Apple Announces New iPhone Air & iPhone 17 Smartphone Lineup

Source: Apple / iPhone 17 Air

It’s September, and you know what that means: it’s time for Apple to show off its new batch of iPhones and wearables in hopes of digging into your wallets.

Today, Tim Cook and co came with a bunch of new announcements to get the tech masses (mainly Apple fanatics) excited with new models of their popular iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, that are set to arrive in the coming weeks, and ye,s they boast not only superficial updates, but some come tech features as well that the Cupertino-based company will give you a reason to invest this year’s lineup of products.

So let’s dive into these products.

Apple Watch

Source: Apple / Apple Watch 11

The Apple Watch gets three new model updates this year.

Fans of the premium Apple Watch Ultra, your two-year patience is finally being rewarded with the latest Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Source: Apple / Apple Watch Ultra 3

Apple boasts the Ultra 3 features faster charging speeds, 5G, and satellite connectivity, while also featuring a larger screen.

Both the Ultra 3 and Watch 11 feature blood pressure-monitoring capabilities, notifying wearers when their blood pressure levels are too high or too low.

The Apple Watch SE arrives in its third iteration and doesn’t feature any significant updates, but it does now have an always-on display powered by the faster S10 chip.

Source: Apple / Apple Watch SE 3

The Apple Watch SE3 costs $249, the Apple Watch 11 sits at $399, while the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is priced at $799.

AirPods Pro 3

Source: Apple / AirPods Pro 3

It’s been three years, but the AirPods Pro is finally getting an update. The $249 AirPods Pro 3 now feature improved audio, the “world’s best ANC (active noise cancellation, smaller earbuds, and heart-rate-sensing. Thanks to Apple Intelligence, they also feature live translation, allowing wearers to hold conversations with someone speaking a foreign language by providing real-time translation.

Users can also use their iPhones to show their replies in that person’s language.

The iPhone 17, 17 Pro & 17 Pro Max

Source: Apple / iPhone 17

The iPhone 17 boasts some slight improvements, putting it closer to the pro model. It’s slightly bigger, featuring a 6.3-inch screen, a 0.2-inch improvement from the iPhone 16. Apple has finally given the base model a 120 Hz display, a significant upgrade from the 60 Hz display.

As for the camera, which, in our opinion, is the most important feature on these phones, the iPhone 17 features a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera.

The iPhone 17 also comes in new colors:  avender, mist blue, black, white, and sage.

The Pro Model’s most significant changes are happening on the back of the device. The 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max have a rectangular camera notch on the back, moving the flash and light sensor to the far right of the phone. There are also three 48MP Fusion cameras — Main, Ultra Wide, and an all-new Telephoto — which now puts the equivalent of eight lenses in your pocket.

The back of the phone is no longer made of glass, with Apple opting for Ceramic Shield, which delivers a four times stronger unibody frame.

Source: Apple / iPhone 17 Pro

All models feature the 18MP Center Stage front camera that Apple boasts will “take your selfies to the next level.”  The Center Stage camera features the first square front camera sensor on iPhone, allowing for selfies with a wider field of view and higher resolution. Users can also take photos and videos in portrait or landscape while holding the phone vertically.

With help from AI, Center Stage will automatically expand the field of view for group photos, rotating from portrait to landscape mode to ensure everyone is featured in the shot.

The base iPhone 17 features 256 GB of storage and costs $799. The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 while the Pro Max costs $1,199.

iPhone Air

Source: Apple / iPhone Air

Last but certainly not least is the iPhone Air, the most significant announcement of the entire Apple Event was the long-rumored iPhone Air, which now takes the place of the iPhone Plus.

The iPhone Air is Apple’s thinnest device with a profile thickness of 5.6 mm. It also has a 6.6-inch 120 Hz ProMotion display and the powerful A19 Pro chipset under the hood, giving it the fastest CPU in any smartphone. To complement it, Apple is dropping a new, thinner MagSafe charger that magnetically attaches to the back of the phone, along with a crossbody strap.

Source: Apple / iPhone Air

The iPhone Air ditches SIM cards and is eSIM only, allowing for more battery space, which Apple claims will deliver all-day battery life.

The iPhone Air is Apple’s worst-kept secret and its answer to Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge and Huawei’s thin smartphone offering. We shall see if this newest version is a hit among Apple stans.

The iPhone Air starts at $999.

Hit the gallery below for more photos.