Aug.26 Update. This post, first published on Tuesday, Aug. 25, has been updated now that Apple has confirmed the date of the keynote.

Apple has taken the first public step in a journey that will end with the on-sale date for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the company’s first foldable, whatever that turns out to be called. Here are the moments to look out for, and you can read a full run-down of the expected schedule here .

Apple iPhone 18 Pro: Invites Confirmed

Apple has confirmed its September special event. Luckily, it’s on the date I’ve been predicting since May 3 — read the details of that below. The keynote was confirmed on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern and 6 p.m. U.K.

Apple did this by sending out invites to members of the press and special guests, with a cryptic phrase ("Surprise and Shine") and image which everyone can have fun trying to decode.

The invite revealed exactly when and where the iPhone announcement will take place.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro: The Keynote Date Confirmed

Again, as I had thought, the event will be on Wednesday, Sept. 9, exactly two weeks after the invites were sent out. Almost to the minute, in fact, because the keynote will start at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern and 6 p.m. U.K.

There had been rumors that it would be on Tuesday, Sept. 8 but I felt that was impossible: Apple has literally never held an iPhone event on the day after Labor Day. Well, it’s not breaking that tradition now.

It will take place in the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, the company’s Cupertino, California HQ.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro: The Keynote Details Confirmed

Unless there’s a break with tradition, the keynote will last anywhere between one and two hours and is likely to take this format.

It will begin with a live introduction from the stage by the Apple CEO who will, for the first time, be John Ternus, having taken the title of CEO from Tim Cook on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Cook will become Apple’s Executive Chairman.

After the introduction, Apple will screen its keynote movie, a high-production-quality affair with special effects and every detail of each new product.

It’s possible there will be more live elements than before, perhaps as a way for Ternus to indicate that things are changing while still showing continuity.

As well as the iPhones, expect the event to reveal two new Apple Watches. There had been rumors of new Macs, but Apple announced those on Tuesday, Aug. 25 — full details here .

Apple iPhone 18 Pro: Pre-Orders Begin (Predicted)

The next date in the calendar after the keynote will be the opening of pre-orders. Usually, this is on the Friday after the keynote. However, since the Friday in question is Sept. 11, a date Apple has respectfully avoided for any activity since 2001, and since this year is the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist event, it’s believed that the pre-orders will open on Saturday, Sept. 12 instead.

The exact timing, if previous timetables are followed, will be at 5 a.m. Pacific, 8 a.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. U.K.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro: The On-Sale Date (Predicted)

Unless there’s an upheaval to the timetable, Apple will put the new phones on sale on the Friday of the week after the keynote, which means the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the first foldable iPhone will land in stores on Friday, Sept. 18.