Apple’s iPhone Air is real – here's your first look
Today's Apple Event also showcased the iPhone 17 Pro, AirPods Pro 3 and three new Apple Watch models
Reactions to the Apple Event
All eyes (and i’s) are on the iPhone this month, including ours, as Apple just announced its long-rumored ultra-thin iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro (including an 🍊 one). We also got our first look at the Apple Watch 11 and Ultra 3, as well as AirPods Pro 3 with Live Translation.
We’ll be reviewing everything on our growing Substack and on SiriusXM in the coming days (Apple’s new devices release on Friday, September 19). But first, let’s take a look at what was just unveiled at today’s Apple Event.
📐 1. iPhone Air is ‘impossibly thin’ but packs ‘the power of Pro,’ says Apple
📐 Apple’s ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air is just 5.6mm thin
🆚 For context: it’s 32% thinner than last year’s iPhone 16 Pro Max
🍎 It follows the slim iPad Pro M4 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
📱 Its 6.5-inch ProMotion 120Hz display is also Apple’s brightest yet
📸 Dual Capture: you can record from the front + rear cameras simultaneously
🤳 18MP Center Stage selfie camera will please the chic target audience (and me)
🎨 Colors: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold and Sky Blue
🙅♂️ No iPhone 17 Plus model – this one replaces it
💰 It’ll cost $999 for the 256GB storage size
Goodbye iPhone Plus, hello iPhone Air. Yes, Apple is looking to wow everyone with its super-slim iPhone 17 Air that’s 5.6mm thin, or 32% slimmer than last year’s iPhone 16 Pro Max. It’s the iPhone on a diet, although it’s still packing next-gen Pro-level iPhone specs.
It has a 6.5-inch display that can hit 3,000 nits of peak brightness outdoors, Ceramic Shield 2 for drop and scratch protection, and a single 48MP rear camera that still can achieve a 2x telephoto zoom. My pick standout camera features? An 18MP Center Stage selfie camera that can capture landscape shots without twisting the iPhone, and simultaneously record front and rear video. I’ll finally be able to narrate what I’m seeing from the default camera app.
The iPhone 17 Air will be available on September 19 with a starting price of $999 – so no price increase over last year’s 256GB iPhone 16 Plus.
🍊 2. iPhone 17 Pro has a hot new look, but vapor-chamber-cooled performance
📱 iPhone 17 Pro & Pro Max’s full-width camera plateau crams in more tech
🍊 I’m leaning toward the Cosmic Orange color (Deep Blue and Silver are also shown)
🥶 Apple’s vapor chamber cooling system and aluminum improve heat dissipation
🎮 Apple’s premium iPhone continues to make strides in console-quality gaming
📸 All three rear cameras are now 48MP with the equivalent of eight pro lenses
🔭 The 8x telephoto camera has a 56% larger sensor and takes stunning portraits
🔋 It has the biggest battery of any iPhone, with up to 39 hours of video playback
🛡️ Ceramic Shield 2 protects the display with 3x better scratch resistance
💰 iPhone 17 Pro costs $1,099 (256GB), $1,299 (512GB) or $1,499 (1TB)
💰 iPhone 17 Pro Max: $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB) or $1,599 (1TB)
🗄️ There’s a new $1,999 2TB size exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro Max
I can see my iPhone 17 Pro review draft now: “Orange you glad you waited to upgrade?” – before the rest of The Shortcut team unanimously votes that I need to axe that opening line. Yes, I dig the Cosmic Orange and the full-width camera plateau design, even if both may be divisive online. I’d rather Apple pack in more Pro-level components and extra battery life, not less. And it’s about time Pro-level iPhones got fun, bright colors.
Titanium is out, and aerospace-grade 7000-series aluminum alloy is back in. Why? Because Apple’s newly crafted brushed aluminum unibody design, along with a vapor chamber, helps dissipate heat to keep this high-performance iPhone cool – whether you’re gaming or recording video outdoors. Apple says that it can deliver 40% better sustained performance compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, thanks to the A19 Pro chipset, so we’re eager to put that and all three rear 48MP cameras to the test for you in a full iPhone 17 Pro review.
Flashback: our iPhone 16 and 16 Pro Max review
🎧 3. AirPods Pro 3 offer boosted ANC, a better fit, and Live Translation
👂 Better fit: the wireless earbud tips have been redesigned to fit more ear shapes
🔇 Foam-infused ear tips deliver 2x the ANC of AirPods Pro 2, 4x AirPods Pro 1
😲 A new acoustic architecture promises to deliver more convincing spatial audio
🗣️ Live translation powered by Apple Intelligence lets you listen and talk
❤️ Heart rate monitor included if you don’t have an Apple Watch
🔋 Battery life has been improved from 6 hours to 8 hours using ANC
💰 They still cost $249 and are out September 19, 2025
The three-year wait for the AirPods Pro 3 may have been worth it. Apple’s biggest promise is that these AirPods will fit better thanks to new eartips. It’ll please anyone who finds in-ear headphones tricky or performs vigorous workouts.
Apple’s new foam-infused ear tips come in five sizes and promise to deliver improved active noise cancellation (ANC), sweat and water resistance, and longer battery life. We’re also getting a heart rate monitoring sensor, delivering some of the workout tracking features of the Apple Watch. Apple says it can track over 50 workout types as well as calories burned.
Below, we’re finishing this newsletter off with a dedicated story about our favorite new feature: Live Translation. It was Apple’s wow moment today. AirPods Pro 3 will launch on September 19, 2025, and cost $249. Pre-orders begin today.
Flashback: our Apple AirPods 4 ANC review
⌚️ 4. Easy upgrade: Apple Watch Ultra 3, Watch 11 and Watch SE 3
🥇 This is the upgrade I’ve been waiting for – for me and my parents
❤️ Apple Watch 11 and Ultra 3 introduce hypertension notifications
😴 There’s also a new sleep score UI that can gamify your sleeping habits
🔋 The sporty Watch Ultra 3 lasts up to 42 hours; Watch 11 up to 24 hours
📐 The Watch Ultra 3 has less bezel and Apple’s biggest watch screen yet
📡 Satellite messaging and 5G connectivity have also been added
💰 Watch 11 starts at $399, while the Watch Ultra 3 starts at $799
👍 The $249 Watch SE 3 gets an always-on display and fast charging
I’m upgrading to the sporty Apple Watch Ultra 3 (from my Watch Ultra 1) and my parents to the thin-and-light Apple Watch 11 for two health reasons: seep score and hypertension notifications. The ability to detect chronic high blood pressure falls in line with my personal policy: every time Apple introduces life-saving wearable tech (before this, it was fall detection and car crash detection), my parents get a new watch. Easy decision.
It doesn’t hurt that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has Apple’s biggest watch display yet, thanks to thinner bezels, a wide-angle OLED panel, and superb battery life. Satellite messages and 5G connectivity are also here in case I walk off the beaten path.
Apple Watch SE costs $249, Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at $799. All three are available to pre-order today with a release date of September 19.
Flashback: our Apple Watch 10 review
💬 5. Apple’s biggest wow moment: Live Translation with AirPods
🎧 Apple demoed Live Translation to connect to foreign language speakers
💬 Hands-free translation via AirPods Pro 3 could make traveling easier
📱 An iPhone can fill in to communicate with the speaker without AirPods
🗣️ Languages at launch: English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish
🔜 More by EOY: Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified)
🔇 ANC lowers the volume of the human speaker so you can better hear the translation
We’ve seen Live Translation on earbuds and phones before, but Apple’s AirPods are pretty ubiquitous worldwide, so there’s a good chance you’ll soon be able to interact with other foreign language speakers completely hands-free via AirPods Pro 3.
Real-time audio translation can be heard through your AirPods, and active noise cancellation will help soften the human speaker's voice, allowing you to better hear the translation. While it works best if both of you have AirPods Pro 3, an iPhone screen can be used as a substitute if only one person has the AirPods.
Out of the gate, Live Translation via AirPods Pro will support five languages at launch. By the end of the year, Apple plans to add Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified). Dear Japan. I never learned your language via Duolingo, but here I come. No excuses.
Flashback: the top 26 features of iOS 26
⬆️ Tap the 🌟 icon button on this page ⬆️
🔒 Bonus: $100 PS, $50 Nintendo & Xbox gift card deals; 50% off Game Pass
🟦 $100 PlayStation gift card for $89
Can be used on PS+ or PS5 digital games
🍄 $50 Nintendo Gift Card for $45
Use funds for Nintendo Online or digital eShop games
Can’t be used for Nintendo hardware, sorry
❎ $30 off Xbox Game Pass Core (3 months) for just $14
Converts 2:1 to Game Pass Ultimate, so it’ll cost $28 vs Microsoft’s $60
🟩 $50 Xbox Gift Card for $43
🟩 $100 Xbox Gift Card for $87
We’re expanding our discount codes for paid subscribers as a pack-in. It’s sort of like CD-ROM pack-ins for subscribers of 90s magazines.
😬 Can’t afford it? Totally fine. I’m opening up more ways to be a paid subscriber for people who can’t spare the $5/mo ($4.16/mo) to keep us going. Support us in other ways by referring your friends & family to The Shortcut. Help us grow!
Here are the actual discount codes for paid subscribers ⤵️
🟦 $100 PlayStation gift card for $89
Use funds for PS5 digital games or your PS+ renewal
Please seek out the lowest offer under the buy button
Use my discount code: TSC
*If the code doesn’t work, e-mail or DM me on Substack
You must use my link, as the discount code is tied to that (99% of the time, that’s the problem when people ask)
Use my discount code: TSC
Use funds for Nintendo Online or digital eShop games
Can’t be used for Nintendo hardware, sorry
❎ $30 off Xbox Game Pass Core for just $14
Use my discount code: TSC
You can convert these 2:1 to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
You can stack these (redeem multiple 3-month codes at once)
Use backup code: TSC
Use backup code: TSC
The 17 is possibly the closest offering that actually makes me consider upgrading my 13
I'd like to see a video of the real time translation in action.