Apple will launch iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on September 9, 2026 at Apple Park (10:00 am PT/10:30 pm IST), the first keynote led by John Ternus. Pre-orders are expected September 12 and India sales September 18. Expected prices, analyst views and supply outlook inside.
Apple has confirmed September 9, 2026 for its next iPhone launch at Apple Park in Cupertino, starting 10:00 am Pacific Time (10:30 pm IST). The keynote will unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max and Apple’s first foldable iPhone. It will also be the first Apple keynote led by incoming chief executive John Ternus, who takes over from Tim Cook on September 1.
India sale timeline and pre-orders
Apple usually opens pre-orders on the Friday after its keynote and begins sales a week later. Because September 11 falls on the 9/11 anniversary, a date the company has historically avoided, reports point to a shift: pre-orders are expected Saturday, September 12, 2026, with India retail availability expected Friday, September 18, 2026.
If this timeline holds, India would be among the first-wave countries getting the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on day one, in line with the pattern Apple has followed since the iPhone 15. None of these follow-up dates are official yet; only the September 9 keynote has been confirmed through Apple’s press invites.
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Expected price range
Pricing is the bigger variable as a global memory shortage lifts DRAM and NAND costs. In India, expectations put the iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) at about Rs 1,39,900–1,44,900 (iPhone 17: Rs 1,34,900) and the iPhone 18 Pro Max (256GB) around Rs 1,54,900–1,59,900 (iPhone 17 Pro Max: Rs 1,49,900). A top-storage iPhone 18 Pro Max, up to 2TB, could reach about Rs 1,69,900 (1TB iPhone 17 Pro Max: Rs 1,79,900).
Expected design and display
With the iPhone 18 Pro keeping to a 6.3-inch display and the iPhone 18 Pro Max maintaining its 6.9-inch panel, which is unchanged from the iPhone 17 Pro series, Apple is not anticipated to alter the screen sizes this year. Although newer dummy units suggest a somewhat thicker plateau, the main back camera configuration is anticipated to be essentially the same, with a raised plateau holding three lenses in a triangle arrangement.
This year's standout camera feature is a variable aperture lens, which is a first for any iPhone. In contrast to previous assumptions, leaker Ice Universe asserts that this functionality will only be available on the iPhone 18 Pro Max rather than both Pro variants. Internal documents from Tata Electronics, an Apple supplier, were released back in June, raising concerns about the variable aperture.
