Apple is gearing up for its highly anticipated "Surprise and Shine" event on September 9 at 9pm UAE time, marking a significant leadership shift with John Ternus taking the helm. The event’s branding, featuring a sliced logo, has fueled intense speculation that the tech giant is finally ready to debut its first foldable smartphone, rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra. Industry whispers suggest a compact, passport-style design aimed at competing with top-tier foldables, likely retailing between Dh8,500 and Dh9,800. Notably, this device may skip Face ID in favor of a power-button Touch ID, prioritizing a nearly creaseless display to maintain Apple’s reputation for perfection.

Meanwhile, the standard iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to receive incremental, albeit powerful, updates, including the 2nm A20 Pro chip and a variable aperture camera system. However, consumers should prepare for a potential $100 price hike, which could push the base prices for these models well above the Dh5,000 mark in the UAE. In a surprising strategic move, Apple appears to be delaying the base iPhone 18 until 2027, focusing instead on these premium offerings alongside the Apple Watch Series 12 and updated AirPods. While the iPhone 18 Pro lineup follows a traditional mid-September release schedule, the limited production run of the foldable Ultra may lead to a much longer wait for availability in the UAE market.