Yesterday, September 9, Apple held its annual event and showed the world new iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches. No surprise, the highlight was the iPhone 17 lineup – the regular 17, the ultra-thin iPhone Air, and the flagship 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max.
In this post, we take a closer look at these new iPhones. We run through the changes, check whether reality met the expectations around the 17 series, and ask the question Apple fans (and so are we) secretly dread: did Apple truly change something, or did we just sit through another few hours of self-congratulation and throwing around the word “revolutionary” one more time?
We watched the live presentation yesterday, and believe us, there is plenty to discuss. Apple filled the stage with numbers and those classic “best iPhone ever” declarations, but beneath the marketing there were actual changes worth noting. So, let’s go through each model one by one and see what’s really different. Just like Apple did, we’ll start with the plain iPhone 17.
Table of Contents
Apple’s Fresh Take on the Base Model iPhone 17
Apple gave the iPhone 17 a slight makeover. The frame has softer, contoured edges and both the front and back now use Ceramic Shield 2. Apple swears this glass is three times more scratch-resistant and less reflective. It might not walk away unscathed if it slips onto concrete, but at least in Apple’s demo clips, the glass looked tougher than before. The phone keeps the familiar 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen, and this time it finally runs at 120 Hz with ProMotion. The difference shows right away, as menus move smoothly and animations feel fluid, the way they always did on the Pro models. Regular iPhone buyers had to wait years for this upgrade, and now that it’s here, the patience paid off.
Under the hood sits the new A19 chip, built on a 3 nm process. The 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU promise up to 20% faster graphics than the A18, and Apple couldn’t resist reminding us that it’s “90% faster than the iPhone 14.” It also carries the N1 wireless chip, which brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support. For users, that translates into faster wireless speeds and smoother connections across devices.
Apple finally decided that base iPhone users deserve serious endurance. The iPhone 17 offers up to 30 hours of video playback, which is eight hours more than the iPhone 16. Part of that comes from the A19’s efficiency, part from iOS 26’s new Adaptive Power Mode, which learns your habits and squeezes extra life when it suspects you won’t see a charger soon. ʼ
The biggest surprise came from the camera system. For the first time, the standard iPhone includes two 48 MP sensors: a Main Wide and a new Ultra Wide. The Main camera uses pixel-binning technology to capture detailed 24 MP photos by default, and it even offers a 2× optical-quality zoom by cropping into the sensor. The Ultra Wide lens now delivers four times the resolution of the previous generation and supports macro photography for detailed close-ups.
On the front, Apple upgraded to an 18 MP “Center Stage” selfie camera. The sensor is square, which allows it to shoot in portrait or landscape without rotating the phone. It can widen the frame for group selfies and even record from front and back cameras at once. This means you can now film your favorite artist on stage and capture your own reaction in the same moment. Ok, before, this required third-party apps, but now it’s built right in.
The phone ships with USB-C, charges faster with Apple’s new 40W adapter (50% in about 20 minutes). Pricing starts at $799 for the 256 GB model (128GB models are no longer available), which is generous for a base model, especially given the amount of power Apple packed into it this year.
iPhone Air – The Thinnest iPhone Ever
Apple’s boldest announcement was the new iPhone Air. It instantly stole the spotlight, not only because of its performance but also because of its record-breaking design. Tim Cook himself put it simply: “so powerful, yet impossibly thin and light, you have to hold it to believe it.” That line set the tone, and the internet already responded with jokes that Air owners better not sit on their phone by accident.
iPhone Air 10 minutes out the box pic.twitter.com/13ednNANwu
— SUAREZ (@suayrez) September 9, 2025
At 5.6 mm thin, the Air is officially the slimmest iPhone Apple has ever made. The frame is titanium with a polished, mirror-like finish, and the back features a wide camera plateau that stretches across the phone. This ridge isn’t just for looks – Apple tucked most of the electronics inside it, leaving space for the battery in the rest of the body. The result is a device that feels almost unreal in the hand, feather-light yet durable thanks to Ceramic Shield 2 on both sides. The display measures 6.5 inches, supports ProMotion 120 Hz, Always-On mode, and reaches 3000 nits outdoors, making it brighter than many laptops. The look of the iPhone Air is truly incredible, and Apple added to the appeal with a set of striking color options that make the model feel even more special.
Unlike the base iPhone 17, the Air runs on the same A19 Pro chip as the Pro models. That means full desktop-class performance, advanced GPU features, and the ability to handle demanding apps without compromise. The new N1 wireless chip is included as well, bringing Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support. It is clear that Apple didn’t treat the Air as a “lite” model – it’s more like a Pro squeezed into an impossibly slim body.
A thin phone usually means weak battery, but Apple solved that by redesigning the internal layout and using high-density silicon-carbon cells. The Air lasts up to 27 hours of video playback, on par with the old iPhone 16 Plus. For heavy users, Apple also introduced a low-profile MagSafe Battery Pack that can stretch the total runtime close to 40 hours. In practice, this means the Air is not just stylish, it’s also reliable enough for long days.
The Air carries a unique setup: a single 48 MP Fusion camera that adapts to multiple focal lengths. It behaves like four lenses in one, switching between a wide default view, a cropped 2× telephoto equivalent, and even offering extra presets around 28 mm and 35 mm. The results are detailed and versatile, with strong low-light performance thanks to Apple’s updated Photonic Engine. On the front sits the same 18 MP Center Stage camera as in the iPhone 17. It can capture both the crowd in front of you and your own reaction simultaneously.
Apple gave the Air a clean design without a SIM tray – it’s eSIM-only worldwide, which makes sense in a device this thin. Therefore, before you buy, you should think about this and decide if you’re ready to give up your physical SIM card. It also debuts Apple’s C1X modem, built in-house, delivering faster 5G performance with less power consumption. The Air comes in four colors (Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue) and weighs only around 150 grams. Pricing starts at $999 for 256 GB, positioning it between the base and Pro models.
Apple’s Power Duo of iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
And for the end we left the conversation about the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. This is our personal pain and delight at the same time. We admire everything Apple managed to pack into the new Pro series, but the color lineup left us stunned (and not in a good way). Only three options: gray, orange, and blue. No black, no white. For fans who always stick with the “safe” shades, this feels like a small nightmare. But let’s put our emotions aside and talk about the devices themselves.
iPhone 17 Pro is the most ugliest iPhone ever
Steve Jobs would have fired everyone in his era pic.twitter.com/iWtepL17YG
— Sumit Behal (@sumitkbehal) September 9, 2025
The new Pros look different, no doubt. Some corners of the internet rushed to call them “too ugly”. We disagree. This design feels like Apple’s first real step forward since the iPhone 11 Pro era. The back now carries a broad camera plateau that blends into the chassis, and the body is made from anodized aluminum, chosen because it disperses heat better than the titanium used before. On stage, the phones looked bold, modern, and yes, very Pro.
Both models run on the A19 Pro chip, the same silicon as in the iPhone Air. The difference lies in the GPU, which has six cores instead of five, resulting in higher graphics performance and increased overhead for demanding apps or heavy multitasking.
To support this power, Apple placed the largest iPhone battery ever inside the Pro and Pro Max. The change forced a redesign of the chassis. The new proportions are a bit bulkier, but the payoff is longer runtime and more confidence that the phone will last through a day of work, photography, and a late-night Netflix binge.
In the camera system, Apple pulled out the heavy artillery. Three 48 MP sensors (Main, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto) work together to cover everything from ultra-close macro shots to a zoom range reaching up to 200 mm. The Pro Max even pushes zoom further with new optics and image processing. Apple showed photos and videos taken by famous photographers directly on these devices, and the results looked less like phone shots and more like pages from glossy magazines.
The Pro models switched to anodized aluminum, which carries heat about 20 times better than the titanium frame in the iPhone 16 Pro. Apple also introduced its first vapor chamber in an iPhone. The detailed process of how it works was explained thoroughly during the presentation, so we won’t repeat it here. What matters is the outcome – up to 40% better sustained performance with far less throttling in tasks like 4K video editing, long gaming sessions, and AI-heavy features. Even the colorful invitation to the event hinted at this new “flow” of heat management.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max now offers an option to buy 2 TB of storage(the first time Apple has ever gone this high on a phone). The displays reached a new level of brightness at 3000 nits, the build introduced Ceramic Shield 2 on both sides, and charging speeds improved with Apple’s new 40 W adapter.
Accessories for the New iPhones
Apple didn’t stop with the phones. Alongside the iPhone 17 lineup, the company also introduced accessories designed to match them. The most unusual addition is the new official cases with a strap option. Yes, Apple basically took the idea that thousands of AliExpress sellers already exploited, but gave it a quality level you can trust. Many of us have tried those cheap cases before – convenient, but one wrong step and your iPhone risks its life. Now Apple sells a secure version, so you don’t need to compromise safety for comfort. The strap attaches to a special case that Apple released for all iPhone 17 models. It’s adjustable, strong, and looks far more premium than anything in the budget corners of online marketplaces.
Of course, Apple also kept it simple. If you don’t like colors or straps, there are basic transparent cases with MagSafe. On the Pro models, though, they don’t look perfectly clear, as the massive camera plateau makes them appear a bit frosted rather than truly transparent. Still, for minimalists who just want protection without hiding the iPhone’s design, these clear cases do the job.
Final Thoughts
We are honestly amazed by what Apple showed this time. The usual accusations of “minor updates” make no sense here. To anyone who repeats that mantra, we have one simple question: did you even watch the presentation? If not, do yourself a favor and spend an hour on it, it’s worth the time.
iPhone 15 users getting ready to swap to a 17 pic.twitter.com/qQQKPWxWLO
— Vintage✨ (@Vintage4real_) September 2, 2025
The camera upgrades stand out the most, especially in the Pro models. Apple filmed the entire keynote on iPhones, and the quality looked ready for the cinema. That alone says plenty. The iPhone Air impressed almost as much, with a design that feels like a piece of science fiction yet works as a daily driver. The regular iPhone 17 also became a strong base, not a compromise (finally, the “entry” iPhone doesn’t feel behind).
What also caught our attention was how closely the reality aligned with the rumors. We already knew the general look, we expected the camera improvements, and yet Apple still surprised us. Knowing the spoilers didn’t spoil the excitement.
So, yes, our team definitely plans to upgrade. This generation feels fresh, powerful, and polished, not just “another iPhone.” And for Apple fans, that’s the kind of year we like.
