The 5 Best Announcements from Apple’s Awe-Dropping Event!
The curtain’s pulled back and the slimmest iPhone has finally emerged.
Apple has officially revealed the iPhone Air; the brand’s own take on a slim and light smartphone, having adopted the name of their signature laptop line. And it’s not alone. We’ve also gotten our first look at the iPhone 17 and its Pro variants and plenty has changed with them as well.
And while there’s also plenty of talk about new features and software, we’re keeping our focus on the hardware for now. And on that topic, here’s five of the most exciting announcements we found during the event:
Meet the New iPhone Air!
Surprisingly, the number was dropped for this new release. We finally got an official look at the thin and light iPhone Air yesterday, promising the performance and capabilities of the “Pro” models in its thinnest package yet.
The phone uses A19 Pro, which it claims can bring computing power on the level of a Macbook within your phone, along with improvements in battery life despite the slim design. There’s also the new N1 communications chip and the C1X modem which is 30% more energy efficient than the older C1.
In terms of their dimensions, the iPhone Air sits somewhere between the base iPhone and a Plus model. Its Super Retina OLED display sits at 6.5 inches and it gets the ProMotion technology to finally help it achieve 120Hz refresh rates and it’s got Always-On Display too.
To maintain its durability, the iPhone Air comes with a titanium frame sandwiched by its ‘Ceramic Shield’ at the back and the improved Ceramic Shield 2 on the front for improved scratch resistance.
The iPhone Air does kind of compromise on the camera however, like the previous Apple iPhone 16e. Fortunately, it does appear to be the same 48MP main shooter found in that phone, which is still a very capable camera for all the kinds of photos and videos you want to film.
You can get this new Apple iPhone Air in four finishes: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue.
ProMotion comes to non-Pro iPhone 17!
With the Plus model firmly out of the way, the base iPhone 17 firmly settles into its role as the entry-level option for the line as the Air acts more like a tech demonstrator of sorts, much closer to a Pro level iPhone even. Still, a few features from the Pro have finally trickled down.
For starters, Apple has finally added ProMotion to the base iPhone 17, bumping up its refresh rate to 120Hz. Definitely a big upgrade compared to the 60Hz display on the previous iPhone 16. Same Ceramic Shield 2 on the front for better scratch protection.
Camera selection is much better on the iPhone 17 than the Air. You have the same 48 MP main camera and an improved 48MP ultrawide, up from the 12 MP on the iPhone 16. They’re still “dual fusion” cameras, which kind of allow them to take 2x crop-zoomed images. It has an 18 MP front camera with the Center Stage feature for when you use it for video chats.
The chipset's a bit weaker, with the non-Pro A19 chip. Apple states that it’s still 20% faster than the A18 in its predecessor. Its Neural Engine has received increased bandwidth to boost its AI services.
No titanium-themed colors for the base iPhone 17 though. You get your pick of White, Black, Mist Blue, Sage, and Lavender. Speaking of titanium though…
Apple iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max ditches Titanium
When it comes to the Pro models, the main thing that probably stood out was not what was added, but what was removed. Both Pro models have ditched the titanium frame, first debuted with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, even acting as the tagline for that generation. No, it’s back to aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple claims its to help make the phone lighter, which is certainly odd as the Air does use titanium. It also boasts much better heat dissipation which alongside the new vapor chamber cooling design, helps temper the heat of the A19 Pro chipset it was using. Titanium instead, might be a feature saved for the Air going forward.
The telephoto camera remains a distinguishing feature and the one on the 17 Pros have received a substantial upgrade. Both phones now do 8x optical zoom compared to the 5x one available in the iPhone 16 Pro; equivalent to using a 200mm lens on a traditional DSLR. As for resolution, this telephoto as well as the main and ultrawide cameras are all 48 MP.
There’s only three colors available for the Pro models for now: White, Dark Blue, and Bright Orange. All iPhones shown off at the event will launch with iOS 26.
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High Blood Pressure Alerts added to Apple Watch Series 11!
Of course, Apple hasn’t forgotten their health tech. In fact, they’ve even expanded their capabilities in this field by adding the ability to detect signs of high blood or hypertension in their new Apple Watch Series 11. With this feature, the watch can now send alerts should it detect consistent patterns of high blood pressure over a 30-day period, recommending you consult with a doctor.
If you’re interested in it for the fashion, there’s minimal changes between this and the previous generation Apple Watch Series 10. Edge-to-edge display, slimmer bezels, and a much thinner profile are still here but the glass is stated to be much more scratch-resistant. It’s much harder, more fit for exercising and day-to-day wear.
There’s a bump in battery life as well, able to last up to 24 hours compared to the 18 hours of the Series 10. Its LTE variant also now supports 5G connectivity.
Apart from that, Apple’s also coming out with the Apple Watch Ultra 3. If you don’t mind or even prefer a thicker design that allows for more battery life and more features in general, then this is the high-performance option to get. With the Ultra 3, you now get up to 42 hours of battery life, maybe even longer depending on how you configure it.
If you’re after a more affordable model though, the Apple Watch SE 3. It should carry all of the health and sports features of the more expensive Series 11, except for the new hypertension tracking, an ECG and a Blood Oxygen app.
Improved ANC for Apple AirPods Pro 3
And finally, we have the Apple AirPods Pro 3. On the surface, not a lot has changed about it but there’s plenty of upgrades to be found internally. For starters, the buds now have built-in heart rate tracking, perfect for when you decide to put on some music while doing your workout. It works with Apple’s Fitness App, allowing you to log up to 50 workout types and get some insights and suggestions from their Apple Intelligence AI.
In terms of the actual music-listening experience, the AirPods Pro 3 improves on its Noise Cancellation Feature, allowing you to shut out up to 2x the surrounding noise that previous AirPods Pro can. It’s also supported by foam-infused earbud tips, helping create a good seal that ensures immersion even when you have ANC turned off.
The AirPods Pro 3 comes with Apple’s Live Translation but only when you’re using it with a phone that has access to Apple Intelligence. That way, you’re able to speak with people using a different language easily. However, you don’t necessarily need to immediately buy the Pro 3 if this is a feature you’re interested in. Apple did say that it’s also coming to the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 lineup!
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