🍎 This Tuesday, 9 September, Apple promises to unveil an “awe-dropping” product launch. Speculations are pointing to at least seven new products, with the iPhone 17 lineup and its highly anticipated iPhone 17 Air being the only offerings we can bank on. The launch is expected to introduce Apple’s new hardware setup as part of a rumored three-year transformative game plan, and Fortune is assuming that Tuesday’s event will showcase Apple’s “most ambitious hardware strategy since the original iPhone launch.”
A visual revamp. iPhone users are in for a new interface by virtue of Apple’s new design language, Liquid Glass for iOS 26. Apple’s first major aesthetic redesign since 2013, Liquid Glass brings with it a new translucent look and fluid interactivity across all linked devices. Expect apps and icons to have bubble-like appearances, and everything else on your screen, from controls to tab bars and side bars, to fit into the new device’s round corners.
Behold: the thinnest iPhone ever made. The star of the show is undeniably the iPhone 17 Air. With a profile of 5.5mm — 2.3 mm thinner than its predecessors — and weighing only 145 grams, the iPhone 17 Air comes with some inevitable compromises, including a single rear camera, a smaller battery, and (to the chagrin of many) an off-center USB-C port.
Other enhancements to look out for: Better cameras are underway, with the standard iPhone expected to feature a 24-megapixel front-facing camera, and the Pro models to sport a more rectangular camera bump, with a 48-megapixel lens. The Pro models might also feel lighter in your hands, with aluminum replacing their usual glass backs for better durability. The Pro models will be available in new color palettes.
Better batteries are expected for the Apple Watch 11 and the Watch Ultra 3, with improvements in health-monitoring features, mainly blood pressure tracking and hypertension detection. The Ultra 3 is rumored to include capabilities for satellite connectivity. Health-monitoring will extend to the Airpods Pro 3, with a possible heart-rate monitor, backed by an improved battery life.
The anticipation for (the much-delayed) AI integration extends to Apple’s watches. The launch isn’t expected to include any promises for significant leaps regarding AI, even as Apple lags slower and slower behind its rivals… and its own promises. The company seems to be leveraging its new hardware designs to compensate as competition intensifies, while the market still awaits AI-powered Siri, now delayed to 2026.