Cupertino reveals iPhone 17 Air, AirPods Pro 3 and Watch Series 11. Design news, thrusts and medical functions open the new Apple season
When Apple decides to change skin, he never does it for an aesthetic habit. It does so to mark a new phase of its history. The Keynote of Cupertino, under the claim “Awe Dropping”, was exactly this: the manifesto of a company that decided to redesign its key products, challenging physical, technological and market limits.
On stage, Tim Cook and his team alternated the language of wonder with that of pure engineering: iPhone 17 Air, the first large Redesign since 2017, thin as a notebook and powerful like a MacBook Pro; AirPods Pro 3 who translate conversations in real time; Apple Watch Series 11 capable of detecting hypertension.
The common thread? An integrated artificial intelligence push that no longer passes only from the cloud, but becomes part of the hardware DNA. And a design philosophy that does not limit itself to making “more beautiful”, but makes “more useful” – without touching the list prices, a choice not obvious in a America that gives the counting with the duties.
iPhone 17 Air: the first great Redesign since 2017
Eight years after the iPhone X, Apple breaks its own canon and presents iPhone Air, the thinnest and lightest smartphone ever produced in Cupertino: just 5.6 millimeters, titanium “Space Grade” and four colors – white, gold, black and blue sky.
The design does not sacrifice robustness: according to the company it is more resistant than previous models, with the new Ceramic Shield 2 three times more resistant to scratches.
The heart of the device is the A19 Pro chip, designed to push artificial intelligence directly on-device. Apple tells it as “a piece of the future that seems to disappear in the hands”.
In Italy the estimated starting price is around 1,089 euros, waiting for official confirmation.
“All-Day” and iOS 26 battery: the software that anticipates the needs
Despite the ultra -thin profile, Apple promises autonomy for the whole day thanks to an internal architecture that maximizes the space for the battery and new energy saving functions of iOS 26, capable of learning from the user’s habits and predict when it could remain without charge. A Power Bank Magsafe was also presented which brings autonomy up to 40 hours.
The power of the A19 Pro: Ai and graphics at the level of a MacBook Pro
The new A19 Pro debuts both on the iPhone Air and on the Pro models, bringing with you updated GPUs with Machine Learning accelerators. The promise: triple graphic performance compared to last year and manage large linguistic models locally, without going from the cloud. A leap that, according to Apple, brings the ability of the iPhone closer to those of a MacBook Pro.
iPhone 17 pro aluminum and the return of the promotion on the whole range
The Pro line leaves the titanium in favor of aluminum, after two years of experimentation on materials. The entry-levels gain promotion and a 6.3-inch display with small frames, keeping the size of the iPhone 16. Five colors available-Lavender, Mist Blue, black, white and sage green-all protected by the new Ceramic Shield 2.
Estimated prices in Italy: iPhone 17 Base of about 979 euros, Pro of 1,289 euros, Pro Max of 1,439 euros.
Renewed camera: Selfie in “Center Stage” and 48 Megapixel
Apple reveals that over 500 billion selfies were taken in 2024 with iPhone. The new front Camera center mounts the largest front sensor ever used, almost double compared to the previous model. On the back, a 48 megapixel dual fusion system promises quadruple resolution compared to the iPhone 16.
AirPods Pro 3: real time translation and longer battery
Tim Cook opened the event with the AirPods Pro 3, which maintain the price of 249 euros in Italy and will be available from September 19th.
The new design offers five sizes for an optimal fit and introduces live translation of whole sentences into multilingual conversations. It also improves the active cancellation of noise, space audio and the transparency of the items, while autonomy rises to 8 hours with active cancellation and 10 hours without.
Apple Watch Series 11: thinner, more resistant, healthier
The new Series 11 is the thinnest and most comfortable ever, with ceramic -coated glass for greater scratch resistance. Integrate a more efficient 5G modem, guaranteeing 24 hours of autonomy. The colors range from jet black to pink gold, passing through silver and a new shade of gray.
Price in Italy: from 459 euros.
The Apple Watch that measures the pressure
Crucial novelty for health: Series 11 introduces an algorithm capable of detecting chronic hypertension by analyzing the response of the blood vessels thanks to the cardiac optical sensor. Technology is the result of studies on 100,000 participants and awaits the green light of the FDA.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: the top of the range without increases
The most expensive model, Ultra 3, maintains the price of 810 euros in Italy and brings improvements to the display, satellite connectivity and now also 5G coverage. An updated update after a 2024 stall.
Unchanged prices despite the duties
Contrary to the expectations of some analysts, Apple has not increased the basic prices for the iPhones or for Apple Watch and AirPods, despite the US duties can affect costs up to 100 dollars per unit. A move that leaves the premium positioning unchanged and that could reward sales in the short term.
