John Ternus’s ascension to Apple CEO on September 1, 2026, has centered trader attention on his first public keynote at the September 9 “Surprise and Shine” event, where he is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 series and the company’s first foldable iPhone. In his initial employee memo, Ternus highlighted a “huge launch next week that’s going to be phenomenal,” thanked predecessor Tim Cook for the transition, and pointed to a strong product pipeline beyond the new devices, including future hardware tied to artificial intelligence capabilities. Marketing executive Greg Joswiak has signaled that Ternus will expand on these themes onstage, while Apple continues facing competitive pressure in AI and supply-chain constraints. The event’s proximity and Ternus’s hardware-engineering background create a narrow window for any last-minute shifts in messaging or product emphasis that could influence market sentiment.