Apple will unveil its first foldable smartphone, widely expected as the iPhone Ultra, on September 9, 2026, introducing incoming CEO John Ternus. Meanwhile, Huawei scheduled its second-generation Mate XT 2 trifold for September 7, deliberately initiating a high-stakes competitive clash in a sluggish global market.
The global smartphone industry faces a challenging climate, with analysts bracing for an estimated 17 per cent decline in 2026. Component costs and a broad market slowdown have squeezed manufacturers, prompting two of the industry’s biggest players to bet heavily on unconventional hardware.
Apple scheduled its largest product showcase of the year for September 9, 2026. Two days earlier, Shenzhen-based Huawei planned its own major hardware unveiling, setting up a direct and intense product rivalry for the month of September.
The iPhone Ultra Arrives at Apple’s September 9 Event
Apple enters the foldable device category for the first time with a model expected to carry the iPhone Ultra moniker. The new hardware features two distinct displays: an internal 19.8-centimetre screen that opens like a book, accompanied by a 13.5-centimetre external display built for conventional daily usage. The device will also have four cameras — two on the back, one on the inside and one front selfie camera. It is also rumoured that the iPhone Ultra will have asymmetrical corners, after images of screen protectors leaked earlier this year showing right-angle corners on the left and curved corners on the right.
Under the hood, the upcoming device is slated to include Apple’s latest processor, the A20 Pro, which is expected to be 18% faster and use 30% less energy than the previous iteration, the A19 Pro. Market intelligence firm International Data Corporation projects that Apple will sell more than 10 million units in its first year, with each model going for between €2,200 and €2,500 for the base model and from €2,600 to €3,000 for models with more storage.
Also expected to be unveiled at the event are the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra, the iPad mini 8, AirPods Pro, as well as updates to Apple TV and HomePod mini. In addition to the hardware specifications, the September 9 presentation marks a major leadership transition for the company. John Ternus, the former senior vice president of hardware engineering, officially takes the reins from outgoing CEO Tim Cook on 1 September and will host the presentation.
Huawei Counters With the Mate XT 2 Trifold on September 7
While Apple prepares its debut, Huawei announced via its official Weibo page that the Mate XT 2 Ultimate Design tri-fold phone will launch on September 7, as part of what Huawei is calling an All-Scenario New Product Launch Event
. The timing is a calculated strategy to establish market benchmarks ahead of Apple’s event and capture global technology media coverage first.
The Mate XT 2 represents the next iteration of Huawei’s pioneering triple-foldable concept, a device with two fold points that allows it to unfold into a large, tablet-sized display while collapsing into a form factor closer to a conventional smartphone than a traditional two-fold device. Alongside the new hardware, Huawei will formally introduce HarmonyOS 7, its latest software platform, making September 7 one of the most significant product days in the company’s calendar this year. Reportedly, the Huawei Mate XTs will retail in the region of CNY 20,000, which converts to approximately $2,780 at current exchange rates, a price that presumably only covers the tri-fold with 256 GB of storage too.
Market Projections and Pricing Across Competitors
The arrival of foldable devices from both giants comes as the broader sector watches component costs closely. Competitors such as Oppo, Vivo, Honor, and Samsung have released regular foldables this year like the Galaxy Z Fold7 (curr. $1,999 on Amazon), while Google is bringing the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to market next month. Following its release, Huawei is expected to come in with its second-generation tri-fold, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold hot on its heels.
Analyst Outlook on Market Transformation
Industry analysts expect Apple’s entry to reshape consumer expectations and spur growth in a category that previously lacked broader mainstream momentum. IDC senior research director Nabila Popal noted the profound shift in market trajectory on Wednesday.
Apple’s entry into the foldable market has done more than reignite growth in a category that was losing momentum, It has fundamentally altered the market’s trajectory. — Nabila Popal, senior research director at research firm IDC
Popal projected that Apple would ship more than 17 million foldable iPhones by 2027, capturing about 40 per cent of the global foldable market. Furthermore, Popal stated, Apple is positioned to challenge Huawei and Samsung for leadership in markets where they have long dominated – an extraordinary outcome for a product expected to be less than two years into its life cycle.
As September unfolds, the simultaneous pushes by Apple and Huawei will test whether ultra-premium foldable hardware can successfully breathe new life into a constrained global smartphone sector.
