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Apple on Tuesday revealed its next-generation iPhone 17 series, headlined by the iPhone 17 Air, a super-thin model marking the company's boldest redesign in years. The unveiling took place at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, during its annual Keynote event.
The iPhone 17 Air features a "space-grade" titanium frame and measures just 5.6 millimeters thick, making it Apple's slimmest iPhone to date. Despite its slim profile, Apple claims the device is more durable than past models and runs on a second-generation chip that triples GPU performance compared to last year's iPhones. Available colors include white, gold, black, and sky blue.
"Our intention was to create an iPhone that feels like a piece of the future — powerful, yet so thin and light it almost disappears in your hand," an Apple presenter told the crowd.
The new Air starts at $999 for 256GB of storage, while the standard iPhone 17 begins at $799. Apple also announced the iPhone 17 Pro, which saw a $100 price increase, now starting at $1,099, while the Pro Max remains at $1,199, with a new 2TB storage option.
Apple upgraded the Air's front-facing "Center Stage" camera, nearly doubling its sensor size. The company cited staggering data showing that users snapped 500 billion selfies last year. Battery life improvements were also touted, with Apple promising "all-day performance," though exact specifications were not disclosed.
The event wasn't limited to phones. Apple introduced AirPods Pro 3, priced at $249, featuring real-time language translation, as well as three new Apple Watch Series 11 models, which include a machine learning feature to help detect high blood pressure risks.
Apple's iOS 26 will roll out Monday, featuring a redesigned interface called "liquid glass," offering fluid animations and transparent menus.
However, investor response was muted. Apple's stock slipped 1.5% following the event, as analysts noted the updates were more incremental than groundbreaking.
Despite mixed market reactions, Apple CEO Tim Cook framed the launch as a step toward the future, positioning the iPhone 17 Air as a symbol of innovation and setting the stage for what could be a major upgrade cycle when devices hit shelves on September 19.
