So, Apple’s big event just wrapped up. And honestly? It wasn’t the AI revolution some people were expecting. No flashy robots, no completely reinvented Siri. Instead, the focus felt more… practical, I think. The company leaned heavily on design and making things just work a little bit better. The star of the show, perhaps, was the new iPhone Air, which they’re calling their slimmest phone ever.
But it wasn’t just about being thin. The whole lineup got a refresh, from the standard iPhone 17 to the Pro models, all with a somewhat restrained emphasis on weaving AI into the things you already do.
The New iPhones: 17, Air, and Pro
The iPhone 17 starts at $799. It’s got a brighter screen, a tougher front glass, and a new front camera that’s supposed to be better for group selfies. It runs on the new A19 chip, which handles on-device AI tasks. Battery life is up to 30 hours for video.
Then there’s the iPhone Air. That’s the really thin one, just 5.6mm. They managed to pack a 6.5-inch display and a powerful A19 Pro chip into that frame. It has a new modem for faster speeds and a camera system that includes a telephoto lens. It even has an optional magnetic battery pack that can add a huge 40 hours of extra use. It’ll set you back $999 to start.
The Pro models are, well, pro. They’re built with aerospace aluminum and have a new cooling system. The cameras are the big story here: a triple-lens setup with a tetraprism lens for a really solid 4x optical zoom. The Pro Max supposedly has the best battery life of any iPhone yet.
Cameras and Creators
A new Center Stage front camera is on the Air and Pro models. It’s a square sensor, which is a first. It uses AI to automatically adjust group framing to fit everyone in the shot, which is pretty neat for video calls. For more serious creators, Apple announced Final Cut Camera 2.0, which brings pro-level features like ProRes RAW and multi-camera sync directly to the iPhone.
Wearables and That “Apple Intelligence”
The AirPods Pro 3 can now do real-time translation through the earbuds themselves. They also have a heart-rate sensor and better battery life. The Apple Watch Series 11 got a battery boost and some new health tracking features, like hypertension detection.
As for AI, or “Apple Intelligence” as they call it, it’s all about on-device processing. The new Live Translation feature works in messages and calls without needing the internet. There are also new tools for searching what’s on your screen. It’s less about a talking chatbot and more about small, useful helpers built into your apps. It feels cautious, maybe. But perhaps that’s the point.
Preorders for most of this stuff start September 12th.
