Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone 17, iPhone Air, New Apple Watches, and AirPods Pro 3

[MBAir2010]

My first love was the 4S.

Alexander Graham Bell had one of those as he loved it too!

 

[iMac The Knife]

the base 17 is a quietly impressive package.

 

[Happy_John]

I went from an iPhone 6 to a 14 Pro, only because the 6 died. My daily laptop is a 2018 model 15" intel MBP. My iPad Pro 12.9" is the 2nd gen model, so purchased somewhere around 2019 as well.

I recently upgraded 2 +10yr old Apple Cinema Displays, one of which was the non-Thunderbolt version.

I'm not broke, quite the opposite ... I can afford all the new stuff. I just find less and less reason to upgrade things that still work fine. I stopped wearing the Apple Watch because of all the distractions. Must be an age thing. 😉

I agree completely. My work desk has two Thunderbolt Cinema Displays plugged into a Mac Mini M2 Pro. They “only 1440p” but they still very good displays. I’ll use them until they dies and I see no reason to upgrade.

I’ve two small home servers, both Mac minis: a 2012 and a 2014. It works well.

I’m using iPhone se3020 as a webcam for the desktop setup.

People may snigger, but why? All of it meets my needs, and I’ve no desire to upgrade just to say I’ve upgraded.

 

[flofixer]

Underwhelming event, stock is down. No announcements for software or services at all, which was a real surprise. Not even a single accessory. Iterative updates to all the products. If our watch batteries weren't down, we'd have skipped this cycle again.

Just once though, I want Tim to say 'this isn't our best phone ever, that was two years ago, this one sucks a bit compared to it.'

Stock is down because they didn't increase the prices of the phones

 

[Nrdman]

Last year the a reason I went with the titanium Series 10 was not the titanium which makes zero difference, but it had sapphire glass (like a traditional watch) front and back. This year it seems the titanium versions lose that. Maybe the magic crystals are supposed to make up for it.

 

[Szamot]

Pick one or more of the following:

1. Apple is doomed
2. Courage
3. Tim must go.
4. Steve wouldn't have done this.
5. Apple stock already down.
6. This video is so cringe.
7. Most boring Apple event I've ever seen.
8. Newly upgraded/announced product ABC sucks because XYZ.
9. This Apple presenter is [ugly, hot, cringe, annoying, tall, short, et

All of the above

 

[Astrohunter]

Has the same battery life per Apple specs on their website as iPhone 16 pro. 27 hours video playback

Don’t pay attention to this marketing BS.

They even mentioned that the phone will literally slow down etc. to consume less power.

Or how else do you think you can improve battery life using software?

 

[Dirk Pieters]

My first love was the 4S.

The 4S with the bumper was probably the best iPhone I ever had. I could put it on the table up or down and nothing would scratch because of the bumper. No camera wart in sight.

The bumper for the iPhone Air must be pretty useless in that regard, because top up that bumper won't cover the camera wart.

 

[Runaway Train]

+ iPhone Air
- Apple Watch Ultra - not much
- Air Pods - ok, not enough to bite
+/- iPhone Pro - some good stuff. Enough to upgrade from 15 Pro? Maybe

Cook was flat, the others (except for that creepy scientist dude) were a cure for insomnia

Did anyone else catch the 8X Zoom is only 12MP? Did I see that right?

 

[Nrdman]

Well they certainly dropped the awe from it all, they were right on that.

 

[Happy_John]

View attachment 2545087

No, they’re not. They an information dump fir the press and an extremes commercial fir the extended public.

As the amount of leaks increase every year, the less engaging the events are. O don’t think Apple are very excited about telling people pretty much what they’ve been hearing from leakers and pundits for months beforehand.

To be honest, at this point I’d be as happy with press releases and a 10 minute video per new product.

 

[gomichaelgo]

Ok i did just order the Airpod pros, and a new watch. But I am debating between which iphone to get and color. Disappointed in not having reverse charging on the pros, and not seeing other hardware (airtags, homepod...)

 

[Dirk Pieters]

Ok i did just order the Airpod pros, and a new watch. But I am debating between which iphone to get and color. Disappointed in not having reverse charging on the pros, and not seeing other hardware (airtags, homepod...)

You know you don't have to buy new things just because they are available, right?

 

[Happy_John]

I think they've trapped themselves now with iOS26, which is all big and balloony. I use a 13mini – and keep my SE (Gen 1) in reserve: a truly fabulous phone <sigh>. I won't be moving to iOS26 because everything will be squashed and scrolly.

Sure, there are many of us who don't spend their lives staring and scrolling on their phones and just want something functional that slides easily into our pocket or purse. But a small phone is something I can get for the kids, or an aging parent or relative. I think Apple are missing an opportunity for the sake of trying to maintain the illusion that they're not a commodity company now. A commodity company that makes superb products, for sure. I love what I have, but the future is hazy.

But that’s exactly what they are. I don’t understand why Apple, but especially “the community” think they’re anything else, or are shock and outraged when the act like a mass-market commodity company.

 

[Szamot]

But wait, Apple just built a new time travel machine described as "the most profound leap since the invention of time."

The new Temporal Pro is crafted from a single block of patented TechWoven alloy, ensuring your paradoxes are contained in a sleek, minimalist design. At its heart is the blazingly fast C1 temporal chip, which works in perfect Genlock with the N2 nexus engine to prevent you from accidentally un-existing yourself.

For those crucial timeline selfies, the Tetraprism Chrono-Lens captures 24th-century light with an all-new Photonic Engine, while ProFusion imaging seamlessly blends your past, present, and future into a single, flattering photo.

And don't worry about overheating during intense temporal rips—the advanced VaporChamber cooling system ensures your visit to the Jurassic period won't result in a meltdown. All your journey's data is securely logged in the ProLes Log, so you can finally prove to your friends that you did invent the fist bump.

Pre-orders for the Cretaceous period begin 9-12.

... no wait still just a bunch of marketing BS about the new iPhone.

 

[MBAir2010]

huh, the SE watch dropped 20 or 10 US bucks $249?, so much for tari..
silly me purchased one last Wednesday for 265$
oh wel!

oops no joke posted, im slipping!

what do you do with a 2015 macbook air with 3 balls, spinning beach balls?
walk that and pitch to the MacBook 2017!

 

[Johnny Applesuede]

The 4S with the bumper was probably the best iPhone I ever had. I could put it on the table up or down and nothing would scratch because of the bumper. No camera wart in sight.

The bumper for the iPhone Air must be pretty useless in that regard, because top up that bumper won't cover the camera wart.

The first iPhone with a camera wart was the 6, if I recall correctly. Which one first had warts on a tumor?

 

[flofixer]

I'm on an iPhone 14 Pro and its camera bump annoys me more and more. Here's my observations.

iPhone Air looks really nice but it's not 5.6mm thick, is it? I mean, have we - as a society - decided that we're just going to state thickness based on measurements on the parts that suit our lies most? Come on. "Most of its frame is 5.6mm thick, except for the camera wart" would describe it better.

I quite liked the iPhone Pros because I'm a sucker for orange. But seeing what those cameras can do, it almost feels like they are becoming real pro cameras for professional use. I don't need any of this in a smartphone.

I tuned in too late so I missed AirPods and some of the Watch. But I'm not in the market for either of those.

Honest question: they talked about smaller bezels on the Ultra watch, but why does the screen not go all the way to those bezels? Same question for iPhone. There's always this 2mm-ish black border that surrounds the screen.

Off-topic: did we witness an Air version of Tim Apple? I honestly felt like he lost weight and looked 5 years older compared to last time ... which wasn't 5 years ago.

It's because of the time Tim had to spend at the White House

 

[gomichaelgo]

You know you don't have to buy new things just because they are available, right?

Thanks Dirk. I don't currently have any airpods, and want them. And my current watch is very old. I don't have to justify any of my purchases to you.

 

[MBAir2010]

I was wondering if an  watch can jump start an  car if the battery went dead.
did they mention that?

/arrived late....

 

[flofixer]

All of the above

Many of the posters would post that list before the event even took place.

 

[DevNull0]

Did anyone else catch the 8X Zoom is only 12MP? Did I see that right?

They’re almost certainly cropping and calling it “optical quality” zoom. Not optical zoom at all. Just like their dslr quality is not dslr quality at all.

 

[MBAir2010]

The first iPhone with a camera wart was the 6, if I recall correctly. Which one first had warts on a tumor?

the  phone 3...mile island!

 

[Dirk Pieters]

The first iPhone with a camera wart was the 6, if I recall correctly. Which one first had warts on a tumor?

I recently had a look at the iPhone 16e. You can buy 3rd party bumpers for them. From the side I'd say that camera sticks out about a single mm.

So, the 16e with a bumper might be the way to go.

Will there be a 17e? Will its tumor have grown?

So. Many. Questions.

 

[zakarhino]

Yes 8x is a digital crop. People theorized there would be a Sony Xperia style physical zoom lens in the Pro Max but those people forgot the golden rule of Apple rumors: If a cheaper and less complicated explanation or solution exists Apple will choose that. There was never going to be a physical 8x zoom.