- Apple’s lineup includes the slim iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and a larger iPhone 17.
- iOS 26 offers Liquid Glass, live translation, and security upgrades.
Apple’s latest event introduced the new iPhone 17 lineup, the ultra-thin iPhone Air, major iOS 26 updates, and fresh AirPods. The launch gives Apple fans a look at what’s next for iPhone 17 models and other devices arriving this fall.
The iPhone Air: Apple’s thinnest phone yet
Apple introduced the iPhone Air, a device that’s 5.6mm thick and weighs 165 grammes. Tim Cook described it as offering “pro performance in a thin and light design.”
The Air features a 6.5-inch ProMotion display with a refresh rate that reaches 120Hz and up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Apple says the body is its “most durable” design to date, built with a ceramic shield and titanium frame.
Under the hood, the Air runs on Apple’s new A19 Pro chip, the fastest in the iPhone lineup so far. It also comes with the C1x modem, which the company claims doubles the speed of the previous C1, and the all-new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support.
Battery life is designed to last through the day, with up to 27 hours of video playback. There’s also a $99 MagSafe battery pack built exclusively for the Air that stretches that time to 40 hours. To make room for more battery capacity, Apple dropped physical SIMs – the Air supports eSIM only. iOS 26 will also bring a new adaptive power mode to help stretch battery performance.
The Air introduces a 48MP “dual fusion” rear camera system, paired with a 12MP telephoto lens. A new capture mode allows both the front and back cameras to record at the same time. The 18MP front camera supports Center Stage, a feature that frames everyone in view without requiring the phone to be rotated.
The iPhone Air will be available in black, white, beige, and light blue, starting at $999 for 256GB of storage. Preorders open September 12th, with sales beginning September 19th.
iPhone 17: A larger display and camera upgrades
The iPhone 17 no longer has a Plus version. Instead, it comes in a single size with a slightly larger 6.3-inch OLED display, slimmer bezels, and ProMotion support at up to 120Hz. The screen can reach 3,000 nits of peak brightness and has a new protective coating, Ceramic Shield 2, that Apple says is three times more resistant to scratches.
Camera improvements headline the update. The rear system includes a 48MP main camera that can act as a 2x telephoto lens by cropping, alongside a 48MP ultrawide lens with macro capabilities. The front camera has also been upgraded to 18MP with a larger, square sensor, allowing for high-quality landscape selfies without rotating the phone.
Internally, the iPhone 17 is powered by Apple’s new A19 chip with a six-core CPU and five-core GPU. Apple says this enables better performance for on-device AI tasks while still delivering all-day battery life – up to 30 hours of video playback.
The phone also introduces Apple’s new in-house N1 networking chip, which replaces Broadcom components. It supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, improving the reliability of features like AirDrop and hotspot sharing. The faster C1x modem also ships with the device.
The iPhone 17 starts at $799 for 256GB of storage. Preorders begin September 12th, and it launches September 19th in black, lavender, blue, green, and white.
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max: New design and big battery
The iPhone 17 Pro lineup sees the biggest visual change in Apple’s new phones. The rear camera system now sits on what Apple calls a “full-width camera plateau,” a bar that spans the back of the phone. The design recalls the Pixel’s wide camera bar and is expected to appear on Samsung’s next S series as well.
For the first time, all three rear cameras feature 48MP sensors. The telephoto lens is the most improved, offering 56% more sensor space and up to 8x optical quality zoom. Like the other models, the front camera has been upgraded to 18MP with Centre Stage support.
Video tools get a boost too, including Dual Capture – which records from both front and rear cameras at once – and support for formats like ProRes RAW and Log 2.
The Pro models keep the same display sizes: 6.3 inches for the Pro and 6.9 inches for the Pro Max, with ProMotion at up to 120Hz and peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The body returns to aluminium, paired with second-generation Ceramic Shield on the front.
Performance comes from the A19 Pro chip, a 3nm processor with a six-core CPU and GPU. But the standout is battery capacity. Apple says the Pro Max offers up to 39 hours of video playback, the longest ever for an iPhone. Models sold in the US are eSIM-only, leaving space for larger batteries. Versions with physical SIMs may get slightly less runtime.
Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro line supports faster charging too – up to 25W through MagSafe wireless charging using the Qi2.2 standard. Colour options include silver, blue, and a bright orange.
Pricing starts at $1,099 for the Pro and $1,199 for the Pro Max, both at 256GB of storage. The Pro Max can be configured with up to 2TB, priced at $1,999.
Security upgrades in iOS 26
Beyond hardware, Apple is stressing new security changes in iOS 26. The company says it’s delivering “the most significant upgrade to memory safety in the history of consumer operating systems.”
The feature, called Memory Integrity Enforcement (MIE), targets spyware that exploits memory bugs, like those used in Pegasus. Built into the A19 and A19 Pro chips, MIE protects memory by default without slowing performance. Apple says this makes it more costly for attackers to build spyware.
The open-source GrapheneOS project praised the improvements while pointing out differences between Apple’s approach and Android’s Memory Tagging Extension, which is already active on Pixel phones.
iOS 26 launches September 15th, bringing the new “Liquid Glass” design language, which gives apps and system elements a glossy, transparent look. The update also includes new features like Live Translation, a refreshed Phone app, call screening, polls in Messages, and a new Games app.
MagSafe battery and accessories
Apple also revealed a new MagSafe battery pack, but it only works with the iPhone Air. The $99 add-on attaches to the slim phone, but its size doesn’t fit the camera layout of other models. Apple ended support for its previous MagSafe Battery Pack in 2023, though third-party options remain available.
Other accessories include a reinforced polycarbonate bumper case, a standard MagSafe case, and a crossbody strap option.
Apple Watch and new health features
Apple’s latest software update for its watches, watchOS 26, arrives September 15th. It brings new features to existing models, not just the upcoming Series 11.
Hypertension notifications are the highlight. Using the heart sensor, the watch can track vascular responses over 30 days and alert users if it detects signs of high blood pressure. Apple is seeking FDA approval for the feature, with plans to roll it out in more than 150 regions.
Other updates include Sleep Score, which combines heart rate, temperature, blood oxygen, and breathing data to grade sleep quality. The will be available on Series 6 and later, along with Watch Ultra and SE models.
AirPods Pro 3: Better health tracking
The AirPods Pro 3 are Apple’s first major update to the line in three years. They introduce a heart rate sensor, stronger noise cancellation, and live translation features.
Apple says the redesigned earbuds are smaller and shaped to fit better after analysing more than 10,000 ear scans. They come with five tip sizes and are rated IP57 for water and sweat resistance.
The new heart rate sensor uses infrared light to measure blood flow and, paired with iPhone sensors and AI, can track calories burned and activity. A new workout feature called Workout Buddy links this data with fitness history.
Noise cancellation has also been improved, with Apple claiming twice the performance of the previous model. Live Translation lowers outside volume and provides spoken or text translations through the earbuds or paired iPhone.
The AirPods Pro 3 will cost $249, with preorders starting today and shipping September 19th.
iPadOS 26: New windowing system
Apple confirmed iPadOS 26 will be released on September 15th. The update adds the Liquid Glass design seen in iOS 26 but also introduces a new way to manage apps.
Users will be able to resize, minimise, and move app windows – similar to the multitasking system on Macs. A new Files app and a tablet version of Preview also arrive, alongside support for AI-powered Live Translation in the Phone app.
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