Apple on Tuesday announced its new iPhone 17 series, including an ultra-thin Air model which is arguably the thinnest device ever from the American tech giant. CEO Tim Cook said the new iPhones “raise the bar once again” with a lineup “that’s unlike anything we’ve ever created”.
Cook clearly had the 5.6-mm iPhone 17 Air model in mind when he kicked off the keynote, saying Apple design goes beyond just how something looks or feels. “Design is also how it works. This philosophy guides everything we do, including the products we’re going to introduce today and the experiences they provide.” The thinnest iPhone ever means the entire phone had to be redesigned to make space where there was none. The company calls the 6.5-inch phone a “paradox you have to hold to believe”. But the ultra-thin form factor will now be visible across Android brands too, as the industry looks for new design paradigms as the foldable becomes a bit jaded. Interestingly, the iPhone 17 Air, as well as the new iPhone Pro models, comes with the more powerful A19 Pro silicon.
The iPhone 17 will have a ProMotion display and 3000 nits of brightness while being powered by the 3-nanometre A19 processor. The phone has a 48MP dual fusion camera system, four times the resolution compared to iPhone 16, and a large 18MP square front Centrestage camera sensor.
Apple also upgraded the AirPods Pro, arguably the most ubiquitous earphones in the world, by adding live translation and heart rate sensors into the earphones along with better battery life. Live translation on the AirPods Pro 3, along with an improved audio profile and best-in-class active noise cancellation, is “enabled by advanced computational audio combined with Apple Intelligence models running on the iPhone”. Apple’s smallest heart rate sensor works with machine learning algorithms that merge data from the sensors and accelerometers on the AirPods to deliver precise measurements.
Apple Watch Series 11 comes with a 5G modem and better battery life. The thinner, sturdier model will also have an updated operating system with the liquid glass design. It will also come with a blood pressure monitor that alerts users of hypertension and identified patterns that signal that intervention is necessary. It will also feature a new sleep score using data captured overnight. There is also an improved Apple Watch SE with better battery life and fast charging. The new Apple Watch Ultra 3, meanwhile, comes with satellite connectivity and Emergency SOS as well as 42 hours of battery life.
The author is in California on the invitation of Apple.
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