iPhone 18 release date: confirmed Friday Sept 18 — pre-order Sat Sept 12

Q: When will Apple release the iPhone 18?

The release of iPhone 18 begins with the keynote on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific — Apple's first iPhone launch event under incoming CEO John Ternus. Pre-orders are expected to open Friday, September 11 at 5:00 AM PT (Apple's standard slot since iPhone X), with the first deliveries and in-store availability on Friday, September 18, 2026. Note: only the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Fold launch in September 2026. The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are delayed to spring 2027.

Q: When exactly is the iPhone 18 keynote?

The iPhone 18 keynote is on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. The keynote will be Apple's first under incoming CEO John Ternus, who formally takes the CEO role on September 1, 2026 (Tim Cook transitions to executive chairman). The event is expected to be held at Steve Jobs Theater inside Apple Park, with limited in-person attendance for media and analysts. The keynote will be streamed live on apple.com, the Apple TV app, and YouTube. The full keynote typically runs 90-110 minutes.

Q: When do iPhone 18 pre-orders open?

Apple has not said. Two windows are live in reporting: Scenario A is Apple's standard slot — the Friday after a Wednesday keynote, since the iPhone X. Scenario B is the anniversary shift: Apple moved iPhone 6S pre-orders off September 11 in 2015 to just after midnight on the 12th, and reporting suggests it may repeat that for the 25th anniversary. Pre-orders open simultaneously on apple.com, the Apple Store app, and major carrier sites (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile). Apple Store app notifications fire a few minutes before the gate opens — the most reliable way to catch whichever window Apple picks. For the full pre-order playbook including how to prepare the night before, see our how to pre-order guide.

Q: When does the iPhone 18 ship?

iPhone 18 begins shipping and arriving in stores on Friday, September 18, 2026. This applies to: - iPhone 18 (standard) - iPhone 18 Pro - iPhone 18 Pro Max The iPhone Fold has a different (later) shipping window — see the Fold section below. The Sept 12 → Sept 18 gap is 6 days, slightly faster than the standard 7-day Apple cadence to compensate for the Saturday pre-order.

Q: What is being released on September 9, 2026?

The full iPhone 18 cycle: 1. iPhone 18 — standard, 6.1-inch display, $799 base, 256GB starting storage. 2. iPhone 18 Pro — 6.3-inch LTPO+ display, A20 Pro chip, 12GB RAM, $1,299 starting price. 3. iPhone 18 Pro Max — 6.9-inch LTPO+ display, variable-aperture main camera, 240g, $1,399 starting price. 4. iPhone Fold — Apple's first foldable, 7-inch inner display, $2,000-$2,500 starting price. Limited quantity — see below. The iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2 are expected to ship in spring 2027, not at the September keynote. This is part of Apple's split launch strategy — see our Apple split launch strategy article.

Q: When will Apple send the media invitation?

Apple typically sends the fall keynote media invitation 14 days before the event. For the September 9, 2026 keynote, the invitation is expected Wednesday, August 27 through Friday, August 30, 2026. The invitation confirms the date, time, and a tagline that hints at the keynote theme. We will publish a dedicated piece the day the invitation arrives. As of August 26, 2026, the invitation has not yet been sent. Apple's pattern over the last decade: The 2026 invitation timing is consistent with the August 26-30 window. Forbes' David Phelan predicted the August 26 timing on August 19, but the invitation has not been sent as of this writing.

Q: What about iOS 27 — when does that release?

iOS 27 releases to the public on Monday, September 14, 2026 — five days after the iPhone 18 ships and seven days before launch day. iOS 27 will be pre-installed on every iPhone 18 / 18 Pro / 18 Pro Max. iPhone 17 and earlier users will receive iOS 27 as an over-the-air update on September 14. For the full iOS 27 release timeline and beta coverage, see our iOS 27 release date article.

Apple announced the iPhone 18 cycle at a keynote on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. Pre-orders opened Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM Pacific (per AppleInsider Sept 9 2026, the Saturday slot was reportedly chosen to avoid the 25th anniversary of 9/11, mirroring the iPhone 6S in 2015; Apple has not publicly commented). Devices shipped and reached stores on Friday, September 18, 2026. The full iPhone 18 cycle debuted at the keynote — iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Air (replacing the iPhone 18 standard), and iPhone Duo (Apple's first foldable, officially named at the keynote; pre-event leaks called it "iPhone Fold" or "iPhone Ultra").

Update August 30 2026 — pre-order timing is not confirmed. Apple's Special Event announcement named the September 9 keynote only. Two pre-order windows are live in reporting: Friday September 11 at 5:00 AM PT, or Saturday September 12 at 12:01 AM PT. Apple made the same anniversary shift for the iPhone 6S in 2015. This is the first iPhone launch under incoming CEO John Ternus (Tim Cook transitions to executive chairman September 1). Full detail in our Apple event confirmed article.

Below are the most-asked questions about when Apple is releasing the iPhone 18, current as of August 30, 2026.

When will Apple release the iPhone 18?

Event	Date (2026)	Status
Keynote ("Surprise and Shine")	Wednesday, Sept 9	Confirmed by Apple
Pre-order opens	Friday, Sept 11 at 5:00 AM PT (most likely)	Reported (not confirmed)
On-sale / first deliveries	Friday, Sept 18	Reported (not confirmed)

The release of iPhone 18 begins with the keynote on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific — Apple's first iPhone launch event under incoming CEO John Ternus. Pre-orders are expected to open Friday, September 11 at 5:00 AM PT (Apple's standard slot since iPhone X), with the first deliveries and in-store availability on Friday, September 18, 2026.

Note: only the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Fold launch in September 2026. The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are delayed to spring 2027.

When exactly is the iPhone 18 keynote?

The iPhone 18 keynote is on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. The keynote will be Apple's first under incoming CEO John Ternus, who formally takes the CEO role on September 1, 2026 (Tim Cook transitions to executive chairman). The event is expected to be held at Steve Jobs Theater inside Apple Park, with limited in-person attendance for media and analysts.

The keynote will be streamed live on apple.com, the Apple TV app, and YouTube. The full keynote typically runs 90-110 minutes.

When does the iPhone 18 keynote start in my timezone?

Timezone	Keynote start
Pacific (PT)	10:00 AM
Mountain (MT)	11:00 AM
Central (CT)	12:00 PM (noon)
Eastern (ET)	1:00 PM
UK (BST)	6:00 PM
Central Europe (CEST)	7:00 PM
India (IST)	10:30 PM
Japan (JST)	2:00 AM (Sept 10)
Australia (AEST)	4:00 AM (Sept 10)

The keynote is the moment Apple confirms all iPhone 18 pricing, specs, and release dates — including the pre-order date, which Apple has not announced in advance.

When do iPhone 18 pre-orders open?

Apple has not said. Two windows are live in reporting:

Timezone	Scenario A — Fri Sept 11	Scenario B — Sat Sept 12
Pacific (PT)	5:00 AM	12:01 AM
Mountain (MT)	6:00 AM	1:01 AM
Central (CT)	7:00 AM	2:01 AM
Eastern (ET)	8:00 AM	3:01 AM

Scenario A is Apple's standard slot — the Friday after a Wednesday keynote, since the iPhone X. Scenario B is the anniversary shift: Apple moved iPhone 6S pre-orders off September 11 in 2015 to just after midnight on the 12th, and reporting suggests it may repeat that for the 25th anniversary.

Pre-orders open simultaneously on apple.com, the Apple Store app, and major carrier sites (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile). Apple Store app notifications fire a few minutes before the gate opens — the most reliable way to catch whichever window Apple picks.

For the full pre-order playbook including how to prepare the night before, see our how to pre-order guide.

When does the iPhone 18 ship?

iPhone 18 begins shipping and arriving in stores on Friday, September 18, 2026. This applies to:

iPhone 18 (standard)
iPhone 18 Pro
iPhone 18 Pro Max

The iPhone Fold has a different (later) shipping window — see the Fold section below. The Sept 12 → Sept 18 gap is 6 days, slightly faster than the standard 7-day Apple cadence to compensate for the Saturday pre-order.

When can I buy the iPhone 18 in stores?

iPhone 18 is available in Apple Stores and at carrier retailers starting Friday, September 18, 2026 when stores open (typically 8:00 AM local time). Apple Stores typically have launch-day inventory for walk-in purchases, though the most-popular SKUs (Pro / Pro Max in flagship color) sell out within the first 1-2 hours.

What is being released on September 9, 2026?

The full iPhone 18 cycle:

iPhone 18 — standard, 6.1-inch display, $799 base, 256GB starting storage.
iPhone 18 Pro — 6.3-inch LTPO+ display, A20 Pro chip, 12GB RAM, $1,299 starting price.
iPhone 18 Pro Max — 6.9-inch LTPO+ display, variable-aperture main camera, 240g, $1,399 starting price.
iPhone Fold — Apple's first foldable, 7-inch inner display, $2,000-$2,500 starting price. Limited quantity — see below.

The iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2 are expected to ship in spring 2027, not at the September keynote. This is part of Apple's split launch strategy — see our Apple split launch strategy article.

When will the iPhone Fold ship?

The iPhone Fold will be unveiled at the September 9 keynote but will not ship until late September to mid-October 2026, possibly extending into November for general availability. Apple is using a "show but don't ship" strategy for the Fold, mirroring the iPhone X launch pattern from 2017.

The first US deliveries are expected in late September. UK, EU, Australia, India, and Japan deliveries are likely Q4 2026 or Q1 2027. For full details, see our iPhone Fold show but don't ship article.

When will Apple send the media invitation?

Apple typically sends the fall keynote media invitation 14 days before the event. For the September 9, 2026 keynote, the invitation is expected Wednesday, August 27 through Friday, August 30, 2026. The invitation confirms the date, time, and a tagline that hints at the keynote theme. We will publish a dedicated piece the day the invitation arrives.

As of August 26, 2026, the invitation has not yet been sent. Apple's pattern over the last decade:

Year	Invitation sent	Event date
2025	August 26	September 9 (Tuesday)
2024	August 26	September 9 (Monday — Labor Day+1 conflict)
2023	August 29	September 12 (Tuesday)
2022	August 24	September 7 (Wednesday)

The 2026 invitation timing is consistent with the August 26-30 window. Forbes' David Phelan predicted the August 26 timing on August 19, but the invitation has not been sent as of this writing.

What about iOS 27 — when does that release?

iOS 27 releases to the public on Monday, September 14, 2026 — five days after the iPhone 18 ships and seven days before launch day. iOS 27 will be pre-installed on every iPhone 18 / 18 Pro / 18 Pro Max. iPhone 17 and earlier users will receive iOS 27 as an over-the-air update on September 14.

For the full iOS 27 release timeline and beta coverage, see our iOS 27 release date article.

Will there be an in-person event?

Apple is expected to hold a limited in-person event at Steve Jobs Theater inside Apple Park on September 9, 2026. Attendance is by invitation only — typically ~200 media and analyst seats. The majority of the press and public will watch the livestream.

Apple has not yet announced whether the September 9 event will include hands-on demo areas for media. The hands-on demo is typically held in a separate building on the Apple Park campus immediately after the keynote ends. We will update this page with the format details when Apple sends the media invitation.

What should I do before the iPhone 18 releases?

Five concrete steps between now and September 18:

Decide your configuration. Storage (256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB for Pro Max), color, and whether you want AppleCare+. Knowing these in advance means you are not choosing under time pressure when the gate opens.
Get pre-approved for Apple Card Monthly Installments if you want 12- or 24-month financing. Soft credit pull takes 60 seconds.
Decide your trade-in device if you are using Apple's trade-in program. Have the serial number ready. For trade-in values, see our how to trade in your iPhone guide.
Set up your Apple ID and Apple Store app by Thursday, September 10 — that covers both pre-order windows. Log in so you do not have to type your password at the gate.
Choose your storage size now. For Pro Max, the 2TB tier is new this year. For the standard iPhone 18, the base is 256GB. See our storage size guide for the right tier.

For full pre-launch coverage, see our iPhone 18 pre-launch summary.