Every September, like clockwork, Apple launches its newest iPhone line with a variety of gadgets. This year brings us the iPhone 17 in all its variations, most notably the new skinny iPhone Air, along with new Apple Watches -- Series 11 and Ultra 3 -- and an upgrade to its 2-year-old AirPods Pro 2 earbuds.
Along with the hardware, Apple is rolling out the new versions of the devices' respective operating systems, iOS 26 and WatchOS 26, both of which have been in public beta all summer. The new Liquid Glass interface design may even seem routine to you by now.
Watch this: Everything Announced at Apple's iPhone 17 Event in 7 Minutes 07:18
Unsurprisingly, given Apple's struggles with its AI efforts, especially given how much it stressed AI at previous events, there was only the occasional mention of features being driven by AI and the increased neural power in the new A19 Pro processor. And despite no discussion of smart home tech, there was a brief hint in the iPhone Air announcement.
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iPhone 17 boasts a better screen
The update to Apple's most mainstream model comes in pastel colors. Notably, the base iPhone 17 now has a ProMotion (120Hz VRR) display, which was formerly only on the Pro models. The screen is larger (6.3 inches) and brighter (up to 3,000 nits) with an improved scratch and glare-resistant coating. ProMotion has been a much-wanted upgrade. I think there's probably some dancing going on right now. Inside, it incorporates the A19 chip with a 5-core GPU and adds fast charging.
The new front camera has an 18MP square sensor for more flexibility in framing, alongside a larger field of view to enable Center Stage and stabilization. It still has two cameras, though the main camera is bumped to 48MP via dual fusion or 24MP standard.
It starts at $799 -- the 16e remains in the line at $599 -- and all the iPhones are available for preorder now.
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