Apple’s new CEO John Ternus has just dropped a major hint at what the tech giant will unveil at the ‘surprise and shine’ event.
Starting at 18:00 BST tonight, Apple will hold an event at the Steve Jobs Theatre in Apple Park, where it is expected to reveal its most exciting products in years.
Now, with just hours to go before the big moment, the new Apple boss has given fans a big clue about one hotly anticipated feature.
In a post on X, Mr Ternus shared a video showing a bright beam gradually focusing into a spotlight.
At the end of the short clip, this light appears to shine through a hexagonal hole onto what could be a glass lens.
Although Apple is staying characteristically tight–lipped, this may be a reference to the variable aperture lens expected to feature on the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
This feature, which has been referenced by multiple reliable leaks in recent months, will allow users to mechanically control how much light enters the lens.
That should give the new iPhones a much better ability to take clear photos in very bright and very dark conditions, much like the best non–smartphone cameras.
Apple’s new CEO John Ternus has just dropped a major hint at what the tech giant will unveil at the ‘surprise and shine’ event
This comes just nine days after Mr Ternus took over the top job at Apple from long–time CEO Tim Cook.
On social media, the cryptic post has sparked excitement about what the new leader may have in store for his first major event.
Even Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, seems to have caught the Apple hype and reposted Mr Ternus’ video.
Meanwhile, commenters flocked to share their enthusiastic suggestions for what the post could mean.
One Apple fan wrote: ‘Classic Apple tease. A light and a piece of glass and now everyone’s convinced it’s a variable aperture camera. Well played.’
‘Whoever confused of this it’s Variable aperture on iPhone 18 pro models,’ added another.
Even the Apple experts at 9to5Mac responded to say that the post had: ‘Big variable aperture vibes.’
Some commenters suggested that the vertical beam could be a ‘hinge’ to represent the hotly anticipated Apple foldable phone, rumoured to be called Apple Duo.
Apple’s new CEO John Ternus has just dropped a major hint at what the tech giant will unveil at the ‘surprise and shine’ event
Apple’s launch event will kick off on September 9 at 10:00 local time (18:00 BST) at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, the company’s Cupertino headquarters
Meanwhile, others simply took to social media to share their excitement over Mr Ternus’ first public appearance as CEO, with one calling on him to ‘take the stage you f****** legend’.
At the ‘surprise and shine’ event tonight, Apple is widely expected to reveal some big new products.
That will include the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the new top–of–the–range models in the standard iPhone lineup.
Besides the potential for a variable aperture lens, these will likely come with upgraded hardware including chips that can handle more powerful AI processes.
Ben Wood, chief marketing officer at CCS Insight, told the Daily Mail: ‘Expect to see Apple heavily promoting its Apple Intelligence, Siri AI capabilities, and other software enhancements.’
However, the most exciting announcement to come tonight is very likely to be the new foldable iPhone.
Apple is coming very late to the foldable game, with rivals Samsung and Google releasing their own models years ahead, so expectations are sky high for this new flagship product.
According to usually reliable leakers, the phone – rumoured to be called the iPhone Duo – will have a similar form factor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, with a 5.3–inch outer display and a larger 7.7–inch inner screen.
This will be the first major public appearance for John Ternus (pictured) since taking the reins as CEO last week
Leakers have already revealed what they claim is the design for the new Apple foldable device, now believed to be called the Apple Duo
That means the inner screen is wider than it is tall when unfolded, giving the iPhone Duo a similar aspect ratio to Apple’s biggest iPads.
However, this is expected to be an ‘ultra–premium’ product with a price tag to match, with launch prices expected to top $2,000 (£1,470).
The tech giant is also anticipated to unveil a new line of upgraded Apple Watches, the next generation of AirPods, and potentially even a sequel to the Apple HomePod Mini.
The Apple Store has now gone down ahead of this evening’s ‘surprise and shine’ event.
A notice on the website reads: ‘Be right back. We’re making updates to the Apple Store. Check back soon.’
While the nature of the updates remains unclear, the outage hints that Apple may be updating the store with new products.
Press and a few selected individuals will attend the ‘surprise and shine’ event in person, having received invitations late last month.
For everyone else, the event will be available to watch on the Apple Events page, the company’s YouTube channel, or follow along with the Daily Mail’s live coverage.
