Apple registers 37 new hardware identifiers just hours before ‘Surprise and shine’ event

Apple has added dozens of previously unseen hardware identifiers to its systems just hours before the company takes to the stage for its highly anticipated “Surprise and shine” special event.

The discovery adds another layer of intrigue to an event already expected to be unusually busy. According to 9to5Mac, Apple has added 37 hardware identifiers ahead of Wednesday’s presentation.

Hardware identifiers do not necessarily translate into 37 separate products. Apple uses different identifiers for individual models, configurations and variants, meaning several can belong to the same wider product family. Even so, the appearance of such a large collection immediately before a major launch provides another indication of the amount of new hardware Apple has in development.

Wednesday’s event is expected to be led by the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, alongside Apple’s first foldable iPhone, widely referred to in reports as the iPhone Ultra. New Apple Watch models are also anticipated, while other products including an updated Apple TV and HomePod mini have been linked with Apple’s autumn hardware plans.

Some of the newly discovered identifiers may therefore relate to products that are not announced at the September event at all. Apple routinely works on hardware months or years before release, and references appearing in its systems can point towards devices intended for later launches.

Previous software and code discoveries have offered clues about Apple’s longer-term roadmap. Reports have pointed to products including future Macs, an OLED iPad mini, smart home hardware and other devices that could arrive beyond the immediate September launch window.

What Apple will actually unveil is now only hours away from being confirmed. The “Surprise and shine” event takes place on Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, which is 6 p.m. in the UK, with Apple streaming the presentation online.