Club stock Apple may have experienced a huge rally this month, but according to Jim Cramer, the tech giant still has more in store to delight investors. That’s because Apple is expected to unveil new iPhone models at its annual launch event on Sept. 9, which the company sent out invites for on Tuesday. Jim described the event as “very important” for a company still facing questions about its artificial intelligence strategy. “I think it’s big,” Jim said during Wednesday’s Morning Meeting. The slimmer version of the new iPhone that Apple is expected to announce, in particular, could be a catalyst, according to Jim. The phone will trade battery life for a lightweight design, and it also will contain Apple’s first in-house modem chip, according to Bloomberg News . Jim said the thinner version of Apple’s flagship device could be like the company’s successful rollout of its MacBook Air in 2008. “I think there’s a perception that [iPhone] 13 through 16 just didn’t have enough of a difference,” Jim said. “You’re going to get the equivalent of the [MacBook] Air. … This could be like the [iPhone] Air.” Jim isn’t the only one on Wall Street with high hopes for Apple’s hardware event. In a note to clients, Goldman Sachs was bullish on Apple’s lineup of expected iPhone 17s and, as a result, forecasted an upside to iPhone revenues and reiterated its buy rating on Apple shares. “Though in the past AAPL’s September event has had nominal impacts on day-of stock price performance, we are encouraged by reports surrounding (1) form factor updates to iPhone 17 models … (2) the potential for a price increase to the iPhone 17 Pro; and (3) continued carrier competition driving device-related promotions,” the analysts wrote. AAPL YTD mountain Apple (AAPL) year-to-date performance All of this follows a much-needed rally for Apple stock over the past several weeks, which came in response to the company boosting its overall investment in United States manufacturing by $100 billion, bringing its total commitment to $600 billion over the next four years. Wall Street cheered Apple’s ability to mitigate headwinds from the Trump administration’s threats of higher tariffs on the iPhones, which has weighed on shares for much of 2025. Apple shares rose 13% the week of that U.S. manufacturing announcement, their best weekly performance in five years. And importantly, the stock has maintained its gains since then and is on pace for its best month since May 2024. Apple stock is up slightly on Wednesday, trading around $229 apiece. “People who sold this stock when it hit $180, they didn’t realize that Apple had a lot up its sleeve,” Jim said earlier Wednesday on CNBC. Investors are still waiting for more clarity on Apple’s AI plans, particularly whether an acquisition could be in the cards. In the meantime, Jim sees the new iPhone lineup as something for the bulls to hang their hat on. “Will they buy Perplexity? I don’t know. But this is a very big deal,” Jim said. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long AAPL. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.