Apple’s annual September iPhone event is about a month away, and the company is expected to use a split launch for the iPhone 18 lineup — making this year’s announcements different from past years.
Apple September event: what to expect
Apple is widely expected to announce at least five new devices at its iPhone-focused September event, with the possibility of additional products delayed by Siri AI readiness. Apple is reportedly holding a lottery for U.S. retail employees to attend and staff the event. A late-breaking wild card could be camera-equipped AirPods, a product previously thought to be slated for 2027.
iPhone pricing and component shortages
Analyst Jeff Pu says iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models could be $250–$300 more expensive than current models, following recent price increases across Mac and iPad lines. Apple is also reportedly still scrambling to secure enough memory for upcoming iPhones and has about $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors sitting idle while they wait for accompanying memory chips. These supply issues could lead to shortages of new iPhone models at launch.
MacBook Air faces major shortage
The MacBook Air is experiencing a “major” shortage, according to reporting by Mark Gurman. “Retail store sources say Apple is struggling to keep the laptop in stock and that shipments of new units are more constrained than they can ever recall,” he said. In the U.S., Apple’s online store shows delivery estimates of 2–6 weeks, with configurations that include higher amounts of RAM delayed the longest.
iCloud Private Relay can leak real IP addresses
iCloud Private Relay, a paid Safari protection feature included with iCloud+ plans, can expose users’ real IP addresses when websites use or pretend to use passkeys, researchers Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakry found. Private Relay is intended to hide IP and DNS information in Safari but is not a VPN and does not mask all device traffic. Passkeys rely on the WebAuthn standard and store a private key on the device rather than in Safari; the request the system sends to the website is not protected by Private Relay and can therefore leak the user’s IP address.
Cross-device copy and paste planned for iPhone and Windows in EU
Apple is working on cross-device copy and paste between iOS devices and Windows PCs after Microsoft used Apple’s EU interoperability request system for developers under the Digital Markets Act. Apple began evaluating the request in March and proposed a project plan on June 26. Apple says the engineering effort is significant, with work expected to be complete by fall 2027 and the feature to ship first as a developer beta for testing before a public release. If added toward the end of fall 2027, public availability could be in early 2028. The feature will likely be limited to iPhone and Windows users in the European Union, though Apple may choose to implement it more broadly.
Rumors about larger future iPhone displays
A Chinese leaker posting on Weibo known as “Digital Chat Station” says Apple is sampling two new display panels: one around 6.4 inches that could be used in an “iPhone 20 Pro” and another roughly 7 inches reportedly intended for an “iPhone 20 Pro Max.” Separate reports indicate Apple is planning a substantial pro-model redesign in 2027 with an all-glass look wrapping the display around all four edges, a smaller display cutout, and other changes.
Each of these items — the split iPhone 18 launch, possible price increases, memory and MacBook Air shortages, the iCloud Private Relay disclosure, the planned iPhone-to-Windows clipboard feature, and display rumors — are likely to shape coverage and availability around Apple’s September announcements.
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