It’s early September, which means Apple has unveiled its newest lineup of AirPods, watches and iPhones, including a new version of the latter that’s unlike others before it.
Alongside iPhone 17, Apple debuted the iPhone Air on Tuesday, calling it “the thinnest iPhone ever made.” It comes in at 5.6 millimeters thick, more than 2 millimeters thinner than the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 17, also unveiled Tuesday. For comparison, the iPhone Air is about as thick as three quarters stacked on top of each other. The iPhone 16 and 17 are nearly the equivalent of five quarters.
At 5.82 ounces, the iPhone Air is about 0.2 ounces lighter than the iPhone 16 and 0.4 ounces lighter than the iPhone 17. The screen, measuring 6.5 inches diagonally, is also slightly larger than the 6.1- and 6.3-inch displays on the newer iPhone models.
Apple also touted its titanium design, improved scratch resistance, and extended battery life, but what you may notice the most comes down to the camera systems.
On the front, the Air will feature Apple’s newest technology, the Center Stage camera with a square sensor. This gives a “wide field of view,” which means you no longer need to turn your phone horizontal to take a selfie — or a “groupie.” AI will adjust the camera’s field of view to make sure everyone is included in the event of a groupie, too.
You’ll also notice a major difference on the reverse.
Since the original iPhone, Apple has put the camera in the upper left corner of the back side. The camera will remain there on the Air, but in a smaller plateau that flows along the top of the phone rather than in the traditional left-corner square. You can see the iPhone Air below:
The iPhone Air is displayed during an announcement of new products at Apple Park on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
For comparison, here’s a look at recent iPhone models, as well as the soon-to-be available iPhone 17:
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A person holds an iPhone 14 Pro at an Apple event on the campus of Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) -
The camera lenses on the iPhone 15 phone is shown during an announcement of new products on the Apple campus in Cupertino, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) -
The new iPhone 16 is displayed during an announcement of new products at Apple headquarters Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada) -
The iPhone 17 Pro is displayed during an announcement of new products at Apple Park on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
If you’re familiar with smartphones, or perhaps use the Google Pixel, you may notice a similarity between Apple’s new plateau and that seen on Google’s device:
New Google Pixel phones on display at Made By Google at Google on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Mountain View, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada)
The devices vary elsewhere. Compared to the Google Pixel 10, unveiled last month, the Apple Air is lighter by 1.38 ounces, thinner by about 2 millimeters, and has a larger display by 0.2 inches.
Like Google, however, Apple is keeping its prices stable across its newest phones: $799 for the iPhone 17, $1,099 for iPhone 17 Pro, and $1,199 for iPhone 17 Pro Max. iPhone Air will start at $999. They’re all available for preorder starting on Sept. 12.
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.
Tuesday’s lineup marks the first phones Apple has released since President Trump returned to the White House and unleashed a barrage of tariffs impacting goods that businesses sell and consumers buy every day.
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 rolled out by rival Google for its Pixel products. Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 will be priced at $249.
Apple 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 feature is still pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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.
While Apple has largely kept up with the competition, it is missing one offering Google and other phone manufacturers have produced: a foldable phone.
“I think there are some people who will be anxious for that,” Bob O’Donnell, president of TECHnalysis Research, told The Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
