Apple iPhone 17 event live blog: every 'Awe dropping' announcement 🔴

The company's big keynote kicks off at 1 p.m. ET, and we're covering all the news right here

• 🍎 Apple’s big iPhone 17 launch event is today

• 📅 The “Awe dropping” show kicks off at 1 p.m. ET

• 📱 We expect to see the full iPhone 17 family during the event

• ⌚️ The Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11 will also debut

• 🏷️ We could also see a second-generation AirTag

• 🔁 Refresh this page for live updates!

The time has come. Apple’s iPhone 17 event is set to kick off today, September 9, at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. The show, which boasts the tagline “Awe dropping,” is expected to be chock-full of announcements, ranging from new iPhones to Apple Watches and AirPods. The Shortcut team is running on all cylinders today to keep you updated on all the news, and this live blog will serve as the home for each big announcement during the show.

🔴 Live updates

02:12 PM: And that’s a wrap on Apple’s iPhone 17 launch event! Short and snappy, just the way we like. Stay tuned for lots more coverage to come.

📱 iPhone 17

02:10 PM: Pricing!

• iPhone 17: $799

• iPhone Air: $999

• iPhone 17 Pro: $1,099

• iPhone 17 Pro Max: $1,199

All four start at 256GB of storage. The 17 Pro Max has a 2TB option for the most insane among us. Preorders start this Friday and each goes on sale September 19.

02:09 PM: Here’s a wrap-up of the iPhone 17 Pro.

02:08 PM: Brand-new TechWoven case is here, and it works with Apple’s new cross-body strap.

02:07 PM: The iPhone 17 Pro supports ProRes RAW video so you can get the exact look you want in post-production. There’s also support for Genlock (content creators and streamers will appreciate this).

02:06 PM: Apple showed off some photo samples and they looked great (because of course they did). Curious to see how they’ll fair when we test-drive the cameras in New York City.

02:04 PM: The 8x telephoto camera sounds insanely impressive thus far. Apple’s algorithm are yanking every ounce of detail it can from it. “Eight pro lenses in your pocket,” the company says.

02:03 PM: iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 4x and 8x telephoto camera.

02:03 PM: All three rear cameras are 48MP Fusion cameras.

02:02 PM: iPhone 17 Pro camera is led by the same 18MP Center Stage camera as iPhone 17 and Air.

02:01 PM: iPhone 17 Pro Max has the best battery life ever in an iPhone. I cannot WAIT to test this.

02:01 PM: The iPhone 17 Pro only has a sliver of glass (aka Ceramic Shield 2) on the back for improved durability. The display is also Ceramic Shield 2 and has an anti-reflective display.

01:59 PM: iPhone 17 Pro only comes in three colors - no black model.

01:58 PM: The iPhone 17 Pro has a massive new vapor chamber for improve cooling to keep performance up. Gotta keep the A19 Pro cool somehow.

01:57 PM: Here’s the iPhone 17 Pro design! Made from aluminum this time, and it’s way more durable than the 16 Pro. Ships in bright new orange and blue colors.

01:54 PM: Here’s a rundown of the iPhone Air.

01:53 PM: There’s a new MagSafe battery pack that’s thinner and gets you up to 40 hours of battery life.

01:52 PM: The iPhone Air has a redesigned interior to fit a bigger battery. Apple says the phone should last all day, but we don’t have exact metrics yet.

01:51 PM: Apple says the iPhone Air exclusively uses eSIM.

01:50 PM: The same 18MP Center Stage camera from the iPhone 17 is here, and it supports dual capture mode for video.

01:49 PM: The single 48MP rear camera supports 2x telephoto photos and regular focal lengths. Hope you don’t wanna take ultra-wides.

01:47 PM: Apple has announced the N1 chip, a new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that’ll help with efficiency. It’s paired with the upgraded C1X 5G modem. Combined, Apple says the iPhone Air is the most energy-efficient iPhone ever.

01:47 PM: Apple says the A19 Pro has “MacBook Pro-level” GPU performance, which sounds absolutely insane.

01:46 PM: iPhone Air is powered by A19 Pro, the “fastest CPU in any smartphone.”

01:44 PM: Huh. Apple moved a bunch of stuff to the top “plateau” to fit everything. Made from titanium, has a 6.6-inch ProMotion display, and it’s covered in Ceramic Shield 2. This thing look stunning.

01:41 PM: Apple has announced the iPhone Air.

01:40 PM: ALL THE SPECS.

01:39 PM: You can take landscape selfies while holding the iPhone 17 in portrait thanks to the wider-angle lens, which is really smart. Apple says you can get up to 18MP pictures with it. Plus, while you’re on video calls, your face will remain centered.

01:38 PM: The new “Center Stage” selfie camera has Apple’s widest field of view of any selfie camera on an iPhone. It’s bigger, it’s square, and it’s supposed to deliver killer selfies. We shall see.

01:36 PM: Main camera is the same as last year, but the ultra-wide gets a 48MP upgrade.

01:36 PM: Apple says the iPhone 17 lasts up to eight hours longer than iPhone 16 and can juice up to 50% after 20 minutes with faster charging.

01:35 PM: Apple just mentioned Apple Intelligence. Then they stopped talking about it in about 30 seconds.

01:34 PM: A19 chip is officially here! Featured in the iPhone 17 with a new six-core CPU and a five-core GPU.

01:32 PM: iPhone 17 gets a new 6.3-inch ProMotion display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports up to 3,000 nits of brightness and has more durable Ceramic Shield 2 glass (3x more resistant to scratches).

01:31 PM: Apple has unveiled the iPhone 17! And… it looks exactly like the iPhone 16 with a paint job.

01:30 PM: Here we go…

⌚️ Apple Watch updates

01:29 PM: Apple Watch 2025 pricing is as follows:

• Apple Watch SE 3: $249

• Apple Watch Series 11: $399

• Apple Watch Ultra 3: $799

All three are up for preorder today and launch September 19.

01:28 PM: Apple Watch Ultra 3 lasts up to 42 hours on a full charge thanks to a larger battery. It’s shipping in natural and black titanium.

01:27 PM: The Ultra 3 has thinner borders and a brighter display, plus improved viewability at angles. It also comes with satellite connectivity for Emergency SOS.

01:26 PM: Apple Watch Ultra 3 is finally here! This is the one I’ve been waiting for.

01:25 PM: Apple Watch SE 3 lasts up to 18 hrs on a charge and has fast charging. Here’s more info!

01:24 PM: Apple Watch SE 3 is here with gesture support, always-on display, and the S10 chip. Looks like it’s playing catch-up to the Series 11.

01:24 PM: All the deets you need!

01:22 PM: Apple Watch Series 11 comes with up to 24 hours of battery life and ships in four different colors (three polished titanium colors, too).

01:22 PM: Apple is adding a sleep score to the Series 11, which is something the Apple Watch has been missing for a while.

01:21 PM: Apple Watch Series 11 can detect hypertension with advanced blood pressure monitoring. Awaiting FDA clearance. This could be huge for some users.

01:19 PM: There’s a couple new watch faces that look really nice. I assume they’ll ship with watchOS 26.

01:18 PM: Here’s the Apple Watch Series 11! Twice as scratch-resistant as Apple Watch Series 10, according to Apple, and it comes with 5G.

01:17 PM: That being said… I don’t know, should you buy an Apple Watch and use it as a guardian angel?

01:17 PM: Apple is talking about how Apple Watch can save your life. They do this every year, and the stories are always pretty powerful.

01:14 PM: Time for the Apple Watch!

🎧 AirPods Pro 3 announced

01:13 PM: AirPods Pro 3 cost $249 and go up for preorder today. Launching September 19.

01:12 PM: Apple says AirPods Pro 3 last up to eight hours on a charge with ANC on. That might be the upgrade I’m most excited for.

01:10 PM: AirPods Pro 3 have heart-rate sensing for tracking your heart rate during workouts. This enables workout tracking for over 50 different workout types (think a LOT of cardio).

01:09 PM: The AirPods Pro 3 are a bit smaller with new ear tips (in five sizes) for an improved fit. They’re also IP57 rated for sweat protection.

01:07 PM: Live Translation on AirPods Pro 3 looks insanely cool. Works through your iPhone to translate with another person, and seems to work really well when two people are using them.

01:07 PM: Apple says AirPods Pro 3 have the best ANC of any wireless earbuds on the market. A bold claim, one that I’ll be seriously testing.

01:06 PM: AirPods Pro 3 have a new custom-designed architecture to widen the sound stage and improve Spatial Audio. There’s also twice the ANC of AirPods Pro 2.

01:03 PM: AirPods are first!

01:02 PM: GOOD MORNING!

01:01 PM: They’re spending some time talking about design to introduce the event. This whole event will likely be focused on design and less on software (read: AI).

12:59 PM: It’s starting!

12:42 PM: There’s always so much hype around iPhone launches. Something about the crispness of the September Air (pun intended) puts you in the mood to hear Tim Cook say “GOOD MORNING!” and watch Craig Federighi fly through every story of Apple Park while talking about specs and software features.

T-minus 30 minutes

12:31 PM: We have less than 30 minutes until the big event is underway! I just sat back down at my desk with a caramel macchiato from Starbucks (a tradition of mine every iPhone launch day), and I’m ready to start typing some serious words.

Did Best Buy leak AirPods Pro 3 release date?

(Credit: SwizzyMega / Reddit)

10:47 AM: You might be able to buy AirPods Pro 3 today. A leaked email from Best Buy sent to My Best Buy members confirms the existence of the headphones, with a special offer to save $20. The offer is valid starting today, so it seems like Apple could put them up for sale immediately after the event ends. Granted, the ship date might still be scheduled for next week (similar to how the AirPods 4 launched last year), but it sounds like you might be able to place an order in just a matter of hours.

iPhone 17 Air might just be “iPhone Air”

(Credit: @duanrui1205 / X)

10:39 AM: There’s a chance the iPhone 17 Air isn’t called the iPhone 17 Air. A last-minute leak on X seems to reveal one of the documents that’ll ship with the device to remind you that it’s eSIM-only, and it makes reference to the “iPhone Air,” not the “iPhone 17 Air.” The document looks pretty official, although we’ve never heard the rumored “iPhone Air” name before, so it’s tough to say whether Apple will include it in the iPhone 17 series or not. Guess we’ll have to wait a few hours to find out.

iPhone 17 design leaks ahead of event

(Credit: Dbrand)

09:44 AM: One of the biggest changes to the iPhone we’re expecting is the design. The iPhone 17 will look largely the same as last year, but the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will get a huge camera visor on the back, complete with a slightly thicker form factor. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Air will go in the opposite direction and shrink down to 5.5mm thick, making it Apple’s thinnest phone to date. We got a high-resolution look in leaked cases from third-parties, including Dbrand who shared the above renders.

Welcome to the live blog

09:43 AM: Welcome to the official Shortcut live blog for Apple’s iPhone 17 event! The show kicks off in a few hours, and in the mean time, we’ll update this page with information you ned to known ahead of time.

---

🍎 What to expect

Apple’s event today is expected to focus mainly on the iPhone 17 family. There’s the regular iPhone 17, the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. All four are rumored to come with a slew of upgrades, from better battery life across the board to improved cameras and performance. The iPhone 17 Air will be particularly interesting to see, given that it’s rumored to be Apple’s thinnest phone to date.

We also expect the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to finally debut after a two-year hiatus for Apple’s highest-end watches. The Apple Watch Series 11 will also be announced with minimal upgrades compared to the Series 10. In addition, we could also see the second-generation AirTag during the event, complete with improved tracking and privacy.

There’s going to be a lot to unpack, so stay tuned and bookmark this page so you don’t miss anything.

---

Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.