List of smartphones launching in September 2026

Beginning every month, it is particularly an exciting time for us as we bring you the list of smartphone launches happening, and September 2026 is no exception. It is when the much-anticipated iPhone 18 Pro series and iPhone Ultra arrive, after months of rumors and leaks. The month also marks the launch of flagship phones, with sightings including the Xiaomi 18 series, the Honor Magic9 series, and a few others.

List of smartphones launching in September 2026

Well, if you are here for the list of smartphones launching in September 2026, here we go.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Series (Global)

Release Date: September 8/9, 2026

Of course, I had to start with the Apple iPhone 18 Pro series even though there are phones launching much earlier. But hey, not fanboying, but it’s something different for sure.

The iPhone 18 Pro series, i.e., the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, packs in an A20 Pro SoC fabbed on a TSMC 2nm GAA process that promises approx. 18% better performance. Both devices are likely to be priced a bit higher than their predecessors thanks to the ever-increasing supply chain costs. 

Specs-wise, the iPhone 18 Pro Max literally maxes out on the specs, including a 6.9” LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED 120Hz display with Ceramic Shield 2 on top, up to 2TB NVMe storage, plus 12GB RAM, and a 48MP triple rear cam comprising a wide-angle, a periscope telephoto, and an ultrawide snapper. 

It goes without saying, the iPhone 18 Pro will literally slice off a few specs from the iPhone 18 Pro Max, such as the display size, color options, and a few other things, keeping both the models similar.

Apple iPhone Ultra (Global)

Release Date: September 8/9, 2026

The iPhone Ultra is undoubtedly one of the most awaited iPhones out there. It’s not the regular incremental upgrade over last year’s device but rather a full-blown foldable phone that was rumored for ages, and now, it’s almost here. It will dazzle the audience with its massive 7.8” primary display that tends to dwarf the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s 6.9” panel. 

Specs-wise, the iPhone Ultra will be powered by the Apple A20 Pro that we will come across on the iPhone 18 Pro series as well. It is equipped with a secondary flat 5.49” display, up to 2TB of NVMe storage, and 12GB RAM. There’s a 48MP primary sensor-shift OIS sensor plus another 48MP ultra-wide snapper at the back, although take it with a pinch of salt just now.

The phone does have a distinct form factor where it is shorter and a bit wider than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. It is likely just 4.5mm in thickness when unfolded at its slimmest point, although I don’t think that should be the metric here. It does offer nearly invisible creases plus sturdy hinges keeping it operating for longer, and that’s probably one of the reasons why it would sell. The phone is rumored to see a staggered launch wherein limited quantities will be available to begin with, followed by wider availability a few weeks down the line.

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE (Global)

Release Date: September 2026

With no dates out as of now, we are hoping the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE will be launched this month, as it has cleared the FCC certification. The phone is expected to bring a 6.7” Dynamic 2X 120Hz display, an 8MP selfie camera, and a 50+8+12MP rear triple-camera setup. The chipset under the hood is a new Exynos 2500 SoC after the South Korean giant used the Exynos 2400 on two predecessors already. 

The phone brings a 4,900mAh battery on-board plus 45W charging tech, Bluetooth v5.4, Wi-Fi 6, an IP68 rating, and a price tag of EUR800 for the base variant. 

Fairphone 6+

Release Date: September 2026

Fairphone 6 arrived earlier in July 2025, and now, we are prepping for yet another launch, i.e., Fairphone 6+. As the name suggests, it is a one-up version on top of Fairphone 6 with a 6.31” P-OLED adaptive 120Hz panel, a Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 SoC, up to 12GB UFS 3.1 storage, and 12GB LPDDR5 RAM. The device is slated to bring a 32MP front and a dual 50MP primary plus an 8MP ultrawide dual snapper at the back.

Fairphone 6+ is expected to carry a price tag of more than EUR 550 (as of Fairphone 6). A large focus is on repairability, as all its predecessors have made the Fairphone 6+ one of the must-tries thanks to its ease of repair and replacement. 

Honor Magic9 Series

Launch Date: September 28

Well, the dates are all set. Happening on September 28, the Honor Magic9 series is finally launching on this day, revealed at the end of the Honor Robot Phone keynote. Launching a month earlier than its predecessor, the Honor Magic9 series comprises a standard Magic9 and Magic9 Pro. 

Both devices are likely to see a slightly off-center rear circular camera bump with an ARRI collaboration on-board. There’s a 200MP sensor with OIS, plus a 200MP periscope with 3.7x optical zoom taken from the Magic8 Pro. The ARRI partnership is what made us check out the phone more, as it brings the finesse of Germany-based professional cinema camera specialists with a Chinese smartphone maker for outstanding camera performance.

Poco X8 Series

Launch Date: September 2026

There are two phones under the Poco X8 series, both launching sometime in September 2026. Seemingly a rebranded Redmi Note 17 Pro and Note 17 Pro Max, respectively, the Poco X8 series’ specs leaked ahead of its launch.

The Poco X8 brings a 6.83” AMOLED 3,500 nits Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display with a 16MP selfie camera, a 50MP primary OIS camera, and a beefy 9,000mAh battery clubbed with 67W wired charging. The device runs on a Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 SoC and is IP66/68/69/69K rated; plus, it promises four major OS upgrades and six years’ worth of security updates.

On the other hand, the Poco X8 Power is the powerhouse with a beefier 10,000mAh battery paired with 100W wired charging, a 32MP selfie camera, and a 50MP OIS and an 8MP ultrawide dual camera at the back. There’s a 6.83-inch AMOLED display on-board with a peak of 3,500 nits of brightness. Above all, both of these phones are speculated to arrive in India in early September, which gives us little time to wait.

Redmi Note 17 Pro & Pro Max (India)

Launch Date: September 15

Xiaomi is at its finest when it comes to rebranding phones. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro and Pro Max are launching in India on September 15. The phone shares the same names as the Chinese variants, although there are also Poco-branded phones sharing the same specs—coincidentally, they are arriving in the same month as well, probably in China or India.

Talking about the Redmi Note 17 Pro, the Indian model is expected to bring a 6.83” flat OLED 120Hz panel with a Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 (just like the Poco X8). There’s a 9,000mAh battery plus 67W charging, a 50MP primary rear and a 16MP selfie camera, plus four years of OS and six years of security upgrades. 

Moving on to the Redmi Note 17 Pro Max (India), the phone shares specs with the Poco X8 Power with a 6.83” 120Hz flat OLED panel, a beefy 10,000mAh battery, a Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 SoC, the same 4+6 years of software support, and a 50MP+8MP rear and a 32MP front-facing camera setup. 

Xiaomi 18 Series (China)

Launch Date: September 2026

The Xiaomi 18 series is incoming in China. Probably one of the first to get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6/Gen 6 Pro SoC, the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are inching closer to their launches in September (that is our best guess), although the exact dates remain elusive at the time of writing this.

Turns out the standard Xiaomi 18 won’t be joining the wagon, opting for a split-launch strategy akin to Apple, but it will come soon. Perhaps the launches could happen in China initially, followed by a global rollout across all the models. Previous reports suggest the Xiaomi 18 Pro will pick up a 200MP primary plus a 200MP macro camera, while the Pro Max will see these two large sensors, plus it will pack in more beef.

Xiaomi 18 Fold

Launch Date: September 2026

Well, some may call it the Xiaomi Mix Fold 5, but it seems the official name here is the Xiaomi 18 Fold, probably running parallel with the Xiaomi 18 series launching this month as well. Expected to arrive in September, the phone brings Xiaomi’s latest XRING O3 chipset on-board with an AnTuTu v1 score of 5,228,015 points. It is a deca-core CPU with up to 4.35GHz C1 Ultra cores (x2), plus 4x C1-Premium cores up to 3.68GHz, and finally, 4x C1-Pro cores running up to 3.15GHz. The Geekbench listing reveals scores of 3,945 and 15,221 points on single-core and multi-core tests, triumphing over the Apple A19 Pro. 

In any case, Xiaomi 18 Fold leaked specs mention a 7.6” folding display, a 6000mAh battery, a 200MP rear camera assembly, and a relatively slim profile, probably around Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8’s 4.5mm when unfolded. 

Vivo X500 Series

Launch Date: Late September 2026

With no official date available as of now, the Chinese smartphone maker Vivo has confirmed that the X500 series will arrive in China in late September 2026, followed by an Indian launch around late November. Comprising the standard X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max, the series will succeed last year’s X300 series. 

Talking about the specs we know so far, the X500 Pro Max gets a Dimensity 9600 Pro SoC based on a 2nm node, a 50MP Sony LYT910 primary snapper plus a 50MP ultra-wide and a 200MP periscope telephoto shooter. We have a 7,500mAh battery pack on the Pro Max. Here’s the latest update on the Pro Max as posted on Weibo.

The Vivo X500 Pro gets a 6.37” 1.5K LTPO OLED panel, a Dimensity 9600 Pro SoC under the hood, plus the same 50MP primary and ultrawide camera as the Pro Max plus a 64MP periscope telephoto snapper. Finally, the X500 features a 6.59” LTPS OLED panel with a Dimensity 9600 SoC fabbed on a 3nm node. It does have a 7,500mAh battery pack with 90W charging.

Wrapping up!

There’s no doubt that September does bring an interesting catalogue of phones launching across the cadre. Most importantly, we have flagship phones making it to the market, including the most-awaited iPhone 18 Pro series, the almighty iPhone Ultra, and the Xiaomi 18 Pro and Pro Max—potentially the first phones to feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series of chips, and of course, there are a ton of budget and midrange phones in the mix. Let us know which phones you were looking for this month.