Apple has unveiled its iPhone 17 lineup, including the first iPhone Air. Here’s what’s new
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup is here. The tech giant on Tuesday unveiled four new models that mark the latest editions to its marquee product.
That includes the introduction of the iPhone Air, which Apple says is its thinnest smartphone yet. And, as seen in years past, its newest phones boast better cameras, longer lasting batteries and a handful of other upgrades across the board. The latest devices come with a new a A19 chip, which will particularly help power Apple’s artificial intelligence features.
Tuesday’s lineup mark the first phones Apple has released since President Donald Trump returned to the White House and unleased a barrage of tariffs impacting goods that businesses sell and consumers buy every day. Some analysts speculated that California-based Apple may raise iPhone prices leading up to Tuesday’s announcement. But for the most part, Apple is sticking with the same price tags it’s slapped on its newest iPhones over recent years, just weeks after Google also held steady on prices for its new Pixel smartphones.
Here’s what to know about the iPhone 17, which officially hits stores Sept. 19 — and other gadget updates.
iPhone 17 prices
Apple’s going price for the iPhone 17 begins at about $800 — compared to $1,100 and $1,200 for its iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. The iPhone Air will start at $1,000.
Most of that aligns with the pricing Apple has rolled out with its new iPhones over the last five years — with the exception of the Pro, which is $100 more expensive this year. But that still falls within the $800 to $1,200 range that the company has outlined between its most basic and top offerings since 2020.
Apple’s latest iPhone lineup arrives as companies across industries face rising costs from Trump’s new punishing tariffs on imports from around the world. And the Trump administration has also repeatedly insisted that iPhones should be made in the U.S., rather than in the company’s current manufacturing hubs overseas. But analysts stress that this is an unrealistic demand that would take years to pull off — and could result in doubling, or event tripling, iPhone’s current average price of $1,000.
A camera revamp and longer battery life
In addition to better camera quality on its front and back facing lenses, iPhone 17’s front camera has been upgraded across its lineup to have a wider field of view and new sensor, allowing you to take landscape photos and other selfie orientations without having to rotate your phone.
iPhone’s new Air offering also gives users the option to record videos using the front and back cameras simultaneously. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max added a more powerful telephoto lens, among other improvements.
Apple also boasted longer battery life across its iPhone 17 lineup. It said that its new iPhone Air, in particular, would be the tech giant’s most power-efficient iPhone yet.
What about AI?
The iPhones Apple rolled out last year were the first the company designed with a wide range of new AI features. The iPhone 17 lineup announced Tuesday doesn’t make as many leaps as its predecessor — but each phone will come with Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 26, which will feature incremental AI advances.
Previewed at its developers conference in June and set to also launch next week, iOS 26 will include capabilities like allowing you to take a screenshot and get a breakdown of what’s on your screen, as well as more live translation offerings. Apple on Tuesday also pointed to other features powered with AI that are specific to the iPhone 17 line, such as its new “Center Stage” feature for its front-facing camera.
Still, Apple is playing a bit of catchup in the AI arena overall, and has run into some recent missteps. While the iPhone 16 has proven to be popular, the models didn’t sell quite as well as analysts had anticipated because Apple failed to deliver all the AI-fueled improvements it had promised, including a smarter and more versatile Siri assistant. The Siri improvements have been pushed back until next year.
New AirPods and Apple Watches also unveiled
In addition to the iPhone 17, Apple also unveiled other gadget updates on Tuesday — including AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Among updates to Apple’s newest AirPods is live translation, which uses on-device AI to translate when other languages are spoken around the person using them. Similar live translation offerings have been previous rolled out by rival Google, for its Pixel products. Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 will be priced at $249.
Apple’s boasted a new “sleep score” tracking feature and hypertension notifications for its Series 11 smart watch. The hypertension feature flags for potential high blood pressure — taking data from the heart rate sensor and analyzing it for patterns related to hypertension. Apple on Tuesday noted that this is still pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Meanwhile, Apple says its latest high-end sports watch — the Ultra 3 — now features the biggest display and longest battery life seen in any of the company’s watches, among other updates. Available starting Sept. 19, the Ultra 3 is priced at $799, while the Series 11 is $399. Apple’s latest update to the Apple Watch SE, its simplest watch offering, will be $249.
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AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke contributed to this report.