Apple’s September 9 event feels different from a normal iPhone launch.

For one thing, it will be the first major iPhone event with John Ternus as Apple’s CEO. Tim Cook stepped into the executive chairman role on September 1, so this is effectively the first big public test of Apple’s next era. But the hardware is arguably even more interesting. Apple is widely expected to introduce its first foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. If that happens, Apple will finally be entering a category Samsung and other manufacturers have been building for years. And that raises a more interesting question than whether Apple can make a foldable phone. Can Apple make people actually want one? Apple has a history of entering existing categories late and trying to make the product feel more polished and mainstream. That strategy worked with products like the Apple Watch and AirPods, but foldables are a much tougher test because the technology already exists and consumers have had years to see the advantages and drawbacks. The September 9 event could therefore tell us more about Apple’s direction than just what the next iPhone looks like. Is Apple still focused on refining the smartphone everyone already knows, or is it finally trying to create a new reason for people to upgrade? And honestly, would you even buy a foldable iPhone if Apple launched one?