Less than a month after Google showed off its latest at its very New York-focused Made by Google event, Apple took us on a multicity tour for its own “Awe-Dropping” event.
Tim Cook kicked off the event from Apple’s home base in Cupertino, with dispatches from Miami, Chicago, and New York to announce the latest lineup of iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods.
The rumors were true
iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max
The ultrathin iPhone Air
Yes, there is now an iPhone Air. No, it does not have a numerical designation in its name. The iPhone Air is 5.6mm thin and weighs 5.8 ounces, as befits the Ozempic era. Its sleek frame is enhanced by polished titanium and ceramic shield protects it front and back. The ProMotion display is 6.5 inches and it has 3,000 nits of peak brightness.
The iPhone Air is powered by the same A19 Pro that is going into the iPhone 17 Pro. A new N1 chip design adds support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.
There is a 48MP main camera and an 18MP selfie camera that supports Center Stage, a new feature that utilizes an 18MP square sensor that allows for switching between portrait and landscape modes without having to rotate the phone. A dual-capture video feature lets you capture both the action and the reaction by using the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
The iPhone Air has “all-day battery life,” which translates to 27 hours of video playback. Apple introduced a new low-profile MagSafe battery alongside it that extends that playback to 40 hours.
It comes in “a palette of colors that evoke its lightness”: Sky Blue, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Space Black. Pricing starts at $999 for 256GB.
The iPhone 17 Pro got a chunkier logo to emphasize its heft in all ways next to the Air. It has the same A19 Pro chip as the Air but with a 6-core GPU compared with the Air’s 5-core GPU. There’s a vapor chamber to move heat away from the components (something some Android phones have had for a while).
The iPhone 17 Pro’s main camera extends across the entire top of the phone in what Apple calls a “full-width camera plateau,” with a 48MP Pro Fusion system that has 8x zoom. It has the same Center Stage and dual-capture features as the Air. The front camera’s resolution is 18MP.
Apple says the pro has the best battery life of any iPhone, with up to 39 hours of video playback.
The body of the iPhone 17 Pro offers the biggest surprises: it has an aluminum unibody that’s encased front and back in Ceramic Shield and comes in a vibrant Cosmic Orange, as well as Deep Blue and Silver.
The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 for 256GB.
The iPhone Max has everything the Pro does but with a screen size of 6.9 inches compared with the Pro’s 6.3 inches. It starts at $1,199 for 256GB and for the first time goes up to 2TB.
As for the basic-model iPhone 17, it has some improvements. There’s an always-on display, a boost in screen size to 6.3 inches, and an A19 chip. There’s a 48MP Dual Fusion camera system with up to 2x optical zoom and the same Center Stage features of its pricier brethren. It comes in Lavender, Mist Blue, Sage, White, and Black. Pricing starts at $799 for 256GB.
All of the iPhones are available for pre-order Sept. 12 and will be in stores on Sept. 19.
Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3
As expected, there were three Apple Watch models announced: the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3. They’re all up for pre-order today and will ship on Sept. 19.
Upgrades to the Apple Watch Series 11 include an ionized glass face, 5G, new health features for hypertension and sleep, and 24-hour battery life. It comes in aluminum (Jet Black, Silver, Rose Gold, and new Space Gray) or titanium (Natural, Gold, and Slate). Pricing starts at $399.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 has an increased screen but the same case size for the largest display ever on an Apple Watch. It has 42 hours of battery life. There’s 5G and satellite messaging allows you to text your friends and family, as well as contact emergency services. The titanium watch is available in Black or Natural. Pricing starts at $799.
The budget-minded Apple Watch SE 3 now has an always-on display and supports gestures like double tap and wrist flick. As for its health features, it adds wrist temperature sensing, as well as sleep apnea detection and a sleep score. The SE 3 has battery life of up to 18 hours and supports fast charging. The aluminum watch comes in Starlight and Midnight and is priced starting at $249.
Apple AirPods 3
The Apple AirPods Pro got a major upgrade after a two-year hiatus on updates. The AirPods Pro 3 have spatial listening and active noise cancellation aided by new foam-infused eartips that removes up to twice as much noise than AirPods Pro 2 and four times as much as the original AirPods Pro.
The AirPods Pro 3 should fit more people than previous models since they’ve been redesigned to be smaller and angled for a more secure fit. There are also five sizes of ear tips.
But these changes are all minor compared to new functionality, including heart-rate sensing that enables heart-rate and fitness tracking of 50 different workouts. Those workouts can get sweatier than ever since the AirPods Pro 3 have IP57 sweat- and water-resistance.
The AirPods Pro 3 stole the Apple event by introducing live translation (like the Google Pixel Buds Pro before them). You can initiate the feature with a gesture to get real-time translation and the AirPods with also lower the volume of the person speaking so you can hear it better. When you speak, your iPhone will display or can speak your response. If the person you’re speaking to is also wearing AirPods Pro 3, you can have a full conversation.
The AirPods Pro 3 are $249. Pre-orders start today and they will be available on Sept. 19.
-
- SoC
-
A19 Pro chip
- Storage
-
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Battery
-
Up to 27 hours of video playback
- Ports
-
USB-C
- Operating System
-
iOS
- Colors
-
Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, Space Black
The iPhone 17 Air is lighter, thinner, and promises to have all of the features as the rest of the iPhone 17 line.
-
- Case Material
-
Titanium
- Colors
-
Natural, Black
- CPU
-
S10 chip
- Battery
-
Up to 42 hours
- Strap size
-
49mm
- Cellular connectivity
-
5G capable
Apple’s new version of the Watch 3 Ultra is easy to wear while you’re out on an adventure and when you’re back home.
-
- Battery Life
-
Up to 8 hours
- Charging type
-
USB-C
- Noise Cancellation
-
Active Noise Cancellation
- Wired/Wireless
-
Wireless
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are smaller and more comfortable than ever, and offer live translation features powered by AI.
