Apple September event 2026: AI-made iPhone 18 Pro ad brings dark cherry rumor to life

Apple hasn't confirmed a single colour for the iPhone 18 Pro, but a fan-made ad has already convinced part of the internet the rumour is right. The clip, posted by creator Kaye Creatives on Instagram, imagines the phone in dark. The cherry is the dark wine-like colour that has been the subject of leaks for several months.

It is completely AI-generated, and the creator admits it, but this has not hindered its popularity just days before the official announcement by Apple.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg first reported a dark red variation back in February. Then Macworld used the name in April, citing an internal Pantone code and describing it as wine-like rather than fire-engine red.

In May, the dummy models photographed by Sonny Dickson showed the colour next to Black, Silver, and Light Blue.

The Dark Cherry colour is likely to be picked up as the new colour for the Pro lineup, just like the Cosmic Orange colour for the iPhone 17 Pro.

According to the sources, it falls between burgundy, coffee and dark purple. The colour changes according to the light in the room. That explains why different renders have shown inconsistent shades of it online.

Why is an AI ad doing what leaks couldn't?

Static leaks and dummy models only go so far in showing how a finish behaves in motion. The mock ad fills that gap, and its quality says as much about where AI video tools stand right now as it does about the phone itself.

Labelling it clearly as synthetic, rather than passing it off as a leak, is what's kept it from muddying the actual rumour cycle.

Apple will announce the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and its first foldable, the iPhone Ultra, at its "Surprise and Shine" event on September 9 at 10am PT.