Details from today’s press announcement: iPhone 17
Early September every year, Apple unveils the annual iPhone update in a video press release. Today, Apple showed off the new iPhone 17 lineup along with a few other announcements. Below you’ll find my concise overview. I’m skipping a lot of the details, but the important things are here: what, how much, and when.
If you watch the video and you read my article, you may see what seem like inconsistencies. Several things that were announced today were not explicitly part of the video, but I’ve included them anyway. And there are a few features that were implied to be a new hardware feature or only available on a higher model, but they are actually more widely available.
Of course, with any iPhone, most of these upgrades are minor compared to the previous year. But Apple’s intent is not for everyone to upgrade every year. Most people are going to be coming from iPhones that are 3 to 5 years old or even more, so the “20% faster” claims end up being 2 times faster for most upgraders. To compare iPhone models directly, use this handy tool. Just select the model you have and the models you are interested in to see the difference. While many of the specs you see might be meaningless to most users, you may want to take a look at the camera capabilities, the sizes, and the battery life.
Don’t get thrown off by the screen size; New iPhone models have significantly larger screens but the size of the phone itself doesn’t change much. They have just pushed the screen to the edge of the phone. For example, the iPhone 12 has a 6.1” screen and the iPhone 17 has a 6.3” screen; the iPhone 17 itself is not 0.2” larger. It is 0.11” taller and 0.01” narrower.
All new iPhones feature:
Ceramic Shield 2 for better scratch resistance
ProMotion
Always-on Display
Starting at 256GB of storage
iPhone 17
Starting at $799
Preorders begin September 12 at 5 am Pacific
Deliveries begin September 19
Display
6.3” display
ProMotion allows text to be legible while you scroll (previously a Pro feature)
Always On Display (previously a Pro feature)
3000 nits peak outdoor brightness (up from 2000 on iPhone 16)
Ceramic Shield 2 has three times the scratch resistance
7-layer anti-reflective coating
Camera
New Center Stage front camera with 18MP square sensor allows landscape photos in a portrait position, camera can track your position, and offers image stabilization.
Both cameras are now 48MP (iPhone 16 was 48MP and 12MP)
Dual Capture mode allows recording from front and back cameras simultaneously
Power
Up to 30 hour battery during video playback (up from 22 on iPhone 16)
40-watt wired charging speed (up from 20 on iPhone 16)
25w Qi2.2 charging speed (up from 22 on iPhone 16)
Center Stage front camera
Connectivity
Bluetooth 6 (up from 5.3 on iPhone 16)
A new Apple-designed N1 chip for Bluetooth, WiFi, and Thread
Dual frequency GPS (previously a Pro feature)
iPhone Air
Starting at $999
Preorders begin September 12 at 5 am Pacific
Deliveries begin September 19
The new iPhone Air (not iPhone 17 Air) is ultra-thin and quite an engineering marvel. This is going to appeal to people who want something ultra-light, a larger screen, but don’t need advanced photo features. That said, this is going to take incredible photos in most situations.
It is a mere 5.6mm thin, compared to the standard iPhone 17, which is 7.9mm. It has features that borrow from the iPhone 17, except:
Larger 6.5” display
Titanium frame for lightness
Ceramic shield 2 on front and back
A19 Pro processor
C1X modem is faster and more efficient
A single 48MP fusion camera
20w Qi2.2 charging speed
eSIM-only globally
iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max
Starting at $1,099 / $1,199 for iPhone 17 Pro Max
Preorders begin September 12 at 5 am Pacific
Deliveries begin September 19
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are essentially identical except for their sizes and battery life. While the iPhone 17 Pro is $100 more than last year’s model, it’s because the starting model now has double the storage, so this year’s model with 256GB costs the same as last year’s model with 256GB. They offer everything from the iPhone 17 as well as:
6.3” and 6.9” display sizes
Improved heat dissipation due to returning to an aluminum body as well as a vapor chamber thermal system
Ceramic Shield on front and back
A19 Pro processor
Increased RAM from 8GB to 12GB
Camera
All 3 cameras are 48MP
8x optical zoom (up from 4x on iPhone 16 Pro)
40x digital zoom (up from 25x on iPhone 16 Pro)
ProRes RAW video support
Genlock support
Up to 33 and 39 hours video playback
iPhone 17 Pro Max is available in an astounding 2TB
Apple Watch Series 11
Starting at $399
Preorders begin September 12 at 5 am Pacific
Deliveries begin September 19
This year’s Series 11 is a modest upgrade over last year’s model, so there is very little reason to upgrade unless you have a much older model. It has the exact same processor. But there are some small upgrades. Here is Apple’s comparison tool if you want to see how the new models stack up against your current one or need help picking.
5G cellular is more power efficient and faster
New wrist-flick gesture
24-hour battery life (up from 18)
The glass is twice as scratch-resistant
Apple Watch SE 3
Starting at $249
Preorders begin September 12 at 5 am Pacific
Deliveries begin September 19
This is the budget Apple Watch model, great for children (make sure to get the cellular model if they don’t have their own iPhone). Since it has been three years since the SE 2 was released, it’s a pretty significant upgrade. Here is what was added since the last SE model:
S10 chip (up from S8)
Always-on display
Gesture support
Temperature sensing
Sleep apnea detection
Loudspeaker for music
2x faster charging
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Starting at $799
Preorders begin September 12 at 5 am Pacific
Deliveries begin September 19
Apple skipped an Ultra update last year, so this update is two years in the making.
Brighter, larger screen (closer to the edge of the body, which is still the same size)
Always-on display can update more frequently
Display can be more easily read at an angle
S10 chip (up from an S9)
5G cellular
Messages and Emergency SOS via Satellite
42hr battery (up from 36)
AirPods Pro 3
$249
Preorders begin today
Deliveries begin September 19
Honestly, this is the update I’m personally most excited about. As many of you know, I fly often. So the opportunity to get double the noise cancellation and longer battery life is so appealing, I already ordered mine.
Slightly smaller with more tip sizes for a better fit
Active Noise Cancellation is twice as effective as AirPods Pro 2, 4x as effective as the original AirPods Pro
IP57 sweat and water resistance (up from IP54)
Heart Rate Sensing for workouts
8-hour battery life with noise cancellation (up from 6)
10-hour battery life in transparency mode (up from 6)
More announcements
iOS 26, macOS 26, and other OS updates will be publicly available on September 15
Live Translation coming to AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 with ANC. Automatically translates when someone speaks to you, and anything you say is translated back on your iPhone screen. Probably available next week.
Hypertension alerts coming in watchOS 26 for Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later (but not the new SE 3)
A new MagSafe battery pack, however, it is only compatible with iPhone Air
A bumper and ultra-thin case for iPhone Air
Silicone cases and clear cases for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro
New “techwoven” cases for iPhone 17 Pro
Lots of new cases available from Beats
Cross-body straps for all new iPhone cases
New 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max, allows you to charge up to 40W speeds, with a short burst of 60W which stops if it gets too warm
iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max are all discontinued
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are now $699 and $799, but I still think it’s worth spending an extra $100 for the 17, which will probably last you a year longer
Free satellite service on iPhone 14 and 15 models has been extended. Still no word on when or if there will be a charge in the future.
As always, there are lots of new Apple Watch bands from Apple, Nike, and Hermès
Ordering a new phone
I generally advise against getting a new phone at the cell phone store. You are usually better off ordering either on the Apple website, in the Apple Store app, on your cell phone provider’s website, or in an Apple Store. Cell phone stores have a tendency to not explain your options clearly or sign you up for extras or add features you don’t really need. It’s much easier to understand when you can see the full details on your computer screen, and you are less likely to get upsold on things you don’t need.
The Apple store and website generally have access to the same deals your cell phone provider has access to, and they can put your phone payments onto your cell phone bill. You should compare your options, because the trade-in value to send it in to Apple is often much worse than the trade-in value to your phone provider, even if handled by Apple.
Most carrier trade-in options appear to be too good to be true. They basically are giving you a new iPhone for free. There are a couple of reasons for that. One is that newer iPhones are using more modern technology that is more efficient. The more people on the newer model phones translates to more people they can put on a single tower. The other reason is the way they give you these credits. They don’t simply send you a check for your full trade-in or apply it to your bill all at once. They usually parcel it out over about two years, effectively canceling out the payment for your new cell phone on each bill. However, if you ever cancel your service or move to another carrier, you will forfeit the remaining trade-in payments. That’s completely fine if you have no intention of switching providers. This is what they do now to keep you from switching instead of having contracts.
This process changes every year slightly, but what they have been doing recently is a few days before pre-orders start, Apple will allow you to “prepare” your preorder. This lets you take your time to review your payment options, make your selections, and confirm your identity with the cell phone provider. That way, at 5am Pacific/8am Eastern when preorders go live, you aren’t rushed to make decisions and figure things out. In a few clicks, you can get your order in before everyone else.
If you need assistance
If you need assistance with deciphering any of this or with help ordering a new iPhone, I invite my customers to go ahead and book a Zoom appointment with me. I can even help you migrate to your new iPhone remotely or in person.
