Apple revealed its new foldable iPhone on Wednesday afternoon, and Wall Street analysts were largely positive about the specs and demand outlook. However, enthusiasm for the device diminished by mounting concerns that restrained price hikes across the iPhone lineup could pressure hardware margins.
Apple shares are up 1% in premarket trading in New York and about 1.6% higher since the unveiling of the new foldable iPhone and iPhone 18 Pro lineup. The new foldable iPhone starts around $2,000, with the premium model costing up to $3,199.
Did Apple learn anything from the failed launch of the $3,500 Vision Pro?
JUST IN: Internet accuses Apple of photoshopping "freakishly long" fingers into its iPhone Duo marketing, to make the massive foldable look easier to hold one-handed. pic.twitter.com/D8C19tqlFa
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) September 9, 2026The question floating around multiple Wall Street desks overnight and into Thursday morning is how much of that foldable iPhone and new lineup demand translates into profit.
Jefferies analysts, who maintain an underperform rating and a $263.66 12-month price target, said Apple appears focused on boosting volumes at the expense of margins. Unchanged pricing for the iPhone 17 and Air could support demand while pressuring profitability.
TD Cowen, which rates Apple a "Buy" with a $400 price target, similarly warned that modest price increases could create hardware gross-margin headwinds. The analysts highlighted the new 2-nanometer chip's doubling of AI speed.
"Price increases were modest, which aids affordability, but hardware GM could face more headwinds in the coming year," TD Cowen analysts said.
Vital Knowledge analysts noted, "Duo is a very 'cool' device, with a competitive price point, but it remains to be seen whether Apple can manufacture enough of them to meet demand."
Here is Citi analyst Atif Malik's first take on iPhone Duo:
Apple launched a new foldable product cycle Duo under the new CEO John Ternus today. With a 7.6" inner display and a more iPad-like multi tasking experience, Duo is the biggest new hardware category since Apple Watch/Airpods.
The launch of the iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max (no standard iPhone 18) and the starting price of $1,999 on Duo shows Apple's iPhone line up is heavily skewed towards premium devices this fall.
Moreover, Apple repriced the IP16/IP17 portfolio by ~$100 with bigger ~$300 increase on higher 1TB storage tier we believe to offset higher memory component prices. Overall, IP18 specs, foldable ASP are in-line and IP18 ASPs below our ~$200 preview. Net-net, with price increase on the older iPhones, we maintain our model and gross margin assumptions. New Siri AI is the most important software announcement as Apple moves from AI features towards AI agent integrated into iOS27. Maintain Buy $365 TP.
Bernstein's Mark Newman asked clients, "What about gross margins?"
Newman explained:
Yesterday Apple held its Surprise and Shine product release, this note summarizes the products announced including specs and prices and potential impact to gross margins.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max deliver meaningful improvements with smaller price increase than expected at entry storage levels. Among the improvements, most interesting was the 2nm A20 processor and packaging enabling up to 40% higher sustained performance. The 48 MP main camera with variable aperture and significantly improved battery life (with faster charging) were the other notable improvements. Most interesting though was the price - up only $100 (or 7-8%) on entry 18 Pro and Pro Max models, which was less severe than feared and less than what we've seen from Android competitors. At higher storage tiers though the price increase was more substantial (with 18 Pro Max 2TB at $2,499 up $500 vs. comparable 17 Pro Max).
The well anticipated "Surprise" was the iPhone Duo - Apple's first foldable phone, which didn't disappoint. Unlike most competitor Android offerings, the Duo opens out to an aspect ratio similar to what we're used to with an iPad, which should make it more intuitive and useful for watching movies or have windows side by side. Starting price of $1,999 (for the 256GB option) was also lower than feared and considering this potentially replaces a high-end iPhone and an iPad (at $1000+ each), we believe this price is competitive, but ramps up to a whopping $3,199 for 2TB.
Apple is making steady progress on AI, with the potential to monetize. Apple Intelligence runs on-device whenever possible, with more computationally demanding requests are handled through Private Cloud Compute. Some capabilities that rely on the server models will have usage limits, with increased access available through iCloud+ plans - the first signs of AI monetization.
In addition to price increases on new models, Apple bucked its trend of discounting older models by $100 and actually increased prices of older models by $100 - effectively a $200 price move. This combined with the staggered launch should reduce gross margin impact from rising memory costs.
Our analysis shows that like for like 18 Pro / Pro Max models will have significantly worse gross margins than comparable 17 Pro / Pro Max models. Entry models will see over 1000bps of gross margin dilution, and on average 14% lower gross profit $/unit. However, the iPhone Duo, increased price of older models and staggered launch should reduce this gross margin impact.
While we like the new product releases and believe gross margin hit may not be as bad as feared, there continues to be much uncertainty on new level of gross margins with today's elevated memory prices. On the other-hand, these lower price increases on entry models should help Apple continue to gain market share over Android rivals. We rate Apple Outperform, PT $370, but worry that the stock may not work until December quarter guide is behind us (in late October).
Goldman analyst Michael Ng's first take:
During Apple's Special Event "Surprise and Shine" on September 9th, 2026, AAPL announced its new iPhone lineup (Foldable iPhone Duo, 18 Pro, and 18 Pro Max), updated Apple Watches (Series 12 and Ultra 4), and AirPods 5.
Overall, key product feature announcements (debut of a foldable form factor model, Touch ID to open on the iPhone Duo, new A20-series chips, and rear-camera systems) were largely as expected, and should drive continued strength in device demand.
Furthermore, AAPL's decision to bifurcate the iPhone 18 model launches with lower-end models expected (by us) in Spring 2027 should support continued iPhone ASP growth amidst ongoing device premiumization, further supported by explicit $100 price increases for the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max and the addition of a new premium 2 TB storage option for the iPhone 18 Pro.
We view this favorable price/mix from premium products as supportive of upside to revenue, which should partially mitigate margin headwinds.
Importantly, Apple's new Apple Upgrade program & attractive carrier promotions (Free/$99 iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max with eligible trade-in and plan) should support affordability against +$100 price increases. Additionally, as expected, AAPL announced new Apple Watch products (Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4) and new AirPods 5. All iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models will be available for pre-order in over 63 countries and regions on Saturday, September 12th with availability beginning Friday, September 18th, while the iPhone Duo will be available for pre-order on Friday, October 16th with availability beginning Friday, October 23rd
Apple shares initially fell as Wednesday afternoon's launch event began around 1 p.m. ET, then reversed course and rallied 3% from the session low.
For new CEO John Ternus, the foldable iPhone's roughly $2,000 to $3,200 price tag sets up a major test of Apple's pricing power and ability to scale production. Strong demand could lift revenue and shift sales toward premium devices, but soaring memory costs coupled with modest price hikes could threaten margins, according to warnings on Wall Street desks.
Tyler Durden Thu, 09/10/2026 - 09:15Secretary of State Marco Rubio kicked off his three-nation tour of Latin America on Tuesday, first meeting with Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella. He will visit Ecuador and Peru later this week, supporting the Trump administration's increasing engagement with a growing bloc of right-leaning governments aligned with the US.
At their meeting in the coastal city of Barranquilla, de la Espriella said he and Rubio discussed security cooperation against drug trafficking, improved economic ties and an expanded role for Colombia in what he called "bulletproofing the hemisphere." He said Colombia would be an ally to the US on neighboring Venezuela.
El secretario de Estado Marco Rubio y el presidente Abelardo de la Espriella firmaron en Barranquilla acuerdos estratégicos de enorme peso: minerales críticos y cooperación nuclear civil.
Colombia deja de mirar hacia atrás y se sienta en la mesa grande. El Tigre no llegó a pedir… pic.twitter.com/NPcQvReZcc
"Colombia wants to newly consolidate itself as the principal hemispheric partner for the United States on security," said de la Espriella, who took office on August 7 after beating former socialist President Gustavo Petro.
De la Espriella is among a new generation of right-wing leaders recently elected across South America, reflecting a once-in-a-generation political shift likely influenced by the Trump administration's effort to rid the West of socialist and Chinese influence.
Rubio said the White House hoped to restore cooperation and "perhaps to build upon it," adding, "And I think you have a president here now that is very interested in making that happen."
SECRETARY RUBIO in COLOMBIA: Security is the basic and most important requirement of government, but prosperity follows closely behind it. pic.twitter.com/FsuPWEhjGA
— Department of State (@StateDept) September 8, 2026Rubio's next stop on the tour is Ecuador and Peru, whose governments are also aligned with the Trump administration.
SECRETARY RUBIO in COLOMBIA: Security is the basic and most important requirement of government, but prosperity follows closely behind it. pic.twitter.com/FsuPWEhjGA
— Department of State (@StateDept) September 8, 2026Rubio's tour comes a little more than a week after President Trump secured the "biggest oil deal in history" with Venezuela, resulting in a major stake in more than 65 billion barrels of oil reserves.
The oil fields are "going to generate royalties and revenues for the Venezuelan people, eventually through a democratically elected government, hopefully sooner rather than later, and directly benefit the people of Venezuela as opposed to going into the pocket of some, you know, corrupt government official or in the hands of American and Venezuelan adversaries," Rubio said.
Brazil holds its first-round presidential election on October 4. If needed, a presidential runoff can be held on October 25. Right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro is narrowly ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the latest polls, although those leads fall within the surveys' margins of error. Other polls show the two tied.
The election will determine the leadership and direction of the continent's largest economy.
Traders are already positioning ahead of the Brazilian election, as we showed on Monday with an "explosive surge" in call open interest in the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (EWZ).
And someone appears to be making a huge bet on just that: explosive surge in EWZ call OI https://t.co/nqFaGgms4R pic.twitter.com/uen9bXmqBw
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) September 8, 2026Regional ETF outperformers include Peru, up 31%; Brazil, up 20.5%; and Latin America 40, up 19.9%.
These ETFs are beginning to attract buying interest heading into late summer.
Brazil's election is now a key focus for investors, with the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (EWZ) gauging market positioning ahead of the vote.
Tyler Durden Thu, 09/10/2026 - 09:00Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News,
A Soros-backed Florida prosecutor told the public that a man pleasuring himself on a park bench in front of children was "wrong," then insisted it is not a crime.
Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell used a press conference to defend her office's refusal to charge Kevin Chapman, 61, after his arrest at Kit Land Nelson Park in Apopka.
A father and his two-year-old were at the splash pad. Witnesses, park staff, photos and video put Chapman on a bench with his hand in his shorts, facing the children, for minutes. The park manager said his shorts dropped when he stood up.
? BREAKING: In a disgusting move, Soros-backed State Attorney Monique Worrell says that while a man m*sturbating in front of kids at a park is WRONG, but "not illegal."
"All things that are wrong are not illegal!"
WTF?! This is FLORIDA. SUSPEND HER. pic.twitter.com/iN7pyNkaYV
"All things that are wrong are not illegal, and I'm not standing before you today telling you that what happened in that park was wrong," said the prosecutor, adding "But I am standing before you today telling you that I trust the word of the attorney who was assigned to this case when he said, although those actions were wrong, he could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they were illegal."
Florida law is not a riddle. Section 800.04(7) makes it a second-degree felony for an adult to intentionally masturbate, expose genitals in a lewd manner, or commit another sexual act without contact in the presence of a child under 16.
That is up to 15 years.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier put it in a formal letter: her office not only skipped pretrial detention, it declined to charge him at all and called the case "not suitable for prosecution."
"Central Florida deserves better than a state attorney who prioritizes the guilty over protecting the innocent," Uthmeier said. "She gave this guy a free walk in the park, and now other kids are in jeopardy of having a tragic incident happen to them."
Worrell's counter was that the toddler supposedly did not clock what was happening, and that no other adult saw the genitals clearly enough. In other words, a man can sit in a children's park and finish the job so long as the two-year-old is too young to give a courtroom speech about it.
She then turned the argument into a grievance about Gov. Ron DeSantis, who suspended her in 2023 for dereliction of duty. Voters put her back. The children at the splash pad did not get a vote.
"It is clear that the underlying intention here is to unjustly remove me from office, yet again," she said. Of Uthmeier: "He struts and shouts as if volume can mask ignorance, but all he's proven is that he's a punchline in a job that demands serious leadership."
In 2020, Our Vote Our Voice PAC poured about $1.5 million into ads for Worrell. A million of that came from Democracy PAC, created by George Soros. This is what that project produces: a prosecutor who can look at a man wanking on a park bench in front of a splash pad and reach for the phrase "not suitable for prosecution."
The same office also dropped local charges against Thomas Dolgos, 47, who possessed and shared videos of infants and toddlers being raped. Statewide prosecutors were already on the case. After the local charges vanished, Dolgos fled and was grabbed at the Canadian border. Uthmeier's description of that file was blunt: "videos of toddlers getting raped and abused."
Of course, the core issue here is scumbags masturbating in public.
As we've highlighted, women and children across Europe keep meeting foreign men who treat trains, beaches, bus stops, pools, metro cars and church doors as private booths. Nobody voted for it. Nobody should have to live with it.
The examples are bountiful.
In Forest Park Brussels last May, a man started masturbating in front of a group of women. One woman hit him with a water bottle and ran. He threw a shoe at her face. When he was confronted, a witness said he offered the philosophy in one sentence: "She's half-naked; I don't see why I shouldn't be able to masturbate."
Another woman described "not a shred of shame or remorse." Police only grabbed him two days later at Place de la Bourse.
That is the same shrug Worrell dressed up as legal reasoning. He said the quiet part. She put it on a podium.
In another incident, young Spanish girls filmed a migrant masturbating in front of them on the mainland.
??? A group of young Spanish girls filmed a migrant masturbating in front of them.
It is unclear if he came through Ceuta or some other route.
Follow: @RMXnews pic.twitter.com/zBwyLjcm5S
A Spanish woman described a Moroccan doing it on a train while she sat with her boyfriend; they stayed quiet because they thought he might turn violent. When she named his origin, other women called her racist.
???? «Siempre son los mismos»: la denuncia viral de una joven después de que un inmigrante se masturbase delante de ella en un tren.
? Declaraciones completas: https://t.co/b2wLPaZGat pic.twitter.com/EmJaqUowS9
In Palma, a young Moroccan man was filmed masturbating in broad daylight on Calle Industria in the Molinos district, "in front of numerous minors who were going to Mass." Theo man stood at a doorway with his genitals out, porn playing on his phone, while families, children and elderly people moved toward church. People shouted at him. He kept going. Police were called. He left before officers found him.
? Un joven marroquí se m*sturba a las puertas de una iglesia de Palma y ante numerosos menores que iban a misa. pic.twitter.com/fwxxjtx3Ha
— okdiario.com (@okdiario) September 7, 2026In the same city, National Police arrested a Moroccan man after he filmed himself masturbating while watching two underage girls on Playa de Palma.
Detenido un inmigrante marroquí por grabarse mientras se masturbaba mirando a dos niñas menores en la playa de Palmahttps://t.co/V2n4ELG9FT
— LA GACETA (@gaceta_es) June 1, 2026In February, a 22-year-old Moroccan was pulled off an EMT bus in Palma after masturbating in front of passengers, including children as young as five.
In Ceuta, a Moroccan man in his 40s or 50s masturbated in front of children at Fuente Caballos beach. Bathers were close to handling it themselves. Police had to fight him as they attempted to remove him. He admitted exhibitionism. The sentence was an eight-month fine of five euros a day.
?? Condenado por exhibicionismo tras masturbarse ante menores en Fuente Caballos#Ceuta https://t.co/oXBsrFWIAA
— El Faro de Ceuta (@ElFarodeCeuta) July 20, 2026Video from a packed Italian shore showed an African migrant masturbating among families and children while men nearby watched and did nothing.
Disturbing video out of Italy shows an African migrant masturbating on a beach full of children, as police and Italian men do absolutely nothing to stop it but watch. Italy is full of WEAK MEN. pic.twitter.com/5crRGlokFX
— SaskRiderGal?? (@saskridergal) June 25, 2026Another clip showed the same act at an outdoor pool in front of children; when the man was confronted and lost the fight, a white woman threw herself in front of him to shield him.
Italy:A n African migrant began publicly masturbating in front of children at an outdoor pool in Italy. He was then confronted and started a fight, which he lost.
Suddenly, a white woman threw herself in front of him to protect him. https://t.co/54TvRCUQ5P
Near Portofino, an African man did it on the sand in front of Langosteria di Paraggi, again with families and children present.
Africano si masturba sulla spiaggia davanti alla Langosteria di Paraggi vicino a Portofino, in mezzo a famiglie con bambini – VIDEO https://t.co/J04lmCM5dn
A pochi giorni di distanza dallo scandalo di Pegli, dove un africano si è masturbato davanti ai bambini in spiaggia, un ... pic.twitter.com/7CvNQw8rwm
The Paris Metro produced the same spectacle in a packed carriage.
Migrant openly masturbating on the Paris metro, this is what Western leaders have allowed our nations to become.
This post will like go against twitter's community standards but the act itself of this absolute filth doesn't seem to be an issue to governments and authorities ? pic.twitter.com/xFsQVsx3bX
Hannover produced it in front of families and young girls. The locations change. The audience does not.
??LINKS NEDERLAND.Daarom willen wij deze idiote gasten niet in Nederland.walgelijk waar kinderen lopen
Neem ze in huis bij je dochter
African migrant masturbating in front of families and young girls in Hannover,Germany
Every Western country is being swamped with this filth pic.twitter.com/BJ8Y7FiI6Z
Britain is not exempt. A Scottish woman named Margaret called a BBC morning show and described a foreign man masturbating in front of her at a bus stop. She said she was disappointed in herself for lacking the courage to stop it.
NO-ONE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO WITNESS THIS!
Scottish lady, Margaret, called into the BBC morning radio show and shared an encounter she had at a bus stop.
A foreign man was MASTURBATING in front of her.
She was left feeling disappointed in herself that she didn't have the courage... pic.twitter.com/PUQUMYlxNY
In Newcastle, witnesses said a repeat offender rubbed himself in a packed city-centre fast food restaurant with children present, then did the same at the Burger King inside Newcastle Central Station during half-term.
Usual suspect caught touching himself inappropriately in a packed city centre fast food restaurant where children were present.
Same Alkfuv left witnesses stunned by rubbing his groin area at the Burger King inside Newcastle Central Station during half-term.
The incident... pic.twitter.com/OVdTWXYPoV
A British woman filmed an illegal migrant touching himself at a bus stop; when he was spotted, he made a shooting gesture. He already had a record for the same thing.
?? En Reino Unido, un inmigrante ilegal fué descubierto por una mujer británica, cuando se estaba tocando sus genitales en un paradero de autobus, al ser descubierto hizo gestos como de disp4rar. Este ilegal tiene antecedentes por hacer lo mismo, pero por alguna razón sigue... pic.twitter.com/mBu8NAg1Ce
— Carlo Martin (@Liberfach0) August 21, 2026Police in West Yorkshire later tried to "reassure the public" after a Leeds bus-stop exposure video resurfaced.
Police reassure public after Leeds bus stop exposure video resurfaces online https://t.co/y3XhGSQwy0 https://t.co/OUUjCV0v5U
— Telegraph & Argus (@Bradford_TandA) August 22, 2026And on and on and on it goes...
Is this one of your doctors just arrived via boat @ShabanaMahmood https://t.co/AKuMMUz5Ld
— BillyS (@BillyS2401) August 21, 2026And on...
Small-Boat Engineer Masturbating At The Bus Stop In Ireland ??
Dublin is a diverse area in eastern Ireland. According to the 2022 Census, roughly 67% of residents in County Dublin identify as White Irish. The remaining 33% come from a wide mix of backgrounds, including Any other... pic.twitter.com/bRcIMvIKwG
Children are not a gray area. A park bench facing a splash pad is not an acceptable arena for solo sexual pleasure. A church door at Mass is not a safe space for a wrong un with a phone full of porn. If a justice system cannot say that out loud and then act, it has stopped being a justice system. It has become a protection racket for the worst scum of the Earth.
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Tyler Durden Thu, 09/10/2026 - 08:45