to piece together personalized responses. It all comes together in a new Siri app that keeps a history of your questions and chats (you can adjust for how long the history remains) and is synced between devices.

Services

Apple TV+

Here are the shows, series, and movies we expect to release on Apple TV+ in TK. If you want to know what’s coming later, check our full guide to upcoming Apple TV+ content.

Mayday: An action-packed buddy comedy film. When hotshot U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly (Ryan Reynolds) is sent on a top-secret mission into Russian territory at the height of the Cold War, the operation implodes, leaving him stranded behind enemy lines. September 4

Last Seen: A former police detective, now working as a dispatcher, receives a call from a teenage girl who he is convinced is his daughter, who went missing 11 years ago. September 9

Slow Horses (season 6): This darkly funny British spy thriller show is easily one of the best things on Apple TV, and it’s back for another short season. September 16

Brothers: Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrison play fictionalized versions of themselves whose lifelong friendship is thrown into chaos when they uncover a decades-old secret: They might actually be brothers. September 23

Apple Arcade

Apple releases most Apple Arcade games on the first Friday of each month. Check our Apple Arcade FAQ for a full list of Apple Arcade games and more details on the service. Occasionally, games are released with no forewarning, but you’ll usually see next month’s releases listed in the Coming Soon section.

Art of Fauna: Cozy Puzzles+: Piece together over 300 pieces of animal artwork. September 3

Block Blast+: Block-based puzzles with daily puzzles and adventure mode. September 3

Coloring Games for Families+: A very family-friendly, kid-oriented coloring game. September 3

Let’s Play! Oink Games+: 9 board games from a Japanese small-box board game company. September 3