On Wednesday, Apple will finally host its big fall event, and we will likely get our first look at the Apple Watch Series 12, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone Ultra, Apple's first foldable iPhone. In the lead-up to this keynote, Lifehacker ran the third and final round of our Big Guessing Game, inviting readers to make predictions about what Apple will announce this week. While we won't know the answers to those questions until Apple officially confirms them during the event, here's a look at what readers think will happen.
Question 1: Which product will Apple discuss first?
The rumors strongly predict that Apple will announce new iPhones and a new Apple Watch on Wednesday, but there's always the possibility of more devices as well. Apple may release new AirPods—with or without embedded cameras—and while there's a chance they'll announce new Macs, I'm skeptical, given that Apple surprised us all with Mac news last week.
My first question of the third round of the Big Guessing Game was about which of these products Apple would announce first. (To be clear, we posted the quiz before Apple's surprise Mac announcements.) The majority of respondents (49%) believe Apple will start with its iPhone news, while 23% believe the company will kick things off with Apple Watch. Smaller percentages believe Apple will focus on other products first: 16% think they'll announce new Macs first (sorry!), while 12% think AirPods will get the first shoutout.
Question 2: Will former Apple CEO Tim Cook make an appearance?
Wednesday's keynote will be Apple's first with a new CEO since the iPhone 4S event back in 2011. Tim Cook is no longer head of Apple; as such, new Apple CEO John Ternus will lead this week's event. That said, Apple events feature numerous employees throughout, and since Tim Cook is still Apple's executive chair, it stands to reason Cook could make an appearance on Wednesday.
Lifehacker readers were pretty split on this question, though there was a clear majority. 55% of respondents think Cook will make an appearance, while 45% believe he will not. I could see the logic behind both: It might only make sense for Cook to "pass the baton" to Ternus, so to speak. On the other hand, Apple might want to establish the new "Ternus" era, and featuring Cook may muddy the waters.
Question 3: When will preorders for the foldable iPhone Ultra begin?
The iPhone Ultra will likely steal the show on Wednesday. It'll be Apple's first foldable iPhone, will likely cost over $2,000, and will possibly be delayed. To that point, I asked Lifehacker readers when the iPhone Ultra's preorder will actually open up. Most are optimistic, with 43% responding that iPhone Ultra will be available to preorder this month. Another 33% think Apple will open up preorders in October, while 15% think the Ultra will be unavailable until November. A final 9% think Apple will open preorders in another month entirely.
Question 4: How long will Apple's keynote last?
Apple events are rarely short. The company typically has a lot of announcements to get through, and even though these keynotes are now pre-recorded, they can run for as long as a feature-length movie. However, there's no set runtime for Apple events, which makes it a perfect guessing-game question.
The majority (51%) of Lifehacker readers think that Apple's keynote will run 90 to 120 minutes long; 41% think that the event will be a bit shorter, running from 60 to 90 minutes; and a slim respondent pool (8%) thinks that Apple's event will be long, running more than two hours. I don't think that's likely, but it's not impossible—maybe Apple will go quite in-depth on that foldable iPhone.
Question 5: Will new Apple CEO John Ternus bring back "One More Thing?"
"One more thing" was an Apple event staple for years, made famous by then-CEO Steve Jobs. The company would save a huge announcement for the end of the show and introduce it by saying "One more thing." It would be a fun nod for Ternus to bring back the slogan, but, again, perhaps the new CEO wants to carve his own path. Most Lifehacker readers think he'll do it, though: 61% think "One more thing" is coming back this year, compared to 39% who don't. Personally, I hope he does it, and I hope that whatever gets announced is actually surprising, and not something that's been leaked already.
