Apple is holding its annual iPhone-centric event on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. This is the biggest Apple event of the year, and we'll see Apple unveiling new iPhones, new Apple Watches, the AirPods Pro 3, and possibly some other surprises.
We've highlighted everything that we're expecting to see at the "Awe Dropping" event based on current rumors.
iPhone 17 Air
Apple is planning to release a super thin iPhone alongside the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, and while we don't know what it'll be called just yet, it will mark the biggest design update to the iPhone in almost a decade.
We'll find out Apple's official name for the iPhone soon, but it's become known as the iPhone 17 Air during the rumor cycle. It's a logical choice for the device, since Air often pairs with Pro in Apple's product categories.
The iPhone 17 Air will be around 5.5mm, which means it's going to be more than 2mm thinner than the 7.80mm iPhone 16. It'll be the thinnest iPhone Apple's released to date, though it won't be quite as thin as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
There will be a thicker camera area, with Apple adding a pill-shaped horizontal camera bump to accommodate a single-lens 48-megapixel rear camera and flash setup. At the front, there will be a new 24-megapixel selfie camera, an improvement over the 12-megapixel front-facing camera in the current models.
The iPhone 17 Air's display will measure in at 6.6 inches, and there are rumors that all iPhone 17 models could support 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates, meaning that would no longer be a feature only for the Pro models. Apple is upgrading all of the iPhone displays to LTPO OLED technology this year, which is what has led to those rumors, but there's no word on whether always-on display functionality will be supported.
Apple is using a hybrid titanium-aluminum frame for the iPhone 17 Air, and it could weigh somewhere around 145 grams. At 145 grams, the iPhone 17 Air would be just a little heavier than the iPhone 13 mini.
The iPhone 17 Air will have the same A19 chip that's in the iPhone 17, along with a vapor chamber heat sink that will improve thermal performance. It's expected to have 12GB RAM.
We've heard some rumors about a slimmer Dynamic Island, but that might not happen. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to get other standard iPhone features like MagSafe, Camera Control, and an Action Button.
The iPhone 17 Air will use the same C1 modem chip that Apple debuted in the iPhone 16e, which means it won't support faster mmWave 5G speeds. All iPhone 17 models will use a new Apple-designed Wi-Fi chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, and Apple's own hardware could bring efficiency and connectivity improvements. Apple doesn't have the space for a SIM slot, so the iPhone 17 Air will be eSIM only.
There's not a lot of room inside the iPhone 17 Air for the battery, so battery life might suffer. A leaked image suggests the iPhone 17 Air battery is half as thick as the iPhone 17 Pro battery, and rumors indicate that it'll come in at around 2,800mAh. Apple may be able to improve battery life with the more efficient C1 modem and updated A-series chip.
Read more about Apple's super thin iPhone in our iPhone 17 Air roundup.
iPhone 17 Pro
The iPhone 17 Pro models are getting some updates that will improve durability and change the exterior look of the devices. Rather than a titanium frame, Apple is rumored to be swapping to aluminum, and also doing away with some of the glass at the back.
Rumors suggest the iPhone 17 Pro models will have a half-glass, half aluminum design with a glass area for MagSafe charging. The rest of the iPhone chassis will be aluminum, improving durability because aluminum is much less breakable than glass. With a partial aluminum back, the iPhone 17 Pro models will be much more durable than the iPhone 16 Pro models. The glass area is expected to take up the bottom 2/3rds of the iPhone, and it could result in the Apple logo being shifted lower on the device.
While titanium is seen as a more premium material that can better hold up to scratches, aluminum is lighter and it is better at dissipating heat. There have been ongoing complaints about the iPhone 16's penchant for heating up when under heavy load and when wireless charging.
Apple is redesigning the camera bump, though it's not quite clear why. Rather than a square-shaped bump at the left of the iPhone, there will be a large horizontal bump that takes up nearly the entire width of the device. There will be three lenses arranged in the same triangle shape as the current models, but the flash and LiDAR sensor are shifting over to the right. The antenna lines on the iPhone 17 Pro models could wrap back to the camera bump, and Apple might get rid of the bottom antenna lines.
The iPhone 17 Pro models will come in orange, dark blue, gray, white, and black. Orange is an unusual shade for Apple to choose for the Pro lineup, so it might end up being a more muted copper shade.
As for the display, it's going to look largely the same, but Apple might add a more scratch resistant anti-reflective coating. The coating could be more durable than Ceramic Shield while also cutting down on reflections, but it won't look as dramatic as nano-texture.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max could have Apple's biggest iPhone battery to date, bringing an increase in battery life, and both pro models could be a little thicker to accommodate bigger batteries. Faster 25W Qi 2.2 charging will be supported with compatible accessories, and while there are also rumors of reverse wireless charging for things like AirPods and the... Click here to read rest of article
Article Link: Awe Dropping: Everything Coming at the September 9 Apple Event
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