'Most Powerful Yet': Apple Just Revealed the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and AirPods With Live Translation. Here's What to Know. Apple introduced a slew of new products at its "awe dropping" launch event on Tuesday.

By Sherin Shibu Edited by Melissa Malamut

Key Takeaways

  • Apple introduced new devices and upgrades to some of its products on Tuesday.
  • The tech giant debuted the new iPhone Air, the thinnest iPhone ever.
  • Apple also introduced heart rate sensing for the AirPods Pro 3 and hypertension notifications for the Apple Watch.

Apple held its biggest launch event of the year on Tuesday, with the tagline: "Awe Dropping." At the event, Apple released the next generation of iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods, including the Apple Watch Ultra 3, AirPods Pro 3, and iPhone 17.

"We're taking the biggest leap ever for iPhone," Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the event.

Here's what Apple announced, from the ultra-thin profile of the iPhone Air to satellite connectivity on the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Related: 'We're Very Open': Apple CEO Tim Cook Says He Wants to Buy Startups. Could Your Company Be Next?

Apple Introduced the iPhone Air and iPhone 17

The new iPhone lineup includes four new phones: the iPhone Air, 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max.

Apple revealed its highly anticipated $999 iPhone Air, the "thinnest iPhone ever" — at 5.6 millimeters, it's the slimmest iPhone yet. Apple also claims that the 6.5-inch phone is the most durable of all iPhones and benefits from an improved internal chip. It's the most power-efficient iPhone ever made, with a powerful camera and an all-day battery life.

iPhone Air. Credit: Apple

Meanwhile, the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro is "the most powerful iPhone yet, by far," according to Apple. The phone has a unified outer body that uniformly dissipates heat from the battery, preventing overheating. Apple also said that the phone offers "the best battery life ever in an iPhone," with 39 hours of video playback.

Related: How Much Does Apple Pay Its Employees? Here Are the Exact Salaries of Staff Jobs, Including Developers, Engineers, and Consultants.

Apple said the event was filmed with an iPhone 17 Pro, demonstrating the capabilities of the phone in real time. The $1,199 iPhone 17 Pro Max has a larger screen than the Pro, but features the same capabilities, including increased power and battery life.

iPhone 17 Pro. Credit: Apple

The standard iPhone 17 features a 6.3-inch display with thinner borders for a wider screen. The display is more readable in direct sunlight, and the phone has twice the scratch resistance. Charging is now faster than ever: Ten minutes of charge can result in 8 hours of video playback.

iPhone cameras are also improving, with better resolution and a wide field of view for the front-facing camera. Apple noted that users took 500 billion selfies last year, more than any other smartphone.

iPhone 17. Credit: Apple

Pre-orders for the new iPhone lineup start Sept. 12. The new phones will be available starting Sept. 19.

What's New With the AirPods Pro 3

Cook said that this year, Apple was building on innovations with AirPods Pro, including the hearing aid function introduced last year that transformed the buds into assistive devices for people experiencing mild to moderate hearing loss.

Related: Your Old Apple AirPods Can Soon Act as an Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid, According to the FDA

At the event, Julz Arney, senior director of fitness technologies at Apple, introduced heart rate sensing for AirPods. Custom sensors on the AirPods allow the earbuds to track heart rate independently of a smartwatch, Arney explained.

AirPods Pro 3. Credit: Apple

The AirPods Pro 3 also deliver twice the active noise cancellation of previous generations. Apple claimed that the AirPods deliver the world's best active noise cancellation of any in-ear headphones.

The earbuds also offer live translation, transforming words from one language into another in real-time. For example, if someone speaks a different language, the AirPods will lower their voice and deliver a real-time translation.

The AirPods Pro 3 cost $249 and will be available on Sept. 19. Preorders begin Tuesday.

Here's How the Apple Watch Is Changing

Apple introduced the $399 Apple Watch Series 11, which comes with a thorough list of health features, including state-of-mind tracking for mental health.

In a new development, Apple is taking on hypertension, or high blood pressure, with a new feature that tracks irregularities in blood pressure over time. Apple expects to notify one million people of hypertension within the first year alone.

Apple Watch Series 11. Credit: Apple

The company is also introducing a new sleep score based on duration of sleep, how many times a user wakes up throughout the night, and regularity of sleep over time. The new sleep score function applies to the budget-friendly $249 Apple Watch SE 3.

The $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3 is also packed with new features, including satellite connectivity. Even when a user is off the grid, they can use their Apple Watch to get help in case of an emergency. The watch features 42 hours of battery life and also has hypertension notifications.

Apple Watch Ultra 3. Credit: Apple

Cook called Apple Watch "the most popular watch in the world."

The Apple Watches can be pre-ordered today and will be available starting Sept. 19.

Sherin Shibu

Entrepreneur Staff

News Reporter

Sherin Shibu is a business news reporter at Entrepreneur.com. She previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. Her areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. She is a Columbia University graduate.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

This Mom's Creative Side Hustle Started As a Hobby With Less Than $100 — Then Grew Into a Business Averaging $570,000 a Month: 'It's Crazy'

After Krista LeRay shared her passion project on Instagram, she realized there was enough demand to start a business.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Microsoft's Return-to-Office Mandate Will Begin in a Few Months. Here's What We Know.

The return-to-office policy is expected to affect all Microsoft corporate employees in the U.S. and abroad.

Leadership

10 Underrated Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Should Be Listening To

These 10 podcasts cut through the noise with unfiltered lessons, unconventional strategies and stories that actually prepare you for the entrepreneurial grind.

Business News

Here's How Barbara Corcoran Turned a Huge 'Flop' Into Pioneering Real Estate Technology

"Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran was ahead of her time when it comes to putting real estate listings online.