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.
Apple has unveiled the iPhone Air, their slimmest smartphone to date. This year’s models, as expected, feature enhanced cameras, more durable batteries, and a variety of other enhancements. A key upgrade is the new A19 chip, designed to optimize Apple’s artificial intelligence capabilities.
The release is the first since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, which has introduced tariffs affecting everyday goods. There was speculation that Apple, based in California, might increase iPhone prices ahead of the event. However, Apple has largely maintained its pricing consistent with recent releases, similar to Google’s steady pricing for its new Pixel phones.
Here’s what to know about the iPhone 17, which officially hits stores Sept. 19 – and other gadget updates.
iPhone 17 prices
The starting price for the iPhone 17 is approximately $800, while the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are priced at $1,100 and $1,200, respectively. The iPhone Air starts at $1,000.
This pricing is in line with Apple’s strategy over the past five years, except for the Pro model, which is $100 pricier this year. Nonetheless, it remains within the established range of $800 to $1,200 for their products since 2020.
This new iPhone series is launching amidst rising costs due to the recent tariffs on global imports. The Trump administration has frequently advocated for iPhones to be manufactured in the U.S. instead of overseas. Analysts, however, believe this transition is impractical and would take years to implement, potentially doubling or tripling the current average price of an iPhone, which stands at $1,000.
A camera revamp and longer battery life
The iPhone 17 features improved camera quality on both the front and back lenses. The front camera now has a wider field of view and a new sensor, enabling users to take landscape and selfie-oriented photos without the need to rotate the device.
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.
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