Apple doubled down on thin, fast displays and health sensors in its latest hardware showcase. The company introduced the remarkable iPhone 17 series, a super-sleek new iPhone Air and AirPods Pro 3, as well as impressive updates for Apple Watch and an overhauled case lineup. The throughline: massifying luxury features while design aesthetics are pushed to new extremes.
iPhone 17: faster screen, larger canvas, smarter cameras
The base model iPhone 17 now comes with a 6.3-inch screen and belatedly gets a 120 Hz panel, something Apple buyers have thought only people chalking up for the Pro version deserve. That high refresh screen is now table stakes across the Android mid-ranger market, as seen in the specs race for mini flagships etc, so bringing 120Hz to the base iPhone reduces that experiential gap when it comes to everyday scrolling, gaming and UI fluidity.
A 48-megapixel ultrawide camera brightens photography, giving you more detail in landscapes and action shots. Apple also refreshed the color options, including lavender, mist blue, black, white and sage — a lineup seemingly tuned for wider mass-market appeal. The base configuration now has 256GB of storage, ending years of griping from users whose app sizes and collections of 4K videos are outstripping their hardware. Storage economics are at play here—companies like TrendForce have followed NAND price swings, but Apple is wagering the higher floor affords customer happiness.
The iPhone 17 starts at $799. On the Pro side, Apple rejiggered the completely recessed rear design to a full-width camera bar with flash and sensors shoved over rightward, and — more controversially — did away with titanium for aluminum in the perimeter. Where titanium helped shave off profile weight on previous Pros, aluminum can help with thermal dissipation and radio transparency — both sore spots over the years from teardown and repair groups. The iPhone 17 Pro costs $1,099 and the Pro Max is priced at $1,199.
iPhone Air: Apple’s thinnest phone yet is eSIM-only
Replaced Plus model, new iPhone Air is the universally slimmest Apple handset at merely 5.6 mm. It complements that wafer-thin profile with a 6.6-inch ProMotion display, and an eSIM-only design for connectivity. Transitioning to eSIM is the move that saves a sleek chassis, and it’s moving with the broader life of the carriers, which GSMA Intelligence says is seeing rapid growth for support of eSIM across global networks making that physical SIM tray less necessary on flagship hardware.
Priced at $999, the iPhone Air is sandwiched between the standard and Pro models, coming in line with what rivals have set as the trendline. For reference, Samsung’s most recent ultra slim devices just scoot above 5.8 mm and the Air undercuts them in thickness. The bigger issue is how durable and how much battery life such a thin thing will have; Apple’s machining tolerances are among the best in the industry, but they require very careful thermal and structural engineering for an ultra-thin design. The smartphone can be purchased in black, white, sky blue, and light gold finishes.
AirPods Pro 3: smaller fit, better sound, in-live translation
AirPods Pro 3 come with a smaller earbud design, improved audio and a heart-rate sensing feature — all for $249. Apple also doubled down on on-the-go utility: real time translation, powered by Apple Intelligence, enabling translations for conversations across languages through your earbuds. It’s a direct response to competing ecosystem assistants — Google, for instance, has conversation modes built into its earbuds — although Apple’s integration between the device and the earbud might cut down on lag and improve reliability.
Heart-rate sensing through earbuds is usually optical, and you get less noise when your wrist moves (like during running), but when floppy-haired Alex who skates past on a skateboard shows his face in the sensor’s field of view, that causes trouble.
If Apple combines this with more nuanced privacy controls and insights in its Health app, it could unlock deeper wellness trends without requiring people to wear a watch.
Apple Watch: blood pressure alerts in health push
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 includes quicker charging, 5G and satellite connectivity, as well as a bigger display—features designed for outdoor/ endurance enthusiasts. Perhaps more meaningfully, both Ultra 3 and Series 11 add blood pressure notifications that flag when readings are running high or low. The American Heart Association has long warned that cuffless wearables are no clinical replacement for calibrated monitors; Apple’s positioning seems to reflect that, emphasizing trends rather than diagnoses.
The new Apple Watch SE adds an always-on display via a speedier S10 chip, rounding out the range. Pricing comes in at $249 on SE, $399 on Series 11, and Ultra 3 is priced at $799, continuing to keep clear boundaries via battery life ranges, materials and included sensors.
Accessories and what Apple didn’t tell us
Apple added new TechWoven cases, a finer version of the fabric concept that replaces its short-lived FineWoven line. FineWoven was widely derided in reviews for scuffs and early wear — a thicker weave and finish would cure one of the company’s few recent misfires on materials.
Conspicuously missing: a broad redesign of Siri. With Google making a big deal about its generative assistant features across Android, and Samsung pimping out on-device Galaxy AI capabilities, this is something of an omission. Apple’s Intelligence powers live translation in AirPods, and a single, friendlier-minded Siri still feels like it’s been overdue.
That said, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has a list of refreshed iPad Pro hardware, an update to the Vision Pro (whatever that may be), new AirTags, a new Apple TV, a new HomePod mini and updated MacBooks on Apple’s near-term roadmap.
Cumulatively, the portfolio hints at a strategy of cascading high-refresh displays, slimmer builds and health-forward sensors down across more price bands.
Bottom line
The iPhone 17 brings 120 Hz and bigger canvases to the masses, the iPhone Air turns Apple’s thin-and-light fantasy into something finally real, and AirPods Pro 3 pile on practical smarts and health-sensing right in your ear.
By expanding Apple Watch into blood pressure alerts and revisiting what these gadgets are made of, Apple is showing a strategic corner here: make high-end feel ordinary — and skinnier.