A person holds an iPhone Air during an Apple's event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, US on Sept 9, 2025. — Reuters
Apple Inc introduced its thinnest-ever iPhone and new Pro versions with enhanced cameras and more battery life, betting that a flurry of smartphone innovation can entice shoppers this holiday season.
The new skinnier model – dubbed the iPhone 17 Air – is just 5.6 millimetres thick, making it about a third slimmer than Apple’s current handsets. The device drew the loudest cheers from an audience assembled at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, where the company debuted the new products Sept 9.
The iPhone Air follows the now-familiar playbook established by the MacBook Air nearly two decades ago: It’s a far thinner device – with some compromises – that sets the stage for more capable products in the future. The Air has the new A19 Pro chip, but lags in three key areas: battery life, cameras and audio.
Apple also introduced new smartwatches and AirPods at the event, which carried the tagline “awe dropping”. Notably, the company kept most prices roughly the same with its latest models – defying speculation that tariffs and other costs would force Apple to charge more.
The technology giant is looking to keep customers hooked on its smartphone – the company’s biggest moneymaker – after signs of slowing demand in recent years. Apple has been contending with a saturated market for phones as well as fiercer competition in places like China.
The company also has fallen behind in artificial intelligence and doesn’t offer a foldable phone – something rivals have sold for years. That’s put Apple under increasing pressure to show it can still innovate and develop cutting-edge designs.
“Design has always been fundamental to who we are and what we do,” chief executive officer Tim Cook said during the presentation, describing the new iPhone lineup as “the biggest leap ever” for the product.
Bloomberg previously reported on plans for the iPhone Air and other features. That left few major surprises during the presentation Tuesday, and investors were generally underwhelmed. The stock slipped 1.5% to US$234.35 (RM987.43) in New York, bringing its year-to-date decline to 6.4%.
New Apple iPhone 17 Pros are displayed during an Apple special event at Apple headquarters on September 9, 2025 in Cupertino, California. Apple unveiled a new generation of iPhones, updated Apple Watches, and AirPods during a special event at its headquarters. — AFP
With the Air, Apple attempted to downplay concerns about a shorter battery life by saying the device has “all-day” performance. But the company also introduced an optional US$99 (RM479) magnetic battery pack to help the phone go further on a single charge. The Air can handle 27 hours of video playback, versus 39 hours on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The battery accessory ups the Air life to 40 hours.
It has only one rear camera – versus two on the standard iPhone 17 and three on the iPhone 17 Pro – but software adjustments can make it operate as two lenses, the company said. The phone also lacks speakers on the bottom, relegating audio output to a single speaker located in the earpiece.
Despite the impracticalities, the product’s premium feel and slim profile could excite iPhone buyers who have been waiting for major design changes.
The skinnier model has ceramic shields on both sides of the phone, helping make it more durable. And though Apple rival Samsung Electronics Co introduced its own skinny model earlier this year – the Galaxy S25 Edge – that device is a slightly thicker 5.8 millimetres.
The Air uses an in-house N1 chip for Bluetooth and WiFi. There’s also a speedier version of the Apple-designed modem – called the C1X – that previously appeared in the iPhone 16e.
The Air replaces the iPhone 16 Plus, which was priced at US$899 (from RM3,999 in Malaysia). Though the starting price of the Pro version rose to US$1,099 from US$999, Apple doubled the minimum storage to 256 gigabytes. The regular iPhone 17 continues to start at US$799 (from RM3,999 in Malaysia).
Apple also debuted a Pro iPhone with 2 terabytes of storage – double the previous limit. That device comes in at US$1,999, marking it the first iPhone to approach the US$2,000 threshold. Apple launched its first US$1,000 phone in 2017 with the iPhone X.
The Pro models have an aluminum unibody, a shift from the previous titanium design. It works with a new vapor chamber system to better dissipate heat, Apple said, allowing the phone to run cooler and sustain performance for longer periods of time.
The camera system has been upgraded on the Pro models to include three 48-megapixel sensors. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max include two 48-megapixel lenses and a third 12-megapixel component. The Pro phones also include a major upgrade to zoom, allowing 8x optical zoom for improved picture quality and long distances.
All of the new models get a feature for capturing video at the same time from both the front and rear camera, as well as a major overhaul to the front-facing camera.
Battery life gets a big upgrade on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, adding six hours to video playback. With a cable, users will also be able to get a 50% charge in 20 minutes. It had previously taken half an hour to get that.
The regular iPhone 17 adds a 6.3in screen, up from 6.1in on the prior model, as well as support for ProMotion, a high refresh-rate option for displays that makes scrolling and gaming appear smoother.
The iPhone 17 comes in lavender, sage, mist blue, white and black, while the Pro models move away from muted colors to a new cosmic orange, deep blue and silver. The Air phones come in space black, cloud white, sky blue and light gold.
Preorders begin Sept 12, with the phones reaching stores on Sept 19. – Bloomberg
