Every big smartphone launching in September 2026 – and what you’ll pay in the UK
Key Points
- Poco F9 Pro (£799) and F9 Ultra (£899) are the only new flagship Androids on sale in the UK this week
- Apple's iPhone 18 Pro event is on 9 September, with UK pre-orders expected on 12 September
- Reports place the iPhone 18 Pro at £1,200 to £1,400 and the foldable iPhone at up to £2,500
- Xiaomi, Huawei, Vivo and Honor launch flagships in China this month with UK releases expected in 2027
- OnePlus has pulled new phone launches from the UK and Europe
Apple, Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, and Vivo all launch flagship phones this month, with Poco’s F9 Pro already on sale in the UK from £799 and Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro event set for Wednesday (9 September).
Tech Advisor reported that Poco’s F9 Pro and F9 Ultra, which launched globally on 1 September, are the only new flagship-class Android phones on sale in the UK this week, with early-bird discounts running until the middle of the month.
Gizmochina, TechNode, GSMArena, and Gagadget have reported the dates for the Chinese launches, most of which have no confirmed UK release, while UK retailer Connection Technologies has published the expected timings for Apple’s event.
Poco F9 Pro and F9 Ultra
Poco has priced the F9 Pro at £799 for the 12GB/256GB model and the F9 Ultra at £899 for the same configuration, with early-bird prices of around £639 and £709 respectively.
Both phones run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, carry 185Hz displays and use 200MP main cameras.
| Model | Configuration | UK price | Early-bird price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poco F9 Pro | 12GB/256GB | £799 | ~£639 | Early-bird pricing runs into mid-September |
| Poco F9 Ultra | 12GB/256GB | £899 | ~£709 | Same chip and display as the Pro, upgraded camera system |
Xiaomi 18 Fold and Huawei Mate XT 2
Xiaomi launches the Xiaomi 18 Fold in China on Monday (7 September) at 12pm UK time, the company’s first foldable with a roughly 5.4-inch cover screen and a 7.6-inch inner display.
The phone runs Xiaomi’s in-house Xring O3 chip, and the company holds its IFA press conference in Berlin on Thursday (3 September), where Gizmochina expects further details on a European release.
Huawei launches the Mate XT 2, its third-generation trifold phone, in China on the same day, with pre-orders already open for configurations from 16GB/512GB up to 16GB/2TB.
TechNode reported that Huawei has not announced a UK or European release for the phone, which runs HarmonyOS.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone
Apple holds its “Surprise and shine” event on Wednesday (9 September) at 6pm UK time, where it is expected to announce the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and its first book-style foldable iPhone.
Connection Technologies reported that the standard iPhone 18 will not launch until spring 2027, leaving the Pro models and the foldable as the only new iPhones this year.
Based on Apple’s usual pattern, UK pre-orders would open on Saturday (12 September) at around 1pm, with phones in stores on Friday (18 September).
Reports have placed the iPhone 18 Pro’s UK starting price between £1,200 and £1,400, higher than last year’s Pro because of rising memory costs, with the Pro Max above that and the foldable estimated at between £1,999 and £2,500.
| Model | Expected UK price | Pre-order | In stores | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro | £1,200 to £1,400 | 12 September (expected) | 18 September (expected) | Price rise attributed to memory costs |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | Above the 18 Pro | 12 September (expected) | 18 September (expected) | Pricing not yet reported |
| Foldable iPhone | £1,999 to £2,500 | 12 September (expected) | 18 September (expected) | Apple’s first book-style foldable, name unconfirmed |
| iPhone 18 | Not applicable | Spring 2027 | Spring 2027 | Held back from the September event |
Xiaomi 18 Pro, Vivo X500 and Honor Magic 9
Xiaomi is expected to launch the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in China in late September, as the first phones on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 following the Snapdragon Summit from Tuesday (22 September) to Thursday (24 September).
Gizmochina reported that the phones carry dual 200MP cameras and a rear display, and that European certification is underway, with a UK release more likely in early 2027 than in October.
Vivo has confirmed the X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max will launch in China in September, with Zeiss cameras and 4K video recording at 240fps on the Pro models, though GSMArena noted that UK and European releases usually follow two to three months later.
Honor launches the Magic 9 series in Beijing on Monday (28 September), with a camera partnership with ARRI and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6.
Gagadget reported that the Magic 8 took around three months to reach the UK, pointing to an early 2027 release for the Magic 9 at around £1,100 to £1,300 for the Pro model.
Oppo Find X10, OnePlus 16 and Huawei Mate 90
Oppo still plans a September launch for the Find X10 line in China, though GSMArena reported that some sources expect the global release to slip to late October.
OnePlus has withdrawn new phone launches from the UK and Europe, meaning the OnePlus 16 will not go on sale in either market.
Huawei is expected to launch the Mate 90 series in China in late September without a UK release.
September 2026 launch calendar
| Date | Event | UK availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 September | Poco F9 Pro and F9 Ultra | On sale now | Early-bird pricing to mid-September |
| 3 September | Xiaomi IFA press conference | Details only | European plans for the 18 Fold expected |
| 7 September | Xiaomi 18 Fold and Huawei Mate XT 2 | China only | 12pm UK time for Xiaomi’s event |
| 9 September | Apple event, 6pm UK | Pre-order 12 September, in stores 18 September | iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and foldable expected |
| 22 to 24 September | Snapdragon Summit | Not applicable | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 debut |
| 28 September | Honor Magic 9 series | Early 2027 (expected) | Based on Magic 8 timing |
| Late September | Xiaomi 18 Pro, Vivo X500, Huawei Mate 90 | China first | Vivo and Xiaomi UK releases expected late 2026 or early 2027 |
