Apple unveiled a new lineup of iPhone 17 phones, plus the Apple Watch Series 11 and AirPods Pro 3 at its annual launch event.
One of the most notable updates is that all iPhone 17 models will start at 256GB of storage. That’s a big deal if space has been an issue for you in the past. The AirPods Pro 3 get some AI upgrades, while the new Apple Watch lineup sees incremental updates in design and performance.
iPhone Air
We’ll start with this one because it’s the newest member of the family. The idea is simple: make the thinnest iPhone possible. The iPhone Air will stand out for that. It still has a sizeable camera bump in the back but its 5.6mm profile is right in line with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. It also doesn’t have a SIM card slot, so it’s eSIM all the way for this one as well as the entire iPhone 17 range.
Apple is calling it the most durable iPhone yet. A titanium frame, along with Ceramic Shield on both the front and back, is meant to make it 4x tougher than other iPhones. Still, its lightweight design may necessitate getting a case to add an extra layer of protection. The 6.5-inch ProMotion display has a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 3000 nits peak brightness.
The rear cameras largely borrow components from past and present, though Apple says photos will look better. For the front camera, Apple uses an image sensor twice the size as before. It’s calling it “Center Stage Front Camera” and with its square design means you can take a portrait or landscape photo without tilting the phone. This way, you can capture a landscape or group shot without an awkward hand position when taking a selfie. All of the iPhone 17 models share this feature.
Battery life may be the biggest challenge. Apple is integrating “intelligent” features to understand which apps sip the most battery, but other than saying, “all-day battery life”, there is no actual estimate. A newly integrated N1 chip brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support, while the C1X modem offers double the speed compared to the iPhone 16 Pro.
You can pre-order the iPhone Air in space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue from September 12. General availability starts on September 19.
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
“Rebuilt from the inside out.” That’s how Apple describes its latest iPhone 17 Pro models. They are the first to utilize a unibody aluminum design (typical of Macs for many years), which is meant to control thermal temperatures inside. Doing this leads to a slightly different look on the outside. A more distinct camera bump and lower half on the back, it ushers in a design philosophy Apple is likely to roll with for a few years.
Ceramic Shield 2 is said to provide 3x the protection of the previous glass for the display, though you may want to still consider a screen protector despite that.
As for the cameras, all three rear cameras are not only 48-megapixel shooters but also Fusion cameras. The new tetraprism telephoto camera offers a 4x zoom at a 100mm equivalent focal length and an extended 8x zoom at 200mm. That’s the longest (optically speaking) of any iPhone or most smartphones to date—though it’s unclear how good hybrid zoom will be when you want to get closer than that.
Apple says its Photonic Engine will improve low-light performance, detail retention, and color accuracy across all lenses but that remains to be seen. The 18-megapixel Center Stage Front Camera is also part of the camera rollout, and new ProRes RAW features for video aims to make the iPhone 17 Pro models more helpful filmmaking tools. Support for genlock opens the door to multi-camera synchronization when you want to experiment with different filming effects.
Powered by the A19 Pro chip, the Pro models are optimized to run advanced Apple Intelligence features directly on-device. Like the iPhone Air, they will also come with the N1 wireless chip.
Despite all these changes, Apple says battery life actually gets better, hitting up to 39 hours of video playback. All iPhone 17 models will be eSim only.
You can pre-order the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in silver, cosmic orange, and slate from September 12. They will be available starting September 19.
iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 will only come in one size, so there is no “Plus” model this time. It has a larger 6.3-inch display with thinner bezels. ProMotion finally comes to this level iPhone, bringing the same 120Hz adaptive refresh rate the Pro models have enjoyed for a while now. At 3000 nits peak brightness, it could be noticeably brighter than previous versions, particularly in outdoor situations.
Running on the A19 chip, it should be able to power the AI that’s supposed to run through Apple Intelligence. Apple also claims a speed and power boost that will feel like a leap forward. Hard to tell without testing but the neural performance will be interesting to see as AI features appear and evolve.
On the camera side, it’s not clear how much actually changes on the rear cameras apart from the 48-megapixel sensors. The 48-megapixel ultra-wide delivers 4x the resolution of its predecessor, and it doubles as a macro camera as well. For the main camera, Apple fuses main and “optical quality” telephoto photography (2x zoom) together into one lens, while the ultra-wide camera is the secondary lens. It also includes the Center Stage front camera.
Battery life gets better, particularly for video, with another eight hours of playback (depending on screen brightness). Faster charging delivers up to 50% battery in 20 minutes. In a real pinch, you can plug in for 10 minutes and get enough juice to watch hours of video.
You can pre-order the iPhone 17 in lavender mist, blue, black, white, and sage from September 12. General availability starts on September 19.
AirPods Pro 3
The pods themselves are smaller, with now five pairs of foam-infused tips to increase the chances you’ll find the right fit. For the first time, Apple is also making its AirPods more rugged, courtesy of IP57 dust and water resistance. This should make them far more durable than past pairs while running or going to the gym.
Speaking of which, Apple is integrating its Fitness app and services into the AirPods Pro 3 by way of a built-in heart rate sensor. You can start a workout and hear personalized real-time metrics and coaching as you go.
A custom multiport acoustic architecture is designed to transform bass response and widen the soundstage, while also improving vocals. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is said to be even better than it already is, delivering 2x the effectiveness of the previous AirPods because it can cancel out 4x more background noise.
Transparency will make voices—both yours and others—sound more natural. This will also reportedly include natural language translation in real time through Apple Intelligence. ANC will lower the volume of whomever is speaking and play the translation for you. When you talk, show the phone screen to the other person and they’ll see a subtitle of what you’re saying. This will run on-device meaning you won’t need an internet connection to the cloud to process the translation either way.
Apple claims battery life will go from six hours to eight hours but that will depend on ANC and volume levels.
You can pre-order the AirPods Pro 3 now and they’ll be available starting September 19.
Apple Watch Series 11
The Watch Series 11 is Apple’s “thinnest and most comfortable watch” with a proprietary Ion-X glass screen reinforced with a custom ceramic coating that’s twice as scratch-resistant as before. It will run on WatchOS 26 and feature the Liquid Glass software aesthetic Apple started applying to its latest devices this year.
A new feature will aim to deal with high blood pressure and hypertension to alert you in case of higher levels. The watch will use data from the optical heart rate sensor to analyze how blood vessels respond to your heart rate, then using an algorithm to track it over a 30-day period in an effort to identify if anything is off. Those dealing with chronic high blood pressure might appreciate regular tracking, while hypertension is one of those “silent” illnesses that’s hard to keep track of.
Apple will finally add a Sleep Score to its sleep tracking, based on duration, consistency, wake frequency, and sleep stages. You’ll get detailed sleep performance breakdowns in the Sleep app and track long-term trends in the Health app.
Battery life boosts up to 24 hours on a single charge, which is still short compared to competing models. Made from 100% recycled aluminum or titanium options, Apple is also adding new colour bands, updated Nike sport bands and loops with reflective yarn for improved visibility.
You can pre-order Apple Watch Series 11 now in jet black, silver, rose gold, and space grey. The titanium variant comes in natural, gold, and slate.
Apple Watch SE 3
The Apple Watch SE 3 returns as the lower-cost option while adopting some features previously limited to higher-end models. One of the obvious ones is an always-on display, along with gesture controls like double-tap and wrist flick, finally bringing in the same kind of one-handed operation.
Health tracking will also expand, with wrist temperature sensing for ovulation estimates, sleep apnea notifications, and access to the same Sleep Score functionality introduced in the Watch Series 11. Interestingly, it will charge twice as fast as the previous model, including fast charging. Plug in for 15 minutes and it can get you up to eight hours. Overall battery life doesn’t change, however, sticking to 18 hours at most.
The Apple Watch SE 3 available for pre-order now in starlight and midnight colours.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 maintains its focus on outdoor activity and rugged fitness tracking. The display gets a little bigger, but more importantly, brighter and more visible at sharper angles.
It brings in satellite connectivity in case you need help or find yourself in an emergency in a remote area. Emergency SOS comes included, and both Messages and Find My will work with the watch under these conditions, maintaining a potential lifeline if there’s any trouble. You can share your location or connect with emergency response in areas without cellular coverage.
On the fitness side, it includes new athletic tools, such as the Waypoint watch face, which displays nearby points of interest, and Workout Buddy, which uses Apple Intelligence to deliver personalized training feedback by voice as well.
Apple manages to extend battery life to up to 42 hours, using 100% recycled titanium to make the case as well. Apple will also release new trail loop bands with reflective yarn and more colour options.
All Apple Watch Ultra 3 models are available for pre-order now and will be available starting September 19.
Stay tuned
All of the devices will launch on the same day, something that hasn’t always been the case in previous Apple announcements. In addition to the devices themselves, expect to see a number of accessories like cases, also come to market as well. Check out all the latest Apple devices and accessories available now.
