Apple announces its latest iPhone, AirPods & Watch; iPhone 17 Air steals the show

Apple unveiled its latest lineup of flagship products on Tuesday, introducing four new iPhones, three new Apple Watches, and updated AirPods, all set to become available on September 19.

The announcements from the tech giant signal a push towards thinner designs, enhanced health features, and significant changes in its storage pricing strategy.

The highlight of the event was the introduction of the iPhone 17 Air, a new, premium model boasting a thinner and lighter titanium body, with a starting price of $999.

The standard iPhone 17, priced at $799, received notable upgrades, including an improved camera and a higher refresh rate display that is slightly larger, all while maintaining the same physical dimensions as its predecessor.

For its professional line, Apple increased the price of the iPhone 17 Pro by $100, now starting at $1,099. The company justified the price bump by doubling the entry-level storage to 256GB.

The top-tier iPhone 17 Pro Max maintains its $1,199 starting price but introduces a new 2TB storage option for power users.

Alongside the phones, Apple launched the AirPods Pro 3, which retain the $249 price of the previous generation while offering improved audio quality and noise cancellation. A standout new feature is the capability for real-time translation of foreign language conversations.

The Apple Watch Series 11 was also introduced, including updated versions of the budget-friendly SE and the high-end Ultra models.

While prices remain unchanged, the new watches incorporate a significant health upgrade: a machine learning-powered feature designed to detect risks of high blood pressure.

The company also announced that its new operating system, iOS 26, will be released as a free software update on Monday.

However, a key shift was revealed in Apple’s storage upgrade pricing. While the iPhone 17 Pro’s base model now includes more storage, the cost to double that storage has increased.

Upgrading an iPhone 17 Air from 256GB to 512GB will now cost an additional $200, a departure from the previous $100 increment for similar upgrades.

This new pricing structure effectively makes higher-capacity models more expensive for consumers looking to move beyond the base storage offering.