Apple unveils iPhone 17, including first-ever iPhone Air
Apple on Tuesday unveiled the iPhone 17, a new series of iPhones equipped with longer-lasting batteries and higher-quality cameras, the company said.
The company also announced a first-ever iPhone model called the iPhone 17 Air, which boasts a slimmed-down design. Apple called the iPhone 17 Air the company's "thinnest iPhone ever."
In all, the company announced four new iPhone models: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The iPhone 17 sells for $799, while the iPhone Air runs for $999. The iPhone Pro costs $1,099, and the iPhone Pro Max sells for $1,199.
The new iPhone models are available for pre-order and will hit stores on Sept. 19, Apple said.
The iPhone 17 series features a dual-lens camera system, including a new ultra-wide 48 megapixel camera alongside a separate lens with varying megapixel offerings depending on the model. An updated front camera will allow users to take landscape selfies while holding the phone vertically, making it no longer necessary to hold the smartphone horizontally for such images.
A new generation of Apple silicon chips, known as the A19 and A19 Pro, enable greater processing power, the company said. The iPhone 17 series also increase the size of the display screen by narrowing the border on the perimeter of the smartphone. Each iPhone 17 model comes with 256 gigabytes of memory.
The new iPhone models better incorporate Apple Intelligence, the company's artificial-intelligence driven software, the company said. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max uses new battery technology to offer the longest lasting battery life of any iPhone model ever offered.
The event, which Apple promoted under the moniker “awe dropping,” also featured new versions of the Apple Watch and AirPods.
In June, Apple released expanded artificial-intelligence capabilities and a new design interface across all of its products. A fresh operating system called iOS 26 will deliver new user features such as real-time language translation in iMessages and image identification, Apple said
The company also said that it would make additional artificial-intelligence capabilities available to developers, allowing them to create AI-fueled software for Apple products.
The product launch on Tuesday arrives at a crucial moment for Apple. The company faces increased competition from rivals offering AI-fueled software. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, meanwhile, are expected to cost the company more than $1 billion this quarter, according to a company estimate.
As of midday on Tuesday, before the Apple event, the company’s stock price had fallen 6% so far this year.
On an earnings call in May, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company had shifted production of most iPhones sold in the U.S. to India as a means of avoiding high tariffs. By August, Trump had slapped 50% tariffs on India, condemning the nation over its decision to continue purchasing Russian oil throughout the Russia-Ukraine war.
Cook has sought to establish friendly relations with Trump, appearing at the White House for public events twice in recent weeks. In April, Trump exempted phones, computers and chips from so-called "reciprocal tariffs" imposed on China-made goods.
