With Apple’s September 9 event now upon us, the Apple event reader predictions are in, and the results from Lifehacker’s Big Guessing Game make for a decent snapshot of where public expectation has landed ahead of what could be the company’s most consequential keynote in years. TechTimes reports the event at Apple Park in Cupertino is expected to cover the iPhone Ultra, iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, new AirPods, and a substantial software rollout including Siri AI powered by Google’s Gemini model.
That is a lot of ground to cover. The guessing game ran three rounds, with the third and final round focusing on five specific questions. Here is what readers thought.
Apple Event Reader Predictions: Which Product Opens the Show?
The first question asked which product Apple would announce first. The majority (49% of respondents) believe the company will lead with iPhones. Another 23% think Apple Watch gets the opening slot. Macs drew 16% of the vote, despite being a less likely opener given Apple had already surprised everyone with Mac news the previous week. AirPods came in last, with 12%.
The Mac figure is a touch generous given the timing, but it reflects the general sense that Apple’s hardware pipeline is unusually full right now. AirPods, potentially arriving with embedded cameras for the first time, could easily sneak into the conversation earlier than expected.
Will Tim Cook Appear at Wednesday’s Keynote?
This is the first Apple keynote under a new chief executive since the iPhone 4S event back in 2011. John Ternus now leads the company, and Yahoo Finance reports that Tim Cook became executive chairman on 1 September. He is still in the building, so to speak, which is why 55% of Lifehacker readers think Cook will make an appearance on Wednesday, with 45% believing he will not.
Both positions have logic. Cook passing the baton on camera would be a tidy piece of symbolism. On the other hand, Apple may want the Ternus era to start clean, without a shadow over the shoulder. It is worth noting that Ternus brings a particular background to the role: according to TechTimes, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and joined Apple in 2001 as a product designer, working his way up through the hardware side of the business. A foldable iPhone is, if nothing else, a fitting debut product for someone who came up through industrial design.
iPhone Ultra Preorders: When Do They Open?
The iPhone Ultra is expected to be Apple’s first foldable iPhone and will likely cost over $2,000, with the possibility of delays already being discussed. Lifehacker asked readers when preorders would actually open. The optimists are in the majority: 43% believe preorders will open this month. Another 33% think October is more realistic, 15% are pointing to November, and a remaining 9% selected another month entirely.
Given the chatter around potential supply constraints, the 33% landing on October looks like a sensible hedge.
How Long Will the Event Run?
Apple keynotes are pre-recorded these days, which means there is no natural live-event compression to keep things tight. Readers clearly know this: 51% think the keynote will run between 90 and 120 minutes, while 41% think it will come in slightly shorter at 60 to 90 minutes. A sliver of the electorate, 8%, are braced for something north of two hours. With the full lineup on the table, that is not impossible.
Will Ternus Bring Back “One More Thing”?
The phrase was an event-night staple for years, associated most closely with Steve Jobs. Bringing it back would be a nod to the past; leaving it out would signal a deliberate break. Lifehacker readers lean towards tradition: 61% think “One more thing” returns on Wednesday, with 39% expecting Ternus to carve a different path.
It is the kind of moment that lands well if the product behind it is genuinely surprising, and falls a bit flat if everyone already knew what was coming. TechRadar has noted that all eyes are on Ternus himself at this event, not just the hardware. “One more thing” would be one quick way to answer the question of what kind of showman he plans to be. Wednesday will settle it.
