A quick summary of Apple’s iPhone 17 release event
At 3am AEST yesterday, Apple’s September showcase dropped the biggest refresh in years, but new products come at a hefty price.
What’s Happening: Just yesterday, Apple unveiled its new iPhone 17 line-up, complete with an ultra-slim iPhone Air and pricier Pro models, and a few other incredible devices that signalled what we think is its boldest shake-up in years for these items.
Why It Matters: Apple events always arrive with plenty of fanfare.
But after a few flat years of fairly minor updates, the question remains: what’s truly different this time in the iPhone?
Beyond every model now starting at 256 GB storage and the new Air slimming down to just 5.6 mm, the biggest shift may be Apple’s firm step into luxury territory, with pricing to match.
For example, the new iPhone Pro Max 2TB costs a whopping $3,700.00!
Zoom In: Here is the quick and easy list of all the news devices released yesterday.
iPhone lineup
• iPhone 17 (base)
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air - Apple’s slimmest iPhone ever (at just 5.6 mm), made of titanium, lightweight, sleek
AirPods Pro 3
• Upgraded noise cancellation (twice what the previous Pro offered)
• New heart-rate sensor built in
• Live translation feature onboard
• Slight price bump from previous models
Apple Watch models
• Watch Series 11 - includes hypertension detection and sleep tracking
• Watch SE 3 - budget-friendly, but bump-ups in durability and features
• Watch Ultra 3 - beefed-up tech: brighter display, satellite connectivity, longer battery life (approximately 42 hours)
By the Numbers: The new iPhone in Australian prices.
iPhone 17: 256 GB $1,399
512 GB $1,799
iPhone Air: 256 GB $1,799
1 TB $2,599
iPhone 17 Pro: 256 GB $1,999
1 TB $2,799
iPhone 17 Pro Max: 256 GB $2,199
2 TB $3,799
The pick of the bunch: Hands down, we think the clear winner in this release was the new AirPods Pro 3 with the incredible new battery life, heart-rate sensor and noise cancellation.
What To Look For Next: With pre-orders opening tomorrow and orders shipping from 19 September, expect provider wars as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone compete on bundles, credits and bonus data.
And, as the 16 Pro suddenly becomes the “budget-friendly” option overnight, we wonder how many years we are from the world’s first $10,000 iPhone (given the current rate of real inflation, we’re backing 2032!)