iPhone Air and 7 Apple Game-Changers: Which One Will Disrupt Your Tech Routine and Boost Your Daily Grind?

Apple’s latest iPhone event just dropped a fresh lineup that’s got everyone buzzing—and yeah, despite a mountain of leaks, finally seeing the iPhone Air alongside the trusty iPhone 17 and Pro models face-to-face was kinda thrilling. Ever wonder if tech giants can keep surprising us or if it’s all just well-rehearsed choreography? Well, Apple threw in some curveballs this time, like satellite phone-free chat on the new Apple Watch Ultra 3 and a seriously sleek update to the AirPods Pro 3 that doubles as a health tracker. Meanwhile, the countdown is on for iOS 26, rolling out September 15, promising a gorgeously revamped Liquid Glass look and AI-smart features that might just make you rethink your relationship with your phone. And hey, the best part? Most 2025 gear is holding steady on price, so your wallet might actually breathe a sigh of relief. Stick around—I’ll break down the biggest drops from this event, with a little help from the on-the-ground crew at Engadget who saw it all live. Ready to dive in? LEARN MORE

The Apple iPhone event kicked off Tuesday with a bang, introducing a brand new iPhone Air to the lineup along with the usual standard and Pro models. Though most of what Apple announced wasn’t a surprise — there were plenty of leaks and rumors over the last few months that proved to be true — it was still nice to finally put our eyes on the devices.

In addition to the iPhone 17 lineup, the company showcased the new AirPods Pro 3 earbuds, which have a slew of new features. Apple also showed off this year’s updated Apple Watch models, including a new Ultra 3, which offers phone-free communications via satellite (really). Additionally, the company confirmed that the all-new iOS 26 system software will be available on millions of existing iPhones on September 15. And the most welcome news of the week was that most of the 2025 products would be staying at the same prices as their 2024 predecessors.

If that sounds like a lot, it is. But don’t worry, we’ll break down the biggest takeaways from Apple‘s biggest announcements right here, leaning heavily on the work of our colleagues at Engadget, who attended the event in person.

Apple’s newest smartphone addition: iPhone Air

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a totally new iPhone line introduced at one of Apple’s events, so we were excited for the iPhone Air rumors to be true. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the “iPhone Air is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before.” And he’s not wrong. Apple’s thinnest phone yet is just 5.56 mm thick and weighs a mere 165 grams, yet it sports nearly the same big screen (6.5 inches) and powerful A19 Pro chip found in the new iPhone Pro models.

To ensure that this super-thin phone will be as resistant to bending and scratches as possible, it’s housed in a titanium frame and boasts the Ceramic Shield front and rear covering.

The Air, along with the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, also comes equipped with the new Center Stage 18-megapixel front-facing “selfie” camera. The new design uses a square sensor, so you can take landscape (horizontal) photos without rotating your phone.

But while we’re excited for a change this year, the iPhone Air doesn’t come without compromises. Its small size means there’s only a single 2-in-1 rear camera lens, meaning you’re stuck with a maximum of 2x optical zoom — and no ultrawide mode. And the battery life is rated at 27 hours of video playback — three hours shorter than even the standard iPhone 17 (which boasts better cameras too).

The iPhone 17 Air will have four color options, including Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White and Space Black. The price starts at $999 for one of these super slim phones, and Apple is even offering a bespoke $99 magnetic battery for the handset to boost its battery life on days when you’re far from a charger.

The iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are here

The iPhone Air replaces the “Plus” handset in the new iPhone lineup, but the other three models all get direct sequels. The iPhone 17, 17 Pro and Pro Max get new aluminum frames, and the Pro models get a horizontal camera bump that spans the full width of the phones.

But where the iPhone Air comes with compromises in the battery and camera departments, the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro models take both features up a notch from last year’s models. Battery life is up across the board, with the jumbo-screen Pro Max clocking in at 39 hours (per Apple), a new record for the series. Even the baseline iPhone 17 is rated at 30 hours, up 36 percent from the iPhone 16.

In terms of cameras, things are looking equally impressive, at least in terms of specs: The iPhone 17 sports dual 48 megapixel cameras, meaning that photos from the device’s ultrawide camera should be four times as detailed as last year’s model. And the Pro models add a third 48 megapixel telephoto lens, which adds 4x optical and — albeit at lower resolution — 8x zoom options. All of that is in addition to the aforementioned improved front-facing selfie camera, as well as Dual Capture, which lets you shoot from the front and back cameras at the same time. (Both of the latter features are in the Air, too.)

The new iPhone 17 models also have the brightest display yet — up to 50 percent brighter outdoors compared to the iPhone 16 line. No more squinting at your phone outside while you’re trying to read something.

The iPhone 17 comes in Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White and Black and starts at $799 for 256GB — double the storage you’d get for that same price last year. The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max color options are Silver, Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue. The 17 Pro starts at $1,099 and the Pro Max starts at $1,199, also with 256GB each.

AirPods Pro 3: The latest Apple earbuds

Since first releasing the AirPods Pro 2 in 2022, Apple has been adding hardware and software improvements — USB-C charging replaced the old Lightning standard, and a new mode converting the earbuds to full-on hearing aids. Now, with the AirPods Pro 3, Apple has turned the headphones into health wearables: With the addition of in-ear heart-rate monitoring and temperature sensing, it can track your calories burned. It works with Apple’s Health app and other fitness apps that track heart rates.

Additionally, the new AirPods will include a live translation feature, which Apple claims will enable basic conversations in foreign languages to be heard in real-time. (That feature will be available on some older models via a software upgrade.)

But the basics have been upgraded, too: Improved foam ear tips (with five sizes now included) and a modified internal design have improved the AirPods Pro’s already stellar active noise cancellation. (Engadget’s audio expert, Billy Steele, was impressed during his first few minutes listening to them.) Rounding out the improvements are better spatial audio and elevated battery life, now rated for up to eight hours of listening time on a single charge. You can snag a pair for $249.

A trio of new Apple Watches

Apple revved its trio of Apple Watch models this week too, delivering a new Apple Watch Series 11, an Apple Watch Ultra 3 and an updated Apple Watch SE 3. The upgrades from the Series 10 models are pretty slight: In addition to the impressive ability to help detect hypertension in a wearer, the Series 11 smartwatches improve battery life (sense a pattern?), and offer a 5G wireless option (which is less about speed, and more about giving you better cellular coverage). Otherwise, they look nearly identical to last year’s models, and even sport the same processor. Prices start at $399.

It’s been two years since Apple released a fully new Ultra model, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 pairs extended battery life — up to 42 hours — with full-on satellite connectivity so you can stay in contact anywhere you can see the sky. The Ultra 3 watches start at $799.

Last but not least, the updated Apple Watch SE 3 finally adds an always-on display (finally!) and comes equipped sleep apnea detection and fast-charging capability. You can get one starting at $249.

iOS 26 arrives next week

Though it was first shown off in June, Apple announced iOS 26 will be available to download and install on Monday, September 15 — that’s just days away. The huge update comes with a new Liquid Glass aesthetic that spans across Apple’s OSes. The glass-like effect can be found on your lock and home screens, your apps and pull-down menus. But that’s not the only change coming — you can check out the upcoming iOS 26 highlights here.

On more recent iPhones — iPhone 15 Pro and newer models — many of the apps, including the Phone, Photos and Messages apps, will utilize more artificial intelligence to streamline features and add more options. Visual Intelligence and ChatGPT are also built into the screenshots redesign, so you can query your iPhone on anything you’re photographing (think “What kind of flower is this?” and more).

Other new features include creating polls in group texts and choosing how long you can hit snooze on your alarm. Even the Camera app got an update, with a new layout that makes it easier to operate. For safety, there’s also a FaceTime feature that can freeze your video if it detects nudity.

While some of the features and design changes will take some getting used to, they’re all free. And you don’t need to buy a new iPhone 17: iOS 26 will be available on any iPhone model introduced in 2019 or later. Basically, if you have an iPhone 11 or later, you should be good to go.

So, are any of these worth buying?

All of the new Apple products listed above are now available for preorder. Before you add any of them to your cart, just remember rule of thumb for annual technology releases: If you have last year’s model, upgrading to this year’s version is probably overkill for anyone who’s not a hardcore tech fan. But the flip side of that coin is also true: If your current iPhone or watch is three or four years old — or even older — these will feel like more of a quantum leap, with remarkably better cameras, screens, battery life and speed in many cases.

While the summaries above are based on announced specs and brief first impressions from the launch event, you can expect more in-depth reviews to arrive throughout next week ahead of their in-store availability date of September 19. Check back on Yahoo Tech and Engadget for full reviews, as well as more on iOS 26, too.