The highly anticipated and impressive Apple conference has just ended.Awe droppingApple unveiled a host of new products, including the iPhone 17 series, the Apple Watch Series 3, and the AirPods Pro 26. Apple also announced the release date for the official updates to its operating systems, most notably iOS XNUMX. Below, we review the highlights of the conference, along with details on pricing and availability.
The conference began with Tim Cook announcing the new "Liquid Glass" user interface, which will debut this month across Apple's various operating systems. It embodies Steve Jobs's famous vision:
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works”
This means that design is not just an aesthetic appearance, nor a feeling that touches the eye or heart, but rather the essence of the idea and its method of operation. True design lies in how it performs its function. This interface, which promises to deliver a seamless and visually stunning experience, enhances user interaction with Apple devices.
AirPods Pro 3: Redefining the audio experience
The AirPods Pro 3 were officially announced, described by Cook as "truly amazing," emphasizing that they represent the "next generation" of AirPods Pro. These earphones are designed to deliver an advanced audio experience, with significant improvements over previous versions.
In a detailed demonstration at an Apple Store near Apple Park, Kate, a company representative, introduced the AirPods Pro 3. The earphones feature a new airflow system that enhances sound quality, in addition to active noise cancellation, which offers performance twice as good as the previous generation.
Apple revealed stunning details about the advanced performance of the AirPods Pro 3, which offer four times better active noise cancellation than the first generation. These headphones offer the best noise cancellation experience among wireless in-ear headphones of any brand.
The headphones also include a real-time translation feature powered by Apple Intelligence technology, which enables translation to be activated with a simple gesture, with clear audio translation and accurate rendering of phrase meanings.
The translation can be displayed on the iPhone screen or spoken aloud, and supports real-time communication between two people wearing headphones, facilitating seamless communication across language boundaries.
Apple has also redesigned the AirPods Pro 3 to be smaller and more comfortable in the ear canal, with five different ear tip sizes designed to stay secure during intense workouts. For the first time, the earphones feature an IP57 sweat and water resistance rating, making them the ideal choice for athletes. These improvements combine high performance with practical design, further strengthening the AirPods Pro 3's position as market-leading earphones.
Apple unveiled innovative fitness features in AirPods Pro 3. The headphones include a built-in activity tracker that directly measures calories burned, as well as a heart rate sensor during exercise, enabling accurate tracking of physical performance without the need for an Apple Watch. The headphones also support tracking of up to 50 different types of exercise, with real-time updates for heart rate, calories burned, and the Burn Bar, providing a dynamic and motivating real-time fitness experience.
AirPods Pro 3 boast impressive battery life, providing eight hours of use with active noise cancellation enabled. The earbuds also support ten hours of playback in Transparency mode or Hearing Aid mode, making them ideal for long-lasting use throughout the day.
Apple began accepting pre-orders for the AirPods Pro 3 today for $249, with the earbuds available for purchase starting September 19.
Apple Watch
Tim Cook praised the Apple Watch's vital role as an indispensable health tool, offering features like fall detection, sleep tracking, and heart rate monitoring. Inspiring stories were shared from users who confirmed how health alerts saved their lives, such as a user who discovered a collapsed lung after the watch alerted them to a high heart rate and low blood oxygen level, requiring emergency surgery. A video also showed how fall detection automatically called an emergency response after a user fell, underscoring the profound impact the watch has had in saving lives.
Apple Watch 11
Cook announced the Apple Watch Series 11, describing it as thinner, more comfortable, and more durable, with twice the scratch resistance of the previous generation and support for 5G. The watch includes new health features focused on monitoring high blood pressure and accurate sleep tracking, including a "Sleep Score" that measures sleep quality based on data from an Apple study covering 5 million nights.
The watch also supports sleep apnea detection, with a feature to track long-term signs of high blood pressure, which is pending FDA approval and is expected to alert more than a million people to undetected health conditions in the first year.
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple then moved on to unveil a new version of the SE. The third model features the most powerful chip to date, the S10, along with an Always-On Display and support for gestures such as wrist motion.
Additionally, the SE 3 features a battery that lasts up to 18 hours, with support for fast charging that's twice as fast as the previous generation SE 2. It adds 8 hours of use in just 15 minutes of charging.
It also includes safety features such as fall and car crash detection, as well as new features such as wrist temperature detection, sleep apnea notifications, and the Sleep Score feature.
Apple Watch Ultra
The company then announced the new generation of the Apple Watch Ultra. This version featured an improved, brighter screen with thinner bezels and a larger display area, the largest on any Apple Watch to date. The screen operates at a frequent refresh rate in Always-On mode, so the second hand can be seen directly. The watch also added support for 5G networks in addition to satellite connectivity.
The edition also includes Emergency SOS features, available free for three years, with the ability to share your location via Find My or send messages. The watch also supports a battery life of up to 3 hours.
Additionally, the watch gets high blood pressure notifications and a Sleep Score feature, just like the Series 11.
Price and availability
The presentation concluded with the announcement of pricing: the Watch SE 3 starts at $249, the Apple Watch 11 starts at $399, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at $799. All versions are available for pre-order starting today and will be officially available on September 19.
IPhone 17
The new generation of iPhone, with Apple saying, "We're raising the bar with an all-new iPhone lineup like we've never made before." Four new iPhone 17 models were unveiled.
The iPhone 17 was introduced with the phrase: “It’s amazing!” referring to its new, more durable design, and is available in five colors: Lavender, Mist Blue, Black, White, and Sage.
The iPhone 17 features a 6.3-inch ProMotion display with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, along with an Always-On Display that lowers the refresh rate to 1Hz when needed, as well as Live Activity and widgets on the Lock screen. The display's maximum brightness in sunlight reaches 3000 nits, the highest number ever for any previous iPhone.
To enhance protection, it features the second-generation Ceramic Shield 2, which is three times more scratch-resistant than before, thanks to a new layer designed by Apple and bonded at the atomic level to add even greater hardness. The iPhone also features a seven-layer anti-reflective coating to reduce glare and improve screen clarity in bright light.
In terms of performance, the iPhone 17 is powered by the A19 chip, manufactured using a 3-nanometer process. It features a six-core processor (two performance cores + four efficiency cores) and a five-core graphics processor, providing a significant speed boost, especially for those upgrading from older devices.
As for the battery, Apple offers a full day of use, with an additional 8 hours of video playback compared to the iPhone 16. You can also get 8 hours of video playback by charging the iPhone for just 10 minutes.
In terms of cameras, it is equipped with a 48-megapixel Dual-Fusion system, which allows for shooting at 48 megapixels or a 24-megapixel daily mode, meaning “shooting at full 48 megapixels, or in the default 24-megapixel mode suitable for daily use.”
It also supports 2x optical zoom with a telephoto lens that offers a focal length of 52mm. Additionally, it combines the ultra-wide lens and the main lens into a single system with apertures of 13mm and 26mm.
The talk shifted to the all-new front camera, dubbed the Center Stage Front Camera. It features the largest front-facing sensor ever for an iPhone, nearly double the size of the previous sensor, allowing for a wider field of view and greater flexibility in capturing images. The sensor features a unique square shape. Apple reported that iPhone users took more than 500 billion selfies last year!
The new system also supports four photo composition options, so users don't need to rotate the iPhone to capture a landscape selfie. For group photos, Center Stage relies on artificial intelligence to automatically expand the field of view and rotate the frame based on the number of people in the photo.
Video recording is now more stable thanks to the same stabilization technology used in Action Mode on the rear cameras. Center Stage in video has also been optimized specifically for handheld shooting, keeping the user always in the center of the frame.
Finally, storage on the iPhone 17 starts at 256GB as the base option.
iPhone 17 Air
Apple began by saying that the iPhone 17 is just the beginning of what it will unveil at the event, noting that pricing and availability details will be announced later after all models are unveiled.
Apple then unveiled an all-new design called iPhone Air, describing it as "so thin it's hard to believe until you see it." The iPhone is just 5.6 mm thick and features a 6.5-inch ProMotion display with an adaptive refresh rate, Always-On mode, and a peak brightness of 3000 nits.
To further enhance durability, Apple says the new design is its "hardest ever," thanks to a Ceramic Shield layer that wraps the titanium frame on both sides, forming nanocrystals that enhance strength. It's also three times more scratch-resistant than previous versions, with this protection also extended to the back.
In terms of appearance, Apple redesigned the rear plateau, known as the plateau, to house the rear and front cameras, the speaker, and the Apple Silicon processor, while the rest of the iPhone's body houses the battery. Apple confirmed that the iPhone exceeds its strict bend resistance standards, with the colors available in Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue.
In terms of performance, Apple introduced the new six-core A19 Pro processor, describing it as "the fastest processor in any smartphone." The processor offers greater speed and efficiency than the regular A19, with an updated graphics processor that supports second-generation Dynamic Caching, doubles the computing power, and new image compression technologies. Each graphics core also features built-in neural accelerators.
The company added that the iPhone offers "MacBook Pro-level computing capabilities," while consuming less power thanks to new technologies.
On the connectivity front, Apple introduced a new wireless chip of its own design, called N1, which combines Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth, and Thread technology. This is the same technology previously used in the Apple Watch and AirPods, but it appears for the first time in the iPhone.
It also launched the new C1X modem, which is twice as fast as the previous C1 modem and even faster than the iPhone 16 Pro modem, while consuming 30% less power.
In terms of the camera, the iPhone comes with a Fusion Camera system that offers 1x and 2x modes with 26mm and 52mm focal length lenses. The company has added dedicated 28mm and 35mm lenses, bringing the total to four different focal lengths. The front camera is the same square Center Stage camera that debuted on the iPhone 17.
The camera also offers new features such as dual-camera recording, where video is recorded with both the front and rear cameras simultaneously. The front camera's stabilization feature keeps the user in the frame, while the rear camera allows you to zoom in on the scene.
On the battery front, Apple explained that it has created a new combination of hardware and software to deliver excellent battery life. The iPhone comes with an all-day battery life, and the company was able to free up more battery space by making the iPhone support eSIM only globally, with widespread coverage worldwide.
In addition, the company revealed new accessories:
A slim MagSafe battery provides up to 40 hours of video playback when installed. A new clear case, less than 1mm thick, available in Frost and Shadow. Lightweight bumper protection in four coordinated colors. A new crossbody strap for carrying your iPhone.
The presentation concluded with a striking statement from Apple: “Our goal was simple: to make the most Pro iPhone ever… by a long shot!” Note that Apple has not yet revealed the price or availability of the iPhone Air.
IPhone 17 Pro
The concept of redefining the Pro began with an all-new design, crafted from aluminum using a precise process that includes heating, shaping, and cutting with extreme precision. For the first time, the iPhone features an aluminum unibody design with a durable, colored exterior. The design includes the largest battery ever in an iPhone, along with a new cooling system capable of rapidly dissipating heat through the aluminum body.
Apple announced the iPhone 17 Pro, featuring an all-new aluminum unibody design, the A19 Pro chip, the most powerful processor ever in a smartphone, and the most advanced camera system ever in an iPhone. The phone also boasts the longest battery life ever on an iPhone, along with faster 40W charging.
The iPhone features an aircraft-grade 7000 series aluminum body, which is strong, lightweight, and improves heat distribution. It also features a special heatsink that moves heat away from the processor, increasing performance by up to 40% compared to the previous generation.
It features a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an outdoor brightness of up to 3000 nits. It also features Ceramic Shield 2 protection on the front and back, offering better resistance to scratches and breaks.
The iPhone 17 Pro features three 48MP cameras: a main, wide, and a new telephoto lens. The telephoto lens offers up to 8x optical zoom (200mm) and up to 40x digital zoom. Enhanced AI image processing preserves natural detail and color.
The front camera is 18MP with 4K HDR video, advanced stabilization, and Dual Capture support for recording with both the front and rear cameras.
The iPhone is powered by the fastest A19 Pro chip yet, with a more powerful graphics processor and ray tracing support for gaming.
The iPhone 17 Pro features the new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 support, Bluetooth 6, and improved AirDrop.
The battery supports up to 39 hours of video playback and supports fast charging to 50% in 20 minutes using Apple's new 40W Dynamic Power Adapter.
For video, it supports ProRes RAW and Apple Log 2, creator-specific features like genlock, and integrates with Final Cut and Blackmagic Camera.
Apple also announced a new line of accessories, including the TechWoven case, a MagSafe-enabled silicone case, and a MagSafe magnetic wallet.
IPhone 17 Pro Max
It has roughly the same specs as the iPhone 17 Pro, except it features a larger 6.9-inch screen and a larger battery than any other iPhone, offering up to 39 hours of video playback, with a larger battery in the eSIM versions.
For the first time, it features a rear glass protected by an aluminum frame instead of traditional glass, making it four times more shatter-resistant.
In terms of photography, the iPhone features three 48-megapixel rear cameras, all with Fusion technology, along with an 18-megapixel front camera with Center Stage. The cameras are equivalent to eight professional lenses, with 1x, 2x, 4x, and even 8x telephoto zoom, and up to 40x digital zoom for photos.
iPhone supports the latest video technologies such as Dolby Vision HDR, 4K120 recording, ProRes Log, ProRes RAW, and ACES, as well as Genlock to synchronize cameras frame by frame when shooting with more than one camera.
Apple also introduced new accessories, including a TechWoven case with a stylish multi-colored woven fabric design, as well as clear and silicone cases with more precise button designs and a better feel.
The presentation concluded with a video of filmmakers using the iPhone 17 Pro in challenging shooting conditions, highlighting the device's professional capabilities.
As for pricing, the iPhone 16e starts at $599, while the iPhone 17 starts at $799. The iPhone Air starts at $999, the iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1099, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1199 with a storage option of up to 2TB. Pre-orders begin Friday, with availability on September 19.
The conference concluded with inspiring remarks affirming Apple's commitment to creating groundbreaking products and experiences that change people's lives for the better, and concluded with the tagline: "Shot on iPhone. Edited on Mac." Filmed on iPhone and edited on Mac.
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