Apple has unveiled its next-generation smartphones, including the super-thin iPhone Air, promising the “biggest leap ever” for the devices.
The US tech giant introduced the iPhone 17 line, including the Air, at an event in Cupertino, which also saw the announcement of updated Apple Watches and new AirPods Pro.
Although Apple’s AI tools made an appearance, the focus was on hardware at the event.
Opening the event, chief executive Tim Cook hinted at what was to come. “Design has always been fundamental to who we are and what we do,” he said. “For us, design goes beyond just how something looks or feels; design is also how it works.”
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The latest addition to the company’s phone line-up is the iPhone Air, a thin and light device that Mr Cook described as a “total gamechanger”.
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“It’s designed for customers who want pro performance in an unbelievably thin and light design,” he said.
The phone comes with a titanium frame and promises to be more durable than any iPhone that has come before it. It uses the new A19 Pro, an Apple designed chip that the company credited for the Air’s design.
The Air is also e-sim only, meaning it will not accept a physical sim card. Apple made the jump to e-sim only in the US in 2022, with the launch of the iPhone 14. However, the virtual sim has not been widely offered in Ireland, with iPhones here compatible with both physical and e-sims.
That announcement was followed by the redesigned iPhone 17 Pro, which features a new unibody design that ditches the glass back in favour of using Apple’s Ceramic Shield layer. That decision also gives Apple more room for the battery, along with removing the sim slot for selected markets.
The cameras were also given an overhaul, with the 17 Pro and Pro Max getting three 48 megapixel Fusion cameras, giving the camera more telephoto range.
The basic iPhone 17 gets Apple’s Pro Motion display, and Ceramic Shield 2 to improve the screen’s scratch resistance. Apple has also improved the wired charging, making it faster to get to 50 per cent battery life, and built in Centre Stage to the front facing camera.
“This new iPhone line-up represents the biggest leap ever for iPhone,” Mr Cook said.
Apple also updated its AirPods line with the addition of AirPods 3, which come with the ability to translate conversations in real time, through Apple Intelligence, and heart rate sensing during workouts.
“Devices such as AirPods generate healthy margins, and the latest AirPods Pro 3 is a massive upgrade,” said PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore. “People prefer to use an audio device rather than a watch, and some of the new features further strengthens Apple’s offering. In particular, real-time translation is becoming a core feature in wearables among users.”
Apple also introduced new smartwatches, adding a new version of the rugged Ultra, a lower cost Apple Watch 3 SE, and the Apple Watch 11. The latter can measure blood pressure, using the heart rate sensor and an algorothim to look for a patterns of hypertension, alerting wearers to possible conditions.
“Apple’s iPhone 17 Air was the headline announcement, reflecting the company’s push to prove it can still differentiate through design. The thinnest iPhone yet raises the question of whether durability and battery life can keep pace, and Apple is betting new materials and silicon advances will make that possible,” said Emarketer analyst Gadjo Sevilla.
“More broadly, the event shows Apple sidestepping the heart of the AI arms race while positioning itself as a longtime innovator on the AI hardware front, with silicon and device-level integration. It’s a reminder that Apple’s competitive advantage remains rooted in product experience rather than raw AI as a product.”
