Today, Apple streamed their "Awe Dropping" event, which, as expected, covered a number of products. These products include the AirPods Pro, Apple Watch, and iPhone. This article will cover the last of these, the iPhone.

Common Features

Today, Apple introduced four new iPhone models: the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the iPhone Air. While each of these has its own set of features, there are some common features amongst all of the models, so let us look at those, starting with the Center Stage Camera.

Center Stage Camera

Each of the iPhone models introduced today has new cameras. While rear cameras differ between the models, they all have a new 18 MP Center Stage Camera.

The 18MP Center Stage camera has a bunch of new features. Besides the increase in the number of megapixels, up to 18 from 12, the Center Stage Camera system, as the name suggests, has Center Stage built in. From Apple's press release:

The Center Stage front camera features the first square front camera sensor on iPhone, offering a wider field of view and higher resolution — up to 18MP for photos — to capture more detail.

One of the additional benefits is that the Center Stage camera system can now take both landscape and portrait selfies, all without needing to rotate the phone. The Center Stage camera will allow you to quickly change the size of the selfie, simply by tapping on the iPhone screen.

This does not work with just photos, it will also work with videos as well. Therefore, if you are on a FaceTime call and additional people come into view, the camera can automatically adjust the field of view so everyone can be in frame.

Dual Capture

A second feature of all of the iPhone 17 models, and the iPhone Air, is called "Dual Capture". Dual Capture will allow you to record using both the front and back cameras. When you do this, you will be able to show your reaction all while filming the action. Additionally, during FaceTime calls, or third-party apps, Center Stage for video calls keeps users stable and positioned in frame.

Starting Storage

One other change this year is that the starting amount of storage in all of the iPhones is 256GB. This is up from 128GB in last year’s models, except for the iPhone Pro Max, which started at 256GB last year.

N1 Processor

The iPhone models introduced today all have a new network chip that is entirely designed by Apple, called the N1 chip. The N1 combines Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread support in a single chip. The N1 supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread networking. Apple’s states that the N1 is more power efficient, which adds to overall battery life for all devices.

That is all the common features for the iPhones introduced today. Let us look at each of the models, starting with the iPhone 17.

iPhone 17

The iPhone 17 is the newest in the iPhone lineup, and it takes the iPhone 16 and adds even more. Some of the biggest changes are in the processor, the screen, the rear cameras, and battery life. Let us start with the processor, the A19.

A19

The processor that allows the iPhone 17 to run is the A19. The A19 is an improvement over the A18 in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. The A19 is a 3-nanometer processor that has 6 cores, 2 performance cores, and 4 efficiency cores. According to Apple, the A19 is 1.5x faster than the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13.

The A19 also has a 5-core GPU, which Apple states is 2x faster than the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13. One of the other changes with the GPU is that each GPU processor has its own Neural Engine accelerator. This should improve neural engine tasks and processing.

Physical Size and Screen

The iPhone 17 has a slightly larger size; it is 2mm taller at 149.6mm, up from 147.6mm, but it is slightly narrower, down to 71.5mm from 71.6mm with the iPhone 16. This change in physical size has allowed the screen to increase from a 6.1-inch screen to a 6.3-inch screen. The physical size of the screen is not the only change.

The screen is now a 120Hz ProMotion display, just like on the iPhone Pro models. This is the first non-Pro iPhone to get this feature. The 120Hz ProMotion display is adaptive in terms of its refresh rate. It can go as low as 1Hz, up to 120Hz, depending on need.

The iPhone 17 also has an Always-On display. Just like the previous iPhone Pro models, the iPhone 17 display will be always on, but in a dimmed state, should you choose to keep it enabled.

Rear Cameras

The iPhone 17’s rear cameras are a big upgrade, with a 48MP dual fusion camera system. The main camera on the iPhone 17 is a 48MP sensor, the same as the iPhone 16. However, the Ultra Wide camera is vastly improved. The Ultra Wide camera is now a 48 megapixel sensor, up from 12 megapixels. From Apple’s iPhone 17 press release:

A new 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera captures up to 4x the resolution compared to the previous generation, so users get even more detail for uniquely framed, wider-angle shots or macro photography.

The optical zoom options remain the same as the iPhone 16, at 0.5x, 1x, and 2x. But, with the 48 Megapixel ultra wide, the detail should improve.

Battery

The iPhone 17 has improved battery life, up to 30 hours of video playback, up from 22 hours on the iPhone 16. You can charge via USB-C, at USB 2 speeds, or via MagSafe. You now get 25 Watt charging with MagSafe, an improvement over the 22 Watts on the iPhone 16.

Colors, Pricing, and Availability

The iPhone 17 comes in five colors. These are: Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White, and Black. There are two storage sizes to choose from, 256GB or 512GB. The 256GB model is $799 and the 512GB is $999.

You can begin pre-ordering the iPhone 17 on Friday, September 12th at 5am Pacific time and they will be available starting on September 19th. Let us now look at the iPhone Air.

iPhone Air

The iPhone Air is a brand-new model of iPhone. It is not the iPhone 17 Air, just the iPhone Air. The iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone available at just 5.64mm, or 0.22 inches deep. The actual dimensions of the iPhone Air are 6.15 inches (156.2mm) tall, 2.94 inches (74.7mm) wide, and it weighs just 5.82 ounces.

A19 Pro and C1X

The iPhone Air is powered by the A19 Pro. The A19 Pro in the iPhone Air consists of a 6-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. There is also a 5-core GPU.

With the release of the iPhone 16e, Apple introduced the C1, Apple’s first custom-designed cellular modem. The iPhone Air has the C1X. The C1X improves the efficiency by using up to 30% less power than the C1, which will improve overall battery life.

Screen

Much like the iPhone 17, the iPhone Air has an Always-On ProMotion Display and can run at 120Hz. The physical size of the screen is 6.5 inches, so a bit larger than the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro, but still smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Design and Battery

The iPhone Air is designed to be as light as possible, but still rigid. One of the ways to accomplish this is to use titanium, which is what Apple has done. The iPhone Air has a titanium frame. The back of the iPhone Air is composed of Ceramic Shield, to help protect it against scratches.

The iPhone Air is designed to have as much battery as possible. This means that a vast majority of the components of the iPhone Air are in the camera plateau. Below is a photo of the internals of the iPhone Air.

As you can see, a lot of the components are in the camera plateau, leaving the remainder of the area available for the battery. According to Apple, the battery life of the iPhone Air is up to 27 hours of video playback, which is less than the 30 hours on the iPhone 17, but more than the 22 hours on the iPhone 16.

Rear Cameras

Given the small space for the components, some tradeoffs need to be made. One area where a tradeoff was made was with the cameras. There is only a single lens on the iPhone Air. It is a 48-megapixel camera, so it is a high resolution like the iPhone 17 models. It is capable of taking 24MP and 48MP photos.

The telephoto portion of the rear camera is a 12MP sensor with a 52mm focal length, so you can still take zoomed-in photos as well as 4K photos.

The iPhone Air has two optical camera options, 1x or 2x. Given the single camera on the iPhone Air, there is no macro photography on the device.

Accessories

With the thin design of the iPhone Air, there are some accessories to go with it. Two of the options available are cases. The first case is a thin case that comes in two colors, Frost and Shadow. These are ultra-thin cases that add a bit more protection to the iPhone Air.

The second case option is one that has not been seen since 2011: a bumper case. The bumper case will add a bit more protection around the edge of the iPhone Air but leave the ceramic shield back exposed.

There is another accessory: a MagSafe battery. Just like previous MagSafe batteries, it will allow you to charge your iPhone Air while on the go and provide additional power for your iPhone Air.

Colors, Pricing, and Availability

The iPhone Air is available in four color options: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue. There are three storage options: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The 256GB model is $999, the 512GB model is $1199, and the 1TB model is $1399. You can begin pre-ordering the iPhone Air on Friday, September 12th at 5am pacific time, and they will be available starting on September 19th.

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

The last iPhone models introduced today are the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The "Pro" and "Pro Max" models are designed to be the most advanced iPhones in terms of capabilities. The iPhone 17 Pro uses some advanced technology to deliver some of the most advanced features on an iPhone.

Design

The iPhone 17 Pro has a unibody frame that is machined out of solid aluminum. It is made of aluminum to be able to dissipate heat rapidly. This is also accomplished with a vapor chamber that has de-ionized water inside the chamber. This chamber has been laser welded closed. The vapor chamber is designed to quickly move the heat away from the components to allow even mor substained performance.

A19 Pro

The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max are powered by the A19 Pro. This version of the A19 Pro has a 6-Core CPU, with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. There are also 6 GPU cores, which is more than the iPhone 17 Air’s A19 Pro.

Battery

The battery life of the iPhone 17 Pro is up to 33 hours of video playback. This is six hours more than the iPhone 16 Pro. Similarly, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has up to 39 hours of video playback, up from 33 hours on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Rear Cameras

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have the most advanced cameras available on any iPhone. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max take this to extremes with the 48MP Pro Fusion camera system.

There are three lenses on the iPhone 17 Pro: a 48MP Main camera, a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide, and a 48MP Fusion Telephoto. This is the first time that all of the cameras have had the same number of megapixels across all three cameras.

This new camera design does mean there is a change in terms of optical zoom. There are now five options for optical zoom: 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x. The 5x option is no longer around; it was replaced with the 4x, and the 8x option is brand new.

According to Apple, the 4x zoom is equivalent to a 100mm lens. Similarly, the 8x zoom is equivalent to a 200mm lens. With these being optical zoom, these should provide decent-quality pictures, but time will tell on that.

As for digital zoom, it can now be up to 40x, should you have the need for that much zooming while taking photos.

Colors, Pricing, and Availability

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are available in three colors: Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue. The iPhone 17 Pro is available in three storage options: 256GB for $1099, 512GB for $1299, and 1TB for $1499. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is available in four storage options: 256GB for $1199, 512GB for $1399, 1TB for $1599, and the 2TB is $1999.

You can begin pre-ordering the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max on Friday, September 12th at 5am pacific time, and they will be available starting on September 19th.

Closing Thoughts

The new iPhone 17 is a pretty good upgrade over previous models. It comes in five color options and two storage options, 256GB and 512GB. The new A19 should provide faster processing, and the Always-On ProMotion display is a significant upgrade.

The iPhone 17 Air is a brand-new model. It is the thinnest iPhone so far at 5.6mm thick. It has some specific accessories, like the MagSafe battery, bumper case, and clear case with MagSafe.

The iPhone 17 Pro has the most advanced cameras of the iPhones introduced, with up to 8x zoom and new vapor cooling.

Pre-orders for the iPhones all start on Friday, September 12th at 5:00am pacific time and will be available starting Friday, September 19th, 2025.

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Sources:

• iPhone Air: Apple Newsroom
• iPhone 17: Apple Newsroom
• iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max: Apple Newsroom

Today Apple streamed their "Awe Dropping" event, which, as expected, covered a number of products. These products include the AirPods Pro, Apple Watch, and iPhone. This article will cover the first two items, AirPods and Apple Watch. So, let us start with the AirPods Pro 3.

AirPods Pro 3

Apple introduced a new set of AirPods, the AirPods Pro 3. The AirPods Pro 3 take the existing AirPods Pro 2 and enhance them. The AirPods Pro have had noise cancellation, but with the new AirPods Pro 3, they have 2x better noise cancellation. This is made possible with a new set of foam-infused tips, to provide even better sound isolation. There are now five different tips that you can choose from to get an even better fit than before. According to Apple, this was accomplished by "utilizing over 10,000 ear scans with more than 100,000 hours of user research".

The new tips are not the only change; there is a new feature coming to AirPods Pro 3, Live Translation.

Live Translation

With the AirPods 3, you can get live translations. Live Translations can be used in conjunction with an iPhone. When you use this arrangement, what you say on your AirPods will be automatically translated on your iPhone within the Translate app, so the person you are speaking to can read what you have said in their native language. Additionally, you can have your iPhone speak what you have said.

If there are two individuals, both with AirPods Pro 3, they can both use Live Translation to get a translation of what each of you says spoken directly into your ears. "Live Translation on AirPods is available in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, and will be coming to four more languages by the end of the year: Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified)."

Battery Life

The AirPods Pro 3 have improved battery as well, going from 6 hours on a single charge, to 8 hours when Active Noise Cancellation enabled. AirPods Pro 3 can be used as hearing aids. For those who utilize this feature, the battery life has improved to 10 hours with transparency enabled. This is a good improvement.

Pricing

The AirPods Pro 3 can be pre-ordered today for $249, and will be available beginning Friday, September 19.

Now, let us look at the new Apple Watches, starting with watchOS 26.

watchOS 26

The Apple Watch is Apple’s device for health tracking, fitness, messaging, and quick interactions. Each Apple Watch has its own set of features, but there are some that are common across all of the new Apple Watches: the Apple Watch SE 3, the Apple Watch Series 11, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. This feature is called "Sleep Score".

Sleep Score

The Apple Watch is capable of utilizing many of its sensors to try and provide you with an overall look into your health. One of the key places is sleep. The new Sleep Score feature will show you a look at your overall score for sleep. There are a number of factors taken into account, including: heart rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and respiratory rate.

All of this data is taken into account, and ultimately, an overall score is provided for your sleep. This information is displayed not only on the Apple Watch but also within the Health app on iPhone. Additionally, recommendations on how to improve your score will be made available.

Sleep Score is available with watchOS 26 on all Apple Watch models that support watchOS 26.

Wrist Flick

There may be instances when you have your hands full, such as while bringing in groceries, making a meal, or even carrying a child. During these times, it might be useful to be able to quickly handle a notification or phone call. Now, you can with "wrist flick".

The wrist flick action will allow you to quickly silence a notification or a call. As the name indicates, this is done with a flick of your wrist, forward and backwards. This is available on all of the new Apple Watches introduced today: the Apple Watch SE 3, the Apple Watch Series 11, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Hypertension

One of the focal points of the Apple Watch is when it comes to health. watchOS 26 adds a new notification for some Apple Watch models. That notification is for hypertension, or high blood pressure. According to Apple’s press release:

Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease, and impacts approximately 1.3 billion adults globally. It is frequently undiagnosed because it often has no symptoms, many people do not see a doctor regularly, and even during a clinical visit, it can be easily missed with a single measurement.

With watchOS 26 on the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3, you will now get notifications if high blood pressure is detected. From Apple’s Ultra 3 press release:

If users receive a hypertension notification, it is recommended that they log their blood pressure for seven days using a third-party blood pressure cuff and share the results with their provider at their next visit, which is consistent with the latest American Heart Association guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypertension.

That concludes the common features across multiple watches. Now, let us look at each of the models announced today, starting with the Apple Watch SE 3.

Apple Watch SE 3

The Apple Watch SE is the entry-level Apple Watch, but despite being entry-level, there are still a lot of features. The Apple Watch SE 3 is the newest entry in the line, and it adds some enhancements. In addition to Sleep Score, mentioned above, the new features include a new display, temperature sensing, new gestures, improved battery life, and 5G with cellular models.

S10 and Battery Life

The Apple Watch SE 3 has the S10, which replaces the S8 in the Apple Watch SE 2. The S10 enables some of the new features that will be outlined below. One of the features of the S10 is Low-Power mode. When you enable Low Power Mode on the Apple Watch SE 3, you can get up to 32 hours of battery life.

If you need to charge your Apple Watch SE 3 quickly, you can do so with the new Fast-charging. Fast charging will get you from 0 to 80% in 45 minutes. And if you charge for 15 minutes, you will get up to another 8 hours of battery life. So, for those times that you cannot fully charge, either of these can be quick ways of getting more battery life.

New Display

The Apple Watch SE 3 gets a new display. It is still an OLED display, like all Apple Watch models, but this one is now an Always On display. This means that the screen can remain on throughout the day. When the display is not active, it can dim and reduce the refresh rate down to 1 hertz, which saves battery life.

Gestures

One of the new features of the Apple Watch SE 3 is that it can now detect your wrist movements. This enables two new gestures: double-tap and wrist flick. When you use the double-tap gesture, which is double-tapping your index finger and thumb, you can perform the default action on whichever screen you are on. This can save you time when your hands are full.

Sensors

The S10 in the Apple Watch SE 3 provides some new sensors. This includes the new temperature sensor. This sensor will detect your wrist temperature while you sleep and provide information for the Vitals app. Additionally, it can also be used to retroactively predict when your ovulation cycle might have started.

Pricing and Availability

The Apple Watch SE 3 is available for pre-order today and starts at $249 for the 40mm model, and is $279 for the 44mm model. There are cellular models, which have 5G, for $50 more. The Apple Watch SE 3 will be available starting on September 19th.

Apple Watch Series 11

The Apple Watch Series 11 is a modest update, with only a couple of new features. These features include the aforementioned wrist flick, 5G cellular, and better battery life. The Apple Watch Series 11 still has the same S10 processor as the Series 10.

The biggest change is the improved battery life. The Series 11 will now have up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge. This is up from the 18 hours on the Series 10. Should you need to quickly charge your Apple Watch Series 11, this is possible as well. Just like the Series 10, you will get from 0% to 80% in just 30 minutes, but now if you fast charge for just 15 minutes you will get up to 8 hours of battery life. This is an improvement over the Series 10.

Pricing and Availability

The Apple Watch Series 11 is available for pre-order today and starts at $399 for the 42mm model, and is $429 for the 46mm model. There are cellular models, which have 5G, for $50 more. The Apple Watch Series 11 will be available starting on September 19th. Now, let us look at the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Apple Watch Ultra 3

The Apple Watch Ultra is designed to be the most rugged Apple Watch available. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 makes some improvements over the Apple Watch Ultra 2, including a new display, the S01, Emergency SOS via satellite, 5G, and improved battery life. Let us start with the S01.

S10 and Battery Life

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 was introduced in 2023 with the Apple Watch Series 9. At the time, both watches had the same System in Package, the S9. In 2024, Apple introduced the Black Titanium option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 but made no other changes. This year, with the Apple Watch Ultra 3, there is a new System in Package, the S10.

The S10 provides a bit more power for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, bringing it inline with the Series 11 and SE 3. The S10 on the Apple Watch Ultra proves some power efficiency, which allows for better battery life. Now you can get up to 42 hours on a single charge. And up to 72 hours in Low Power mode. If you need to fast charge, you can go from 0% to 80% in 45 minutes, and a 15-minute charge can provide up to 12 hours of battery life.

New Display

The Apple Watch Ultra has the largest screen of any Apple Watch thus far, at 49mm. The actual resolution has increased from 410 x 502 pixels to 422 x 514 pixels. This is a small 1.3% increase, but any larger display is good, and the case of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has not changed in size.

The new display is still an Always-On OLED display, but it is easier to glance at the display from a wider angle. This is achieved by having each pixel increase its light output to make it easier to see.

The wider viewing angles are not the only changes, from the Apple press release:

LTPO3 is also more power efficient, enabling a faster refresh rate when Apple Watch Ultra 3 is in always-on mode, going from once a minute to once a second, so it’s possible to see a ticking seconds hand without raising the wrist. Stopwatch, Timer, and over 20 watch faces are updated with support for this refresh rate. In addition, a new Waypoint watch face can help users navigate with a live compass, easily access satellite communications with a new complication, and quickly turn on Night Mode to help preserve night vision.

5G and Satellite

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 now supports 5G cellular. Along with this, you can also use Satellite connectivity, just like the iPhone. With Satellite connectivity, you can quickly call for emergency services, even when you are outside of cellular range. Additionally, you can send messages to friends and family via cellular.

Pricing and Availability

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is available for pre-order today for $799. All Apple Watch Ultra 3 models include 5G cellular. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be available starting on September 19th.

Closing Thoughts

The AirPods Pro 3 is a pretty good upgrade for those who can use the AirPods Pro headphones. The longer battery life and live translation will help a lot of people in a variety of situations.

The new Apple Watch lineup brings a big upgrade to the Apple Watch SE with an Always-On display, wrist flick, sleep score, and fast charging. All of these are major updates for the SE 3, and it still starts at $249.

The Apple Watch Series 11 saw the fewest changes, but you can get up to 8 hours of battery if you fast charge or 15 minutes. You also get Sleep Score and hypertension notifications.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 got a big upgrade with the new larger screen, with better, wider viewing options. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is still $799.

The AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra can all be pre-ordered today and will be available starting September 19th.

Sources:

• AirPods: Apple Newsroom
• Apple Watch SE 3: Apple Newsroom
• Apple Ultra 3: Apple Newsroom
• Series 11: Apple Newsroom