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MacDailyNews presents live coverage of Apple’s ‘Surprise and Shine’ special event

✇MacDailyNews
By: MacDailyNews
9 September 2026 at 17:31

Apple Event: Surprise and Shine

Apple CEO John Ternus and a team of Apple executives are expected to host the company’s “Surprise and Shine” special event today, Wednesday, September 9th, at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT.

Apple’s event will be webcast from the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.
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During Apple’s event, MacDailyNews will offer live notes on this page below.
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You can watch the event live right here:

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Live notes from Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” special event in reverse chronological order:

• End of event.

• Ternus: “Thank you for joining us. Have a great day.”

• Ternus recaps today’s announcements

• AAPL: 310.63, -5.60, (-1.77%) @ 2:16:21 PM EDT

• iPhone Duo commercial being shown

• Available: October 23rd
• Pre-order: October 16th
• Starts at 1999 256GB; up to 2TB available
• Apple has made two cases: iPhone Duo Folio and iPhone Duo Case
• iPhone Duo is the perfect selfie camera – use the best cameras and still see the outer display
• Dual capture in FaceTime – share both simultaneously
• Center Stage front camera
• Supports Texture and Grain control
• 4K 120 FPS video
• iPhone Duo Camera system: 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide Main Camera and 2X optical quality Telephoto
• All-day battery life, up to 31 hours of video playback (inner display); 44 hours (outer display)
• iPhone Duo is eSIM-only worldwide
• Apple’s advanced C2 Modem: 5G mmWave support in US
• Peak performance for on-device AI immediately; up to 35% higher sustained performance than iPhone 17 Pro
• Powered by A20 Pro
• Titanium pate at the bottom of display for increased durability
• Multilayer lamination display
• iPhone Duo – custom nano-texture finish for display – minimized crease visibility
• Myriad apps are being updated for iPhone Duo
• Can be your perfect bedside clock
• Standby mode available even when not charging
• Can use iPhone Duo partially folded
• Works in Portrait and Landscape (like iPad)
• Split view multitasking
• Ceramic Shield on back, Ceramic Shield 2 on front display
• Grade 5 Titanium frame
• Two colors: Star White and Night Sky
• Can unlock iPhone Duo effortlessly with Apple Watch
• Touch ID integrated into the side button
• Apple Pencil capable on either display
• 5.4-inch outer display
• iPhone mini spotted off in a corner weeping silently to itself
• iPhone Duo makes new experiences possible
• iPhone Duo and iOS 27 redefine what an iPhone can do
• System reacts when you fold our turn to side or flip it over
• As you most betwen displays, the software seamlessly transitions
• iOS 27 adjusts to fit iPhone Duo
• Very pocketable when closed
• Aerospace-grade titanium fram
• Impressive battery system
• Thinnest iPhone ever when opened
• Hinge mechanism – custom variable torque control
• Fluid transitions between opened and closed – faceTime camera behind the display
• Largest iPhone display ever designed
• Similar size to your passport
• Apple redefines the experience of using a foldable smartphone
• Introducing iPhone Duo

• Ternus: “There is one more thing”

• AAPL: 312.57, -3.65, (-1.16%) @ 1:52:03 PM EDT

• Series 12 commercial shown
• Pre-order today, available September 18th
• Ultra 4 starts at $799
• Series 12 starts at $399
• Apple Watch Ultra 4 Black and natural titanium
• Apple Watch Series 12 Titanium in gold and silver
• Apple Watch Series 12 ceramic available in white and blue
• Apple Watch Series 12 Aluminum: Space Gray, Black, Light Gold, Dark Bronze
• Apple Watch offers thousands of face and bad customizations
• New S11 chip – Always-on processor, faster CPU, faster GPU, and faster Neural Engine
• Live Rewind and Siri Recap coming later this year in beta
• New Siri Modular Face for Apple Watch
• Audio is not recorded or stored, Apple cannot listen
• Siri recap: Uses ambient listening to take notes of meetings, lectures, etc.
• Live Rewind lets you see a transcription of the last 15 seconds
• Sound recognition to Apple Watch – can listen to notify you of what’s hapening
• Audio Intelligence makes sense of what your hear using Apple Watch microphone
• iPhone, Apple Watch, and Apple Intelligence all work together in new Health app (coming later this year)
• VO2 Max test via iPhone camera – follow instructor on iPhone screen, measured by Apple Watch
• New longevity tab give you deeper insights into your health
• Health Age: a simple way to measure your data vs. your calendar age and how to improve it
• Personalize guidance powered by Apple Intelligence
• Health app is a central and secure repository – all-new design in iOS 27
• Readiness: tells you when to push and when to hold back in workouts (recovery score)
• Updated Heart Rate app
• Apple Watch’s health sensing vs. rivals: Apple Watch has the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable
• Higher freq. continuous heart rate data – every 5 seconds all day long – a 60X increase
• Increase electrode area, redesigned photo diodes; larger, green LEDs
• Advanced sensor array – Health Sensing System
• Both get all-new Apple Silicon
• Apple Watch Ultra 4
• Apple Watch Series 12
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• Ternus: ANC is now standard across the entire AirPods lineup

• Pre-order today, available September 18th
• AirPods 5 with all of these extras in $149
• Comes with wireless charing case
• Up to 5 hours with ANC
• Second model has on-stem volume control

• AirPods 5: $129
• More duarale than ever; up to 4 hours with ANC and up to 20 hours with charging case
• Live Translation in AirPods 5
• AirPods 5 are a seamless extension between Siri AI and your iPhone
• AirPods 5 auto adjust between ANC and Transparency
• Transparency is even more natural
• The best ANC in any open ear earbud
• Active Noise Cancelation: 50% more than previous generation
• Personalize Spatial Audio improved
• AirPods 5: Open ear fit, redesigned from the inside for improved audio, adaptive EQ
• New AirPods: AirPods 5
• Ternus returns to talk AirPods

• Pre-order this Friday, available September 18th
• iPhone 18 Pro Mac starts at $1299
• iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1199
• Updated clear case, Silicone case, new wrist strap, new TechWoven cases
• iPhone Handoff – uses same number on multiple iPhones (carrier dependent)
• iOS 27 review
• iPhone 18 Pro/Max offer a Smaller Dynamic Island

• iPhone 18 Pro Max used to shoot today’s special event video
• Photographers will want iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max
• Apple Reference Image: prove the authenticity of a photo taken on iPhone 18 Pro (not available in EU or China)
• Image authenticity: Apple will support AI tagging
• Photographic styles: Texture and grain control
• Smart focus tracking uses on-device AI models to track
• Change white balance, use histogram, manually adjust aperture, adjust shutter speed
• Pro controls: Lets you customize your camera experience
• 4K time lapse
• Cinematic video after you capture video
• Camera system is paired with AI
• iPhone 18 Pro’s 48 MP fusion camera with variable aperture, custom-designed mechanical aperture
• Aperture controls how much light enters the system
• Camera: Biggest camera improvement in years
• Game demos
• Game developers can push further than ever on iPhone
• iPhone 18 Pro provides up to 24-hours usage per charge; 30 hours for iPhone 18 Pro Max
• Battery life: iPhone 18 Pro is smaller, but delivers the same battery life as iPhone 17 Pro Max
• Highest sustained performance on an iPhone – ever
• iPhone 18 Pro has a next-gen Vapor Chamber – significantly improved cooling vs. iPhone 17 Pro
• Brand new thermal design
• Silicon connected directly to Vapor Chamber
• Custom packaging, inspired by M-class chips
• 50% memory bandwidth increase
• 32-cores dual Neural Engine is an AI acellerator
• New Neural Acelerators
• 7-core GPU, 40% faster than A19 Pro
• Super cores are desktop class – fastest in any smartphoen
• 6-core CPU, 2 new super cores / 4 efficiency cores
• A20 Pro is an exceptional chip – brand new 2nm architecture

• Increased access available with “most” iCloud+ plans
• iPhone 18 Pro delivers deeply personal AI
• Siri AI and Apple Intelligence is woven throughout – in Safari, Phone app, Calendar, Camera, etc.
• Siri AI has expressive voices – powered by on-device model
• You can write with Siri AI
• Siri app lets you maintain history and sync across your Apple device ecosystem
• Siri AI has Visual Intelligence and can work with over 300K apps
• 2.5 billion Siri requests made everyday, currently (with the sucky Siri)
• Built for Apple Intelligence, Apple Foundation Models, Siri AI
• Color-matched aluminum and back glass: Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy
• iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
• Most advanced camera system ever
• Longest battery life in iPhone history
• Apple A20 Pro
• Ternus intros next-gen iPhone
• Private Cloud Compute extends privacy to the cloud when needed
• iPhone understands your context; Apple values privacy; personal data stays on-device whenever possible
• Ternus: There’s no product in the world better for personal AI hub than iPhone
• Apple’s goal: To make the best products available
• Ternus talks about inspiration and relentless pursuit of excellence at Apple
• Apple CEO John Ternus 🙂 takes the stage (on video; missed opportunity; better would’ve been live on-stage)
• Narrated at the end by Tim Cook
• Opens with short film Shot on iPhone (shows the quality and versatility of iPhone camera systems)

• AAPL: 313.78, -2.44, (-0.77%) @ 12:55:27 PM EDT
• AAPL: 313.61, -2.61, (-0.83%) @ 12:29:18 PM EDT

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The post MacDailyNews presents live coverage of Apple’s ‘Surprise and Shine’ special event appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Televisões LG gravam conversas mesmo com o ecrã desligado? Investigação levanta nova polémica

✇Tek Notícias
By: GDiasPT
9 September 2026 at 17:03

Uma investigação da Gamers Nexus, feita em conjunto com a Level1Techs e investigadores independentes, revela que as smart TVs OLED da LG captam áudio do ambiente mesmo em standby, e enviam dados para a divisão de publicidade da empresa.

The post Televisões LG gravam conversas mesmo com o ecrã desligado? Investigação levanta nova polémica appeared first on Tek Notícias.

Intel-backed auto-overclocking tool Hypertune optimizes individual systems, not test profiles — tool claims FPS improvement of up to 60% on Intel-based systems

✇Tom's Hardware
By: Jake Roach
9 September 2026 at 17:03

Following an early access period that included over 60,000 participants, auto-overclocking tool Hypertune has released its Gaming Performance Engineering platform, which is built on top of Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) SDK and developed in partnership with Intel. The company claims the utility can boost frame rates by up to 60%, though you shouldn't expect that as the norm. The tool includes automated CPU and GPU overclocking, as well as customizable Windows features, network optimization, and game-specific optimizations.

Hypertune partnered with Intel to build the tool, which the company says "evaluates each supported system individually" before optimizing rather than relying on generalized profiles. In its press release, Hypertune says it collaborated with famed overclocker SkatterBencher (Pieter Plaisier) to refine the software. We've reached out to Plaisier to confirm their involvement.

Automated tuning programs usually don't work as well as advertised, and we haven't had the chance to test Hypertune ourselves yet. Especially on more recent hardware, expect performance gains to be minor. Hypertune shared some of its internal benchmarks to back up the claim, showcasing the actual test systems it used, the numbers it gathered, and what each step of Hypertune contributed to the performance increase.

Hypertune performance.

(Image credit: Hypertune)

Hypertune tested two systems: one with a Core Ultra 9 285K and an RTX 5090, and another with a Core i7-14700K and an RTX 3080. For the 285K system, the team saw an 18.9% improvement in Homeworld 3 and a 28.2% improvement in Tomb Raider. For the 14700K system, the boost was up to 9.8% in Rainbow Six Siege and 4.3% in Marvel Rivals.

Notably, these results are with Hypertune's Game Hub disabled. Game Hub automatically applies a graphics settings profile to select games, leading to massive increases in performance. Naturally, tweaking your own graphics settings in the same way leads to the same result.

Hypertune performance in Homeworld 3.

(Image credit: Hypertune)

In Homeworld 3, you can see how each step in the process impacted performance, with CPU tunning contributing the single biggest increase in performance. As shown by Marvel Rivals in Hypertune's data, some games will see little to no benefit from Hypertune, though select titles with certain hardware may see a significant performance increase. In this case, the Core Ultra 9 285K has plenty of room for overclocking, and Homeworld 3 is particularly sensitive to the CPU, so the uplift makes sense.

Hypertune performance in Rainbow Six Siege.

(Image credit: Hypertune)

Elsewhere, the gains aren't as pronounced. In Rainbow Six Siege, you can see that Hypertune contributed about a 9.8% jump in performance, though the vast majority of the improvement comes through Game Hub, where Hypertune changes in-game settings.

In a press release, Hypertune founder Austin Copeland wrote that the team was "not trying to build a tool for overclockers," suggesting it's aimed toward users who may not know about specific settings (i.e., the Balanced power plan on dual-CCD X3D CPUs, or HAGS for DLSS Frame Generation). Copeland was previously a coach for eSports organization TSM, coaching Valorant teams under the name "Apex."

Hypertune at Intel overclocking lab.

(Image credit: Hypertune)

Hypertune works through Intel's XTU SDK, and the company says its optimizations are non-destructive and fully reversible. The software is mainly targeted toward competitive titles (naturally, given Copeland's background), but it can apply optimizations globally across the system. Hypertune says it's safe to use with anti-cheat software, including Riot Vanguard, Easy Anti-Cheat, and BattlEye.

Although there are plenty of free tools that claim to optimize your system, Hypertune isn't among them. It's a subscription service, available for either $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year. In addition to software, Hypertune offers its "expert tuning" service for $80, where a technician will remote into your machine and manually tune it. On the subscription front, Hypertune offers a 7-day free trial.

Hypertune looks like one of the more robust automated overclocking tools we've seen, but it's worth highlighting that, in most cases, these tools don't do anything you can't accomplish yourself. If you're looking for a starting point, make sure to read our guides on how to overclock your graphics card and how to overclock your CPU.

Apple set to debut $2,000 ‘iPhone Duo’ foldable iPhone that supports Apple Pencil

✇MacDailyNews
By: MacDailyNews
9 September 2026 at 15:30

It's official: Apple sets September 9th date for iPhone launch event: 'Surprise and Shine'

Apple is expected to use Wednesday’s “Surprise and Shine” event in Cupertino as the public debut of new CEO John Ternus and one of the company’s most ambitious hardware slates in years, according to reporting from Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman.

The centerpiece is a foldable smartphone Apple has named the iPhone Duo. Gurman reported that Apple settled on a starting price of about $2,000 after absorbing extra memory costs, with storage configurations reaching 2 terabytes and a top price near $3,000. The device is slated to ship in October, support Apple Pencil, and launch in dark blue and white. Apple is positioning the expensive foldable as both a status product and a bid to reassert itself as a hardware innovator.

The event, scheduled for 10 a.m. local time, is also expected to include the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, new Apple Watches, and updated AirPods. Gurman said the five biggest storylines are Ternus’s first major product showcase, the $2,000-and-up Duo, camera upgrades on the iPhone 18 Pro models, Watch and AirPods refreshes, and higher iPhone prices. He separately listed expected Pro colors as black, light blue, silver, and burgundy.

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are expected to add a privacy-focused AI “recaps” feature that uses the microphone, GPS, and other sensors to summarize a user’s day, including conversations. Gurman reported that the system is not designed to store audio recordings or produce transcripts. Users would be able to run it all day or only in selected locations, with summaries living in a new Siri app. The feature is aimed at competing with always-listening AI wearables while emphasizing on-device processing and tighter privacy controls. New Watch chips are expected to handle that processing.

AirPods 5 are also expected, in versions with and without a wireless charging case and with stronger noise cancellation. Camera-equipped AirPods that Apple had considered for this cycle were delayed, Gurman has reported.

The Duo’s long development path has been a decade-plus effort.

Pre-orders for the new iPhones are widely expected to start Friday, September 12th. Supplies of iPhone Duo are expected to be extremely tight for many months. As with any pre-event report, Apple can still change names, prices, colors, or feature details on stage.
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MacDailyNews Take: iPad mini hardest hit.

As for Apple Pencil support, we can see it for specific use cases, but mostly not:

Oh, a stylus, right? We’re going to use a stylus. No. Who wants a stylus? You have to get them and put them away and you lose them. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus. So, let’s not use a stylus. We’re going to use the best pointing device in the world. We’re going to use a pointing device that we’re all born with — we’re born with ten of them. We’re going to use our fingers. We’re going to touch this with our fingers. And we have invented a new technology called multi-touch, which is phenomenal. It works like magic. You don’t need a stylus. – Steve Jobs

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MacVoices #26252: Live! – Tim Cook, John Ternus, and Apple’s Changing of the Guard

✇MacVoices
By: Chuck
9 September 2026 at 15:04
The MacVoices Live!  examines Apple’s transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus, weighing Cook’s legacy, Apple’s dramatic financial growth, Vision Pro, and criticism of his tenure. They consider what Ternus’ engineering background could mean for hardware and software, while discussing Phil Schiller, Eddie Cue, other executive changes, succession planning, and the importance of preserving institutional […]

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Apple Shares Mysterious Teaser Video Before 'iPhone Duo' Event Today

✇MacRumors
By: Joe Rossignol
9 September 2026 at 14:54
Apple will be holding an event today starting at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with the company expected to unveil new iPhones and much more.


Ahead of the event, Apple's new CEO John Ternus just shared a mysterious teaser video. The short clip appears to show a beam of light that is shining onto the edge of an iPhone. The light is coming from a hexagonal shape that changes size, which could hint at the iPhone 18 Pro's rumored mechanical aperture upgrade.

The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera on the iPhone 18 Pro and/or iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumored to have a variable aperture, which would allow users to control the amount of light that passes through the camera's lens and reaches the sensor. This would provide greater control over depth of field. However, given that iPhones have smaller image sensors due to smartphone size constraints, it is unclear exactly how meaningful this improvement would be.

pic.twitter.com/CLu9eRDP5b

— John Ternus (@johnternus) September 9, 2026

In addition to the iPhone 18 Pro models, Apple is expected to unveil its first-ever foldable iPhone today. The device is reportedly named iPhone Duo.

Ternus became Apple's CEO on September 1, succeeding Tim Cook, who is now the company's executive chairman. Ternus joined Apple in 2001, became a VP of hardware engineering in 2013, and became SVP of hardware engineering in 2021.

MacRumors is in attendance at Steve Jobs Theater and will be providing live coverage of Apple's event today, so stay tuned. It will be a very busy day.
Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro

This article, "Apple Shares Mysterious Teaser Video Before 'iPhone Duo' Event Today" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple expected to unveil first foldable iPhone as new CEO John Ternus takes center stage

✇MacDailyNews
By: MacDailyNews
9 September 2026 at 14:30
3D render claiming to depict Apple's first foldable iPhone (image: Jon Prosser)
3D render claiming to depict Apple’s first foldable iPhone (image: Jon Prosser)

Apple is widely expected to introduce its first folding iPhone at a product event Wednesday at its California headquarters, the first major launch under new CEO John Ternus.

The event would represent the most visible change to Apple’s flagship smartphone since the iPhone X dropped the physical home button in 2017. The iPhone generated $209.6 billion, or just over half of Apple’s sales, in the company’s most recent fiscal year.

The keynote will also be Ternus’s first extended public appearance as CEO. The former hardware chief has kept a relatively low profile aside from occasional product introductions and sustainability efforts.

Samsung and Huawei have sold folding phones since 2019, but the category has remained a niche. Analyst firm IDC nevertheless expects Apple to sell every unit it can make and capture about 40% of the foldable market by the end of next year.

Analysts say Apple’s late entry could help it solve longstanding engineering problems, including a durable – potentially Liquidmetal – hinge that minimizes the crease where the display folds. Dust and water resistance remains a question; Google’s latest Pixel 10 Pro Fold carries an IP68 rating* that some rivals have not matched.

The event is also expected to alter Apple’s usual product calendar. Analysts anticipate new watches but say the company will likely postpone updates to cheaper iPhone models until next spring, focusing instead on the foldable and the iPhone Pro and Pro Max lineup. The shift is intended to even out Apple’s typically strong holiday-quarter sales in the U.S. and Europe.

*In IP68, (6 means the device is dust-tight (no dust gets in). 8 means it can survive being immersed in water deeper than 1 meter for a period specified by the manufacturer (often 30 minutes or more), under defined conditions. It does not guarantee protection against high-pressure jets, steam, or damage from drops. Actual depth and time vary by product.


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MacDailyNews Take: We’re just hours away now!

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Rivals season 2 part 2 release date confirmed by Hulu and Disney+ — but it's the first-look images that have me screaming

✇Techradar
By: jasmine.valentine@futurenet.com (Jasmine Valentine) · Jasmine Valentine
9 September 2026 at 14:00
  • Rivals season 2 part 2 release date confirmed for November 11 by Hulu and Disney+
  • Begins with a three-episode premiere followed by weekly releases
  • Upcoming episodes will feature 'a Hunt Ball, a chaotic Bonfire Night and a very Rivals Christmas

Breathe a sign of relief, Jilly Cooper fans: Rivals season 2 part 2 returns to Hulu (US) and Disney+ (international) from November 11, 2026.

The season's second half is set to kick off with a three-episode premiere, with weekly releases of the remaining three episodes following after.

Our core cast is set to return — well, all except for one, which we'll get to in a minute — but we'll also see the introduction of three important new characters.

Rachael Stirling will play Lady Monica Baddingham’s vampish younger sister Araminta Pemberton, Rupert Evans is erudite headmaster David Hawkley, and Santiago Cabrera takes on the role of Argentinian Polo legend Alejandro Mendoza.

While overarching plot details have been limited to episodes featuring " a Hunt Ball, a chaotic Bonfire Night and a very Rivals Christmas," the shock part 1 cliffhanger tells us exactly where we'll be picking the action up... and that's a bittersweet thing.

Rivals season 2 part 2 first-look images tease a Lizzie-Freddie reconciliation

Spoilers for Rivals season 2 part 1 ahead.

Rivals season 2 part 2 is set to pick back up with Monica's (Claire Rushbrook) funeral, with the full mid-season synopsis reading: " Picking up after the gut-wrenching mid-series finale, Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) and Declan O'Hara's (Aiden Turner) battle for the Cotswolds crown reaches fever pitch, while Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) is forced to confront his own personal demons.

"Against a backdrop of hedonistic parties, Bonfire Night chaos, the Hampshire Hunt Ball and a turbulent Christmas, affairs unravel, alliances fracture and rivalries intensify. Caught in the middle of the frenzied franchise war, Taggie O'Hara (Bella Maclean) must find the courage to follow her heart, while those around her face the consequences of ambition, power and secrets that can no longer remain hidden. But as series two draws to a close, who will get their happy ending?"

Freddie and Lizzie look at each other

(Image credit: Hulu/Disney)

Not only does this signal that Taggie and Rupert will find their way back to each other before the season ends, but the above first-look image also teases an much-anticipated reunion between Freddie (Danny Dyer) and Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson).

After almost being caught together in the first half of season 2, Lizzie decided to be the bigger person and end things with Freddie before their colliding worlds got any more complicated. Has this decision made her happy? No, so you know that it's not going to last for long.

Expect "secrets, betrayals and explosive twists," and if we're being honest... that's just the start of it.

Lost Vape Centaurus M120 S Kit Review: 5500mAh Battery, 120W Power and a More Practical Design

✇IGeeKphone China
By: Brady Cotton
9 September 2026 at 13:19

Lost Vape Centaurus M120 S Kit takes a different approach to the modern vape kit. Instead of competing mainly on extreme wattage or oversized hardware, it combines a built-in 5,500mAh battery, up to 120W of adjustable output, several vaping modes, and a relatively straightforward control system.

That combination makes the Centaurus M120 S interesting for adult vapers who want the flexibility of a higher-powered device without having to carry spare batteries.

The kit also introduces a redesigned Centaurus form factor, an interchangeable-panel design, an on/off switch, and a large color display. According to current product specifications, the mod measures 108.6 × 40.7 × 15.7mm and weighs around 120g, while the built-in battery supports USB-C charging at up to 2A.

The Battery Is the Main Story

The most important feature of the Centaurus M120 S is arguably not its 120W maximum output. It is the 5,500mAh built-in battery.

A 120W mod can be attractive on paper, but high power also places greater demands on the battery. The M120 S approaches the problem differently by giving users a large internal battery designed around extended daily use.

For moderate-power vaping, 5,500mAh gives the device a substantial energy reserve. Users who normally operate at lower wattages may not need to recharge as frequently as they would with a smaller internal-battery pod system.

The battery is also built into the device, so there is no need to purchase or carry a separate 18650 or 21700 cell.

That is an important distinction. The M120 S is aimed more at convenience and endurance than at the battery-swapping flexibility associated with traditional external-battery mods.

120W Gives the Kit Plenty of Headroom

The Centaurus M120 S supports a power range of 5W to 120W vape device, giving it considerably more output headroom than a typical compact pod device.

However, the maximum number should not be interpreted as a recommendation to vape at 120W all the time.

The practical advantage of 120W is flexibility. A user can operate at a lower setting for a more controlled experience and still have additional power available when using compatible coils that require it.

This makes the M120 S more adaptable than a device designed around a narrow wattage range.

It is also worth remembering that actual performance depends on the coil, airflow, e-liquid, battery condition, and selected power level. Maximum output alone does not determine the quality of a vape.

Three Modes Change How the Device Feels

One of the more interesting aspects of the M120 S is its three operating modes: POWER, TURBO and MTL.

Rather than forcing every user into the same operating style, these modes give the device a broader range of possible applications.

POWER mode is the straightforward option for users who prefer direct control over their wattage.

TURBO mode is designed for users who want a more aggressive performance profile when their atomizer and coil setup are suitable for it.

The inclusion of an MTL vaping is particularly notable. The Centaurus name has traditionally been associated with more powerful box-mod hardware, so having a dedicated mode for a tighter, mouth-to-lung-oriented experience makes the M120 S more versatile.

The important point is that these modes are not simply extra menu options. They give the device different ways of responding to the same hardware setup.

The 1.47-Inch TFT Screen Is More Than Decoration

The Centaurus M120 S uses a relatively large 1.47-inch TFT display, giving the device enough screen space to present important vaping information clearly.

A larger display can be useful on a high-output device because users may want to check wattage, battery status and other settings without navigating through complicated menus.

The screen also helps distinguish the M120 S from simpler pod-style devices, where information is often reduced to a few basic indicators.

For a device designed around adjustable power and multiple operating modes, having a readable interface is more useful than simply having a larger screen for visual appeal.

The On/Off Switch Is a Small Feature With a Practical Benefit

One of the details that deserves more attention is the physical on/off switch.

Many modern vape devices rely on button combinations or automatic sleep functions. The M120 S instead uses a dedicated switch for turning the device on and off.

That sounds simple, but it can make everyday handling more intuitive.

It also reduces the number of steps needed when the device is not being used. For people who regularly carry their device in a bag or pocket, having a clearly defined power switch can be more reassuring than relying entirely on software controls.

Interchangeable Panels Add Personality Without Changing the Hardware

The M120 S continues the Centaurus family’s emphasis on customizable exterior panels.

The interchangeable-panel concept allows the appearance of the device to be changed without replacing the entire mod. This is primarily an aesthetic feature, but it also gives the M120 S a more distinctive identity than a conventional rectangular box mod.

Lost Vape has used customizable panels across parts of the Centaurus family before, including the Centaurus M200, where the company describes the design as using changeable face panels.

For the M120 S, the approach fits naturally with the redesigned body.

The 4ml Tank Keeps the Kit Practical

The kit is offered with a 4ml tank, giving the overall package a useful balance between capacity and portability. Current product listings identify the Centaurus M120 S kit as a 4ml, 5,500mAh configuration.

A 4ml capacity is large enough for regular use without turning the tank into an unnecessarily bulky component.

Of course, actual e-liquid consumption will vary significantly depending on coil resistance, wattage, airflow and vaping frequency. Someone running a higher-power setup will naturally consume liquid faster than someone using a lower-power configuration.

That is why tank capacity should always be considered alongside power output rather than viewed as an isolated number.

This Is Not Trying to Be an Ultra-Small Pod

The M120 S measures 108.6 × 40.7 × 15.7mm and weighs approximately 120g, according to current specifications.

Those dimensions make it more substantial than a basic pod system, but that is not necessarily a disadvantage.

The larger body provides space for the 5,500mAh battery, display, controls and tank connection. In other words, the size is partly a consequence of what the device is trying to accomplish.

The more useful question is therefore not whether the M120 S is small enough to disappear in a pocket. It is whether the additional size is justified by the battery capacity and functionality.

For users prioritizing battery life and adjustable performance, the answer may be yes.

USB-C Charging Makes the Large Battery Easier to Live With

A large internal battery would be less useful if charging were inconvenient.

The Centaurus M120 S supports USB-C charging at up to 2A, providing a modern charging interface and making it easier to recharge from commonly available USB-C power sources.

It is still worth using an appropriate charger and cable and following the manufacturer’s charging instructions.

The advantage of USB-C here is mainly convenience: there is no need to remove the battery or use an external charger.

Who Is the Centaurus M120 S Really For?

The M120 S makes the most sense for adult vapers who want a device somewhere between a compact pod and a traditional high-powered dual-battery box mod.

It is particularly interesting for users who prioritize:

  • A large built-in battery
  • Adjustable output up to 120W
  • Multiple operating modes
  • A larger TFT display
  • USB-C charging
  • A physical on/off switch
  • Customizable exterior panels
  • A 4ml tank
  • A relatively manageable 120g body

It is less compelling for someone whose priority is an extremely lightweight pod that can disappear into a pocket.

The M120 S is ultimately built around battery capacity and versatility, not minimalism.

What Should You Consider Before Buying?

The built-in battery is both an advantage and a limitation.

There is no need to purchase external cells, but the battery cannot simply be swapped when its charge is depleted. Users who prefer carrying several charged batteries may therefore prefer a traditional external-battery mod.

The 120W output also does not mean every coil should be operated at high wattage. Coil specifications should always be followed, and the power level should be adjusted according to the installed coil and personal preference.

The tank and coil configuration also matters. A powerful mod can only perform as well as the atomizer setup attached to it.

Finally, buyers should check the vaping regulations that apply in their location before purchasing or using the device.

Lost Vape Centaurus M120 S Kit Specifications

Specification Details
Product Lost Vape Centaurus M120 S Kit
Maximum Output 120W
Power Range 5–120W
Battery Built-in 5,500mAh
Charging USB-C, up to 2A
Display 1.47-inch TFT
Operating Modes POWER, TURBO, MTL
Tank Capacity 4ml
Dimensions 108.6 × 40.7 × 15.7mm
Weight About 120g
Panels Interchangeable
Power Control On/Off switch
Manufacturer Lost Vape

The core mod specifications above are based on current product information for the Centaurus M120 S.

Final Verdict

Lost Vape Centaurus M120 S Kit is interesting because it does not rely on one exaggerated specification to define the product.

Its strongest combination is the 5,500mAh internal battery + 120W maximum output + three operating modes. That gives the device enough range to serve different vaping preferences while keeping the hardware relatively straightforward to operate.

The large TFT screen, physical power switch, USB-C charging and interchangeable panels add useful touches around that core design.

For adult users who want a higher-powered kit but would rather avoid external batteries, the M120 S presents a practical alternative. Its biggest appeal is not simply the 120W number; it is the attempt to combine substantial battery endurance with adjustable performance in a single, relatively manageable device.

Note: Vape products contain nicotine when used with nicotine-containing e-liquid, and nicotine is addictive. This product is intended only for adults of legal purchasing age. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and local regulations.

The post Lost Vape Centaurus M120 S Kit Review: 5500mAh Battery, 120W Power and a More Practical Design appeared first on IGeeKphone China Phone, Tablet PC, VR, RC Drone News, Reviews.

Nvidia's unreleased RTX 3070 Ti 16GB comes to life thanks to a modder's crazy GDDR6 swap — Frankenstein card combines RTX 3070 PCB and new VRAM with RTX 3070 Ti GPU

✇Tom's Hardware
By: editors@tomshardware.com (Hassam Nasir) · Hassam Nasir
9 September 2026 at 12:00

A few years ago, Nvidia was expected to release the RTX 3070 Ti with as much as 16GB of VRAM instead of the 8GB we actually ended up getting. Only database listings ultimately indicated its existence until a physical prototype showed up, but we never really got to see it working. Fast forward to today, however, and Brazilian YouTuber fmklab, aka Fabian, has recreated the card on his own. Using an RTX 3070 PCB with a transplanted 3070 Ti core and GDDR6 chips from Samsung, fmklab broughall those parts together to achieve a 16GB memory pool.

The card was stripped down to its PCB, and the RTX 3070 GPU was removed and replaced with a 3070 Ti chip. The reason for the swap is that the RTX 3070 uses GDDR6 instead of the GDDR6X the retail version of the RTX 3070 Ti is equipped with, which presented an interesting challenge.

A VRAM-modded RTX 3070 Ti with 16GB of GDDR6 memory

(Image credit: Fabian - @fmklab on YouTube)

Fabian could've put all 16GB of GDDR6X memory on a 3070 Ti card, but it would've been far too expensive, so he swapped the Samsung-made HC14 (8Gb) GDDR6 chips that were already on the board with HC16 (16Gb) chips. That changed the VRAM capacity from 8GB to 16GB, but when the card booted, GPU-Z only recognized 8GB. The PCB's memory straps needed to be reconfigured in order for it to use the entire memory pool.

A VRAM-modded RTX 3070 Ti with 16GB of GDDR6 memory

(Image credit: Fabian - @fmklab on YouTube)

Using the Nvidia BIOS Reader tool, Fabian figured out exactly what straps to adjust and went ahead with the soldering process. Afterward, MATS properly recognized the full 16GB VRAM capacity with no errors. GPU-Z also showed the RTX 3070 Ti equipped with 16GB of GDDR6 memory, similar to the prototype that popped up years ago. But verifying that the card recognized the additional VRAM was just the first step.

To actually test his creation's performance, Fabian ran a local LLM on the GPU to see if it would allocate more than 8GB and found that it used nearly the entire 16GB pool. Call of Duty: Warzone ate more than 13GB of VRAM while paired with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, exhibiting no signs of instability.

Fabian even linked a Unigine Superposition benchmark in the video's description as proof of the card's existence, where he scored 5,367 points, which is actually lower than most real 3070 Ti runs. That's probably because of the decreased memory bandwidth of GDDR6 versus that chip's stock GDDR6X, which is the biggest tradeoff for the higher capacity.

A VRAM-modded RTX 3070 Ti with 16GB of GDDR6 memory

(Image credit: Fabian - @fmklab on YouTube)

Overall, this was a successful experiment and possibly the only working 3070 Ti 16GB in the world, but there comes a point of diminishing returns. A 3070 Ti is still a powerful card, but it gets smoked by current-gen Blackwell options even with less memory. It would be much more reasonable to buy, say, an RTX 5060 Ti 16GB if you actually need better performance with some future proofing today, not to mention the superior efficiency, feature set, and after-sales support you'd get from a new Blackwell card.

What is the release date for Lioness season 3 episode 7 on Paramount+?

✇Techradar
By: jasmine.valentine@futurenet.com (Jasmine Valentine) · Jasmine Valentine
9 September 2026 at 11:26

God, the search for Joe (Zoe Saldaña) is taking its sweet time, isn't it? At this rate, things still won't be resolved by next week's Lioness season 3 finale.

The CIA has narrowed its rescue search to the Houston area, but fallout from dismantled Russian networks in Washington has led to some tense confrontations and a pretty disastrous decision for one of our leading senators.

But surely this week has to bring better things... right? And when does Lioness season 3 episode 7 arrive on Paramount+?

What time can I watch Lioness season 3 episode 7 on Paramount+?

Lioness season 3 episode 7 will drop on one of the world's best streaming services in the US and Canada on Sunday, September 13 at 12am PT / 3am ET.

Here's when it will be released in other nations globally:

  • US – 12am PT / 3am ET
  • Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
  • UK – 8am BST
  • India – 12:30pm IST
  • Singapore – 3pm SGT
  • Australia – 5pm AEST
  • New Zealand – 7pm NZST

When do new episodes of Lioness season 3 come out?

Byron and Kaitlyn look across a desk

(Image credit: Paramount+)

Lioness season 3 will have a total of eight episodes, with new entries airing weekly. That gives us the following schedule:

  • Episode 1: out now
  • Episode 2: out now
  • Episode 3: out now
  • Episode 4: out now
  • Episode 5: out now
  • Episode 6: out now
  • Episode 7: September 13
  • Episode 8: September 20

Did Venus eat its own moon?

✇Space
By: Robert Lea
8 September 2026 at 22:00

Scientists may finally know why Venus, Earth's twin, lacks a moon, finding that the hottest planet in the solar system may have consumed its own natural satellite.

Venus is often referred to as Earth's twin due to its size, mass, rocky composition, and distance from the sun, but there are some glaring differences between the two planets. Aside from Venus' blisteringly hot temperature, which could melt lead, incredible surface pressure, violent high-speed winds, and clouds of sulfuric acid, one of the key differences between Earth and Venus can be seen from afar. While our planet has a constant companion in the form of the moon, Venus lacks a moon of its own. In fact, the only solar system planets lacking moons are Venus, the second planet from the sun, and Mercury, the closest planet to the sun.

One question that scientists have puzzled over for years is whether Venus always lacked a moon, or if the hottest planet in the solar system once had a natural satellite and somehow lost it. Now, a team of researchers may have arrived at an answer, determining the fate that would have befallen a hypothetical moon orbiting Venus.

"I have always had a fascination with moon formation and evolution in the solar system, and particularly with Venus since my research is centered around its evolution and potential for past habitability," team leader Stephen R. Kane of the University of California, Riverside told Space.com. "Venus is Earth's twin, and both are nearly identical in size, mass, and composition. However, Earth has a large moon, and Venus has no moon at all, not even a small captured satellite.

"Venus undoubtedly experienced large impacts, just as Earth has, and so has had as much, if not more, opportunity to form a moon similar to what we see in our own skies."

Kane and colleagues constructed a simulation to test their ideas of what could have become of the Venusian moon.

"The work involved going back to fundamental physics and creating the simulation from the ground up, which I validated by ensuring I could reproduce the evolution of the Earth-moon system," Kane said. "The moment I realized that our model provided a complete explanation for Venus not having a moon was an exciting one!"

Did Venus consume its own moon?

The team modelled a gravitational tug-of-war between Venus, a hypothetical moon, and the sun, following this forward over billions of years.

"This is the same physics that governs our own moon, which is slowly drifting away from Earth. We ran the calculations across a wide range of possibilities for how fast Venus was spinning and how massive its moon might have been, using two independent mathematical descriptions of how tides work," Kane explained.

The researcher said that this was done so the conclusions reached wouldn't hinge on one set of assumptions. They found in most cases a Venusian moon would not drift safely outward the way ours does. Instead, the modelling showed that a moon orbiting Venus would eventually reverse its course and spiral inward, causing it to be torn apart by the planet's gravity.

Kane and colleagues found that possessing an intimidating size wouldn't guarantee a Venusian moon's survival, either.

"An interesting aspect is that a heavier moon is destroyed faster, since a massive moon would drain Venus's spin so efficiently that it hastens its destruction," Kane added.

A striped brown sphere against a black background

Venus as seen from Earth may look peaceful, but up close, it is a hellish world that may have destroyed its own moon. (Image credit: Starry Night)

But are there any circumstances under which a Venusian moon could have survived?

"Survival came down to two main things: Venus had to be spinning fast when the moon formed, with a day shorter than about 12 hours, and the moon couldn't be too massive, up to roughly the mass of our own moon," team leader Stephen R. Kane of the University of California, Riverside told Space.com. "In that narrow window, the moon migrates outward and stabilizes, much as Earth's did. Outside that range, the moon is unfortunately doomed to be consumed by Venus.

"So a surviving moon would have had to be modest in size, orbiting a rapidly spinning early Venus, which are conditions that don't match what we think early Venus was actually like."

We may never conclusively know if Venus has indeed destroyed its own moon, as Kane thinks that collecting direct evidence from astronomical observations will be very difficult.

"Finding direct observational evidence is pretty tough. A moon lost billions of years ago would leave little to no direct trace we can point a telescope at today, so we can't observe the event itself," Kane said. "However, there are indirect avenues. For example, if a moon was destroyed and its debris rained down on Venus, it could have left a chemical fingerprint in the planet's surface or atmosphere, and upcoming missions to Venus, including NASA's DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) probe, will measure atmospheric composition in detail."

If missions such as DAVINCI could help us develop a better understanding of the Venusian interior, then this would also improve the models such as the one used in this research. That is because the outcomes of such models depend on properties of Venus's interior, which aren't currently well understood.

"There's a broader test beyond our solar system because our results predict that slowly rotating, Venus-like planets around other stars should generically lack large moons, so as astronomers begin searching for moons around exoplanets, that's a prediction that can eventually be checked against real data," Kane said.

A spherical silver spacecraft against a fiery orange background

An artist's depiction of the DAVINCI probe nearing the surface of Venus. (Image credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center)

Kane and colleagues don't intend to rest on their laurels while further data from Venus or even Venus-like exoplanets are delivered. They have plenty to work on in the meantime.

"There are numerous implications of our work that I would like to explore further. These include the compositional and atmospheric effects of a Venusian moon consumption event that may be testable now," Kane concluded. I would also like to explore similar effects for Mercury and Mars, and conduct further studies on exoplanet cases where such moon collision scenarios may have occurred."

The team's research is available as a pre-peer-reviewed paper on the repository site arXiv.

Sylvia Hoeks se junta ao elenco de “Disavowed”, futura série do Apple TV com James Marsden

✇MacMagazine
By: Rafael Fischmann
8 September 2026 at 21:44

O elenco de “Disavowed”, vindouro thriller de ação do Apple TV, ganhou mais um nome de peso. Segundo o Deadline, a atriz Sylvia Hoeks — conhecida por seus papéis em “Parceiras no Crime” (“Ride or Die”) e “See” — é a mais nova contratada como membro regular do elenco.

Detalhes sobre a personagem de Hoeks na trama ainda não foram revelados.

Anunciada em maio, a série é estrelada por James Marsden e já havia somado Norman Reedus ao time em agosto. Em “Disavowed”, acompanharemos o lendário agente da CIA Brad Griffin (Marsden) logo após ser demitido abruptamente no meio de uma caçada global a um assassino responsável pela morte de um colega. Marginalizado no mundo da inteligência, o protagonista decide ir atrás da recompensa de US$15 milhões pelo assassino.

Hoeks é reconhecida internacionalmente por seu papel como Luv em “Blade Runner 2049” e também esteve no elenco de “See”, outra produção do Apple TV, como a Rainha Kane.

“Disavowed” é uma criação original e o primeiro projeto televisivo da dupla formada por Art Marcum e Matt Holloway. Eles também serão produtores executivos ao lado de Marsden, Tom Spezialy, Michelle MacLaren e Rebecca Hobbs. MacLaren, de “The Morning Show” e “Breaking Bad”, dirigirá os dois primeiros episódios.

A Blue Marble Pictures — responsável por “Pachinko” — produzirá a série em conjunto com o Apple Studios, com Theresa Kang e Caroline Garity também como produtoras executivas.

“Disavowed” ainda não possui uma data de estreia confirmada.

O Apple TV está disponível no aplicativo Apple TV em mais de 100 países e regiões, seja em iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, Macs, dispositivos Android, smart TVs ou online — além de também estar em aparelhos como Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast com Google TV, consoles PlayStation e Xbox. O serviço custa R$34,90 por mês, com um período de teste gratuito de 7 dias. Por tempo limitado, quem comprar e ativar um novo iPhone, iPad, Apple TV ou Mac ganha 3 meses do Apple TV. Ele também faz parte do pacote de assinaturas da empresa, o Apple One.

NOTA DE TRANSPARÊNCIA: O MacMagazine recebe uma pequena comissão sobre vendas concluídas por meio de links deste post, mas você, como consumidor, não paga nada mais pelos produtos/serviços usando os nossos links de afiliado.

The universal language of space is... Star Trek? Mais oui.

✇Ars Technica - Space
By: Robert Pearlman
8 September 2026 at 21:20

Sixty years after television audiences first tuned in to see the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, an astronaut on board the International Space Station has paid tribute to Star Trek by flying the badge of the franchise's latest fictional captain.

Expedition 75 flight engineer Sophie Adenot with European Space Agency (ESA) donned the Delta badge originally worn by actor Anson Mount for a video recorded from aboard the space station. Mount portrays Christoper Pike in the Paramount+ streaming series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Paramount and ESA both released the clip on their Instagram feeds.

"For 60 years, Star Trek has brought us stories of friendship and exploration. I'm wearing Captain Pike's badge aboard the ISS in celebration of continuing the real world work of science and exploration," said Adenot. "For me, exploration and science are about curiosity and cooperation daring to go a little farther together, learning from what we discover and build, and turning that knowledge into a better future for everyone."

Read full article

Comments

© ESA

The universal language of space is... Star Trek? Mais oui.

✇Ars Technica - All
By: Robert Pearlman
8 September 2026 at 21:20

Sixty years after television audiences first tuned in to see the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, an astronaut on board the International Space Station has paid tribute to Star Trek by flying the badge of the franchise's latest fictional captain.

Expedition 75 flight engineer Sophie Adenot with European Space Agency (ESA) donned the Delta badge originally worn by actor Anson Mount for a video recorded from aboard the space station. Mount portrays Christoper Pike in the Paramount+ streaming series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Paramount and ESA both released the clip on their Instagram feeds.

"For 60 years, Star Trek has brought us stories of friendship and exploration. I'm wearing Captain Pike's badge aboard the ISS in celebration of continuing the real world work of science and exploration," said Adenot. "For me, exploration and science are about curiosity and cooperation daring to go a little farther together, learning from what we discover and build, and turning that knowledge into a better future for everyone."

Read full article

Comments

© ESA

Apple’s foldable iPhone took a decade to arrive — and may start above $2,000

✇MacDailyNews
By: MacDailyNews
8 September 2026 at 20:15
This may be the final design of Apple's foldable iPhone. (Image: @MajinBuofficia via X)
This may be the final design of Apple’s foldable iPhone. (Image: @MajinBuofficia via X)

Apple’s first foldable iPhone is expected to headline Wednesday’s “Surprise and Shine” event, but the product itself is not a last-minute bet. According to Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman, the company spent about a decade studying folding displays and related hardware before bringing a book-style phone to the stage.

Gurman reports that Apple’s hardware engineering teams were examining foldable phones, screens, and components well before Samsung’s first Galaxy Fold arrived in 2019. Early thinking inside the company included a device closer to an iPad mini that opened into a larger tablet. That path shifted after then-CEO Tim Cook returned from a 2020 trip to Asia “unusually energized” by how many people he saw using foldables from Samsung, Huawei, and others. He pushed Apple to move faster and to make a foldable iPhone, not a foldable tablet, the priority. One person familiar with the work told Gurman that Cook was “the earliest and biggest champion” of the project.

The work began under former hardware chief Dan Riccio and later continued under John Ternus, who now leads the company. Engineers focused on four difficult problems: making the crease less visible, making the hinge last, creating flexible cover glass for the inner screen, and exploring under-display cameras. Designers compared the closed device to a passport and the open device to a Magic Trackpad. The rumored layout is a wide book-style phone with about a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner display.

Price was always going to be part of the story. Gurman writes that Apple first aimed for a $1,999 starting price — just under the $2,000 line, in the same way the iPhone X launched at $999. Rising component costs, including the memory shortage, later pushed internal discussions toward about $2,199. Higher-storage versions could approach $3,000. Apple expects sticker shock, Gurman reports, but concluded that customers already paying near $2,000 for loaded iPhones would accept an even more expensive foldable. Internally, the product is often called the iPhone Ultra.

The device is expected to appear Wednesday alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. If Gurman’s reporting holds, it will be the largest change to the iPhone’s physical form since the product launched in 2007.

MacDailyNews Take: Regardless of price, Apple will not be able to make enough. The foldable iPhone will be supply-constrained for months, so, if you want one of the first ones, get your pre-order(s) in as soon as Apple starts taking them!

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Apple’s ‘Surprise and Shine’ event arrives tomorrow: Foldable iPhone, 18 Pro lineup, and a new CEO era

✇MacDailyNews
By: MacDailyNews
8 September 2026 at 19:00

It's official: Apple sets September 9th date for iPhone launch event: 'Surprise and Shine'

Apple holds its biggest product event of the year on Wednesday, September 9, at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT at Apple Park in Cupertino. The “Surprise and Shine” keynote will be livestreamed on Apple’s website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube. It is also the first major launch under new CEO John Ternus.

The company is expected to skip a standard iPhone 18 this fall and instead focus on premium hardware: the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone, widely referred to as the iPhone Ultra. New Apple Watch models are also on the docket. The base iPhone 18 and a follow-up iPhone Air are rumored for spring 2027.

The foldable is the main actThe long-awaited foldable is expected to use a book-style design: a compact phone when closed and a larger tablet-like screen when opened. Reports describe an outer display around 5.5 inches and an inner display of about 7.8 inches. Pricing is expected to start above $2,000.

Rumored details include Apple’s A20 Pro chip, an in-house modem, Touch ID instead of Face ID on at least some reports, and a hinge designed to reduce the crease that has defined earlier foldables. Camera setup is expected to be more limited than the Pro models, with some reports saying there will be no dedicated telephoto lens. If Apple pulls it off, this would be the first major iPhone form-factor change in nearly two decades.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max stay the volume play

The Pro and Pro Max are expected to look similar to last year’s models, with most of the work happening inside. Anticipated upgrades include the A20 Pro processor, better thermal design, improved battery life, and camera refinements. Some reports point to a smaller Dynamic Island and new color options. The Pro Max may get the larger battery and extra cooling.

Apple appears to be splitting its iPhone calendar: high-end and experimental devices in September, more affordable models later. That would keep this week’s stage focused on the products with the highest prices and the most novelty.

Watches and the rest of the lineup

Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are widely expected. Typical September extras such as new AirPods could appear, though camera-equipped AirPods Pro rumors have been less consistent for this date. Macs and iPads are more likely later in the fall. Software release windows for iOS 27 and related updates usually get mentioned as well.

Why this event matters

Ternus takes the stage after years as Apple’s hardware chief. The company has spent much of the past decade refining existing lines. A foldable iPhone, a narrower fall phone lineup, and a new CEO on the same day add up to more than a routine refresh. Whether the foldable becomes a mainstream product or a high-priced niche will be one of the first real tests of the next chapter.

MacDailyNews Note: Watch the stream Wednesday at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT here and check our home page tomorrow for the link to our live coverage.

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