Every September, Apple’s product launch manual marks the introduction of the company’s newest line of iPhones, along with a variety of companion devices. On Tuesday, the company unveiled the iPhone 17 in all its variations, notably the slim new iPhone Air, along with new Apple Watches (Series 11 and Ultra 3) and an update to its 2-year-old AirPods Pro 2 headphones.
Along with the hardware, Apple is releasing new versions of the devices’ respective operating systems, iOS 26 and WatchOS 26, both of which have been in public beta throughout the summer. (The final version of iOS 26 will be available on Monday, September 15.) liquid glass’s new interface design may even seem routine to you by now.
Many of the new devices’ capabilities come from new features in their operating systems, and throughout Apple health and fitness was highlighted as one of the main drivers. He downplayed how many of the features’ analytics capabilities, particularly most of the new heart rate detection and Live Translation on the AirPods Pro 3, actually rely on the iPhone for their heavy lifting.
Given Apple’s struggles with its AI efforts, especially considering how much it highlighted Apple Intelligence At previous events, the company came as close as possible to downplaying it, with only occasional mention of AI-powered features and the increased neural power in the new A19 Pro processor. And even though there was no talk of smart home technology, there was a brief hint in the iPhone Air announcement.
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For more up-to-date commentary, check out our Apple Event live blog.
The iPhone 17 has a better screen
The update of Apple’s most popular model comes in pastel colors. Notably, the base iPhone 17 now has a ProMotion display (120Hz VRR), which was previously only on the Pro models. The display is larger (6.3 inches) and brighter (up to 3,000 nits) with an improved scratch- and glare-resistant coating. ProMotion has been a highly desired upgrade; I think there’s probably some dancing going on right now. Inside it incorporates the A19 chip with a five-core GPU and adds fast charging.
The new front camera has an 18-megapixel square sensor for greater framing flexibility, along with a wider field of view to enable Center Stage and stabilization. It still has two cameras, although the main camera increases to 48 megapixels via Dual Fusion or 24 megapixels as standard.
It starts at $799 in the US (the 16E remains in the lineup at $599) and all iPhones are available for pre-order now. It costs £799 in the UK and AU$1,399 in Australia.
The iPhone Air is thin but powerful
Slim phones seem to be all the rage this year, at least for manufacturers, as buyers don’t seem to be as interested and iPhone buyers even less so. Did anyone ask for a super thin iPhone? But in the continued absence of a foldable iPhone model, what’s a company to do? Here is the iPhone Air, 5.6 mm thick.
It has a polished titanium frame and Ceramic Shield on both sides, which makes some people just want to touch it. According to the company, almost all of the battery is inside, and Apple claims that the battery lasts all day.
It also has high-end specs: a 6.5-inch ProMotion
A new N1 chip and C2 modem improve connectivity (Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6) and power conservation. The device has 48-megapixel Fusion and 12-megapixel wide-angle cameras, the Center Stage front camera, and a way to combine the front and rear live cameras.
Requires completely new accessories, including a MagSafe pack (80 hours) and a slim, translucent case. Starts at $999 (£999, AU$1,799).
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max deliver a love letter to videographers
The flagship iPhone Pro models tend to differ only in screen size (now 6.3 and 6.9 inches), and their unique features are made possible by their higher-powered processors, more flexible camera arrays, and other component differences from lower-end models.
Like the Air, the iPhone 17 Pro uses an A19 Pro processor with updated cooling and thermal management (a vapor chamber) and has a Ceramic Shield on the front and back. Apple promises 39 hours of video playback.
The cameras are usually the highlight of the Pro, and that’s still true: it has an 18-megapixel front-facing Center Stage camera and a triple-camera Fusion Telephoto system, with three 48-megapixel cameras, including a 4x-8x telephoto lens for a maximum 200mm equivalent. The phones can capture ProRes Raw and Genlock (for syncing cameras for video), which should please professional videographers.
The Pros now come in orange, which isn’t everyone’s favorite, and there’s a new 2TB storage option. They start at $1099 (£1099, AU$1999).
Apple Watch Series 11, Watch SE and Watch Ultra 3 receive redesigns
The Apple Watch Series 10 is our Editors’ Choice for smartwatches. The next-generation Watch Series 11 reduces thickness and features a more scratch-resistant front glass. Adds 5G support and better power management for up to 12 hours of battery life. A new Flow watch face takes advantage of Liquid Glass imagery. Adds blood pressure tracking (based on blood flow) to find indications of high blood pressure and WatchOS 26 sleep score. Prices start at $399 (£369, AU$679).
There are also new bands in new colors.
It’s been three years since the last version of the Watch SE. Now, we get the See SE 3with the new S10 chip with 5G wireless. It still offers 18-hour battery life and an always-on display. There is a temperature sensor on the wrist for ovulation tracking, sleep apnea tracking, sleep scoring, and more. Prices start at $249 (£219, AU$399) and pre-orders start now.
Apple’s top-of-the-line smartwatch, the Ultra 3, upgrades from the Watch Ultra 2 with a wide-angle OLED (smaller bezels mean more display area). Apple has provided emergency-related satellite connectivity, which required a new antenna and receiver. It also comes with longer battery life. Prices start at $799 (£749, AU$1,399).
AirPods Pro 3 update includes live translation
The AirPods Pro 2 version released in 2023 only offered incremental hardware upgrades over the 2022 models (hence the lack of a name change). The AirPods Pro 3 are smaller, with an updated design that features foam ear tips for better noise isolation and improved active noise cancellation, live translation with adaptive ANC to better focus on the speaker, five eartip sizes, and IP57 water resistance. Fitness improvements include heart rate and calorie tracking, among other updates, which come from iOS. Battery life increases to eight hours with ANC and 10 hours with transparency.
However, live translation can be somewhat cumbersome or, as CNET’s Macy Meyer says, fluent speaks of convenience, not culture. The price has not changed; They still start at $249 (£219, AU$429).
Featured new accessories for iPhones
He iphone air debuts with new accessories. If you want to keep it slim and still have some level of protection, Apple offers $39 polycarbonate bumper that wraps around the edges. Aside from the drop protection, I know I would need it simply to keep the little phone from slipping out of my hands. There is also a traditional one for $49. Clear MagSafe Case along with a Beats-branded opaque polycarbonate case for $45. If for some reason you want to turn your ultra-thin phone into a thicker one with longer battery life, you can purchase the $99 price tag. MagSafe Battery.
The redesign of the camera section of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max This means you need a new case design, and in addition to all the newly designed versions of the usual cases, Apple introduced a $59 model. MagSafe case made from a new TechWoven material: colored recycled polyester threads woven into a textured material and coated with polyurethane or PTU. Presumably, it will fare better than the FineWoven cases Apple launched with the iPhone 15.
You can also get a novel (for Apple) $59 Beats case with standwhich looks like the standard polycarbonate case. However, the kickstand is not a kickstand; It’s a hand strap with a small piece on the end that you can use to lay the case on its side. The stand case also comes in a version for iPhone 17.
For many of the iPhone cases that Apple launched yesterday, the company introduced magnetic attachment points. That makes them compatible with their new $59 cross strap. On the one hand, I’m not sure I want to trust my $1,200 phone to some magnets or my propensity to crash into walls and doors. On the other hand, it’s probably safer than my back pocket.