Apple launches iPhone 18 Pro with Siri AI as John Ternus leads debut

Cupertino,UPDATED: Sep 9, 2026 23:00 IST

Apple unveiled its latest generation of iPhones on Wednesday at an event led by new CEO John Ternus, with the line-up widely expected to include a foldable model. The company said the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max bring improvements to battery, camera and performance, while putting new Siri artificial intelligence features at the centre of the new phones.

Apple also used the launch to stress privacy and security as it tries to set itself apart from rivals that are further ahead in bringing AI to smartphones. The new iPhone range is also likely to cost more than earlier generations, partly because of a global memory chip shortage.

Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1, briefly took the stage at the Steve Jobs Theater to loud cheers. In a video message, he praised Apple's "relentless pursuit of excellence".

Many of Apple's biggest rivals, including Samsung, Motorola and Google, have already launched foldable smartphones. But Apple has not usually rushed into new technologies. "The foldable launch is straight out of Apple's playbook: Wait for the product to work out its kinks and for the market to offer glimpses of viability, then enter and shape the category," Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee said.

"The difference is that foldables still represent a minuscule share of the smartphone market. The test of Apple's ambition will be whether it can expand that niche into a meaningful new segment," he said. Earlier this year, Apple had unveiled artificial intelligence advances, including upgrades to Siri, with an emphasis on privacy and day-to-day use as it tries to catch up with rivals on AI.

Chatterjee said Ternus's keynote address at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, would set the tone for his vision of the company's future. "John Ternus inherits perhaps the most successful consumer technology juggernaut in modern times. That is both a boon and a burden for him. Tim Cook's perfected execution, scale, and monetisation set a high bar, and Ternus must extend that run," he said. "But he must sustain that momentum while positioning Apple to disrupt itself in the near future, when the iPhone, or any smartphone for that matter, will cease to be the consumer's primary conduit to the world."

Last year's iPhone 17 line-up, which included a new ultra-thin model, has been selling well. That generation introduced a slimmed-down model carrying the Air name that Apple already uses for its sleekest iPads and Mac computers. The iPhone 17 is priced between USD 799 and USD 1,999, depending on the model.

The launch marked the start of Apple's latest iPhone cycle under Ternus, combining expected foldable plans, upgrades to battery, camera and performance, and a stronger push on Siri's AI features with a focus on privacy and security.

With PTI Inputs

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