That’s higher than entry-level models with smaller screens but less than Apple’s Pro models that feature higher-quality screens and faster chips. It’s also possible that Apple might eliminate the entry-level version of some of its phones, forcing users to get more storage at higher starting prices. Apple typically charges $100 more to double the amount of the iPhone’s storage from 128GB to 256GB. But if Apple does raise prices on its phones, don’t expect the company to blame the change on tariffs. More likely, Apple will highlight the phones’ new technology, as well as their chips. Apple’s new chip in the iPhone Air and Pro models, called the A19 Pro, has several improvements for artificial intelligence, the company said on Tuesday.
Apple raises the starting price of the iPhone Pro by $100
Apple raised the price of its iPhone 17 Pro on Tuesday, as expected, as the company deals with tariffs and geopolitical challenges. But now, the first upgraded storage option on iPhone 17 models costs $200, instead of $100. For example, an iPhone 17 Air with 256GB of storage costs $999 while the one with 512GB of storage costs $1,199, according to Apple’s website. Before the Plus lagged, Apple offered a “Mini” phone with a smaller screen at its lowest entry-level price. Revealed in June, Apple has created a new visual language that it calls Liquid Glass.
iPhone 17 Air will have ‘all-day battery life’
For the iPhone 17 Pro models, Apple is only charging $200 to upgrade from 512GB of storage to 1TB, but it will charge an extra $500, bringing the total price to $1,999, for 2TB of storage space. While Apple tweaked the starting price of the iPhone 17 Pro, raising it by $100, it said that part of the reason was that it has the same amount of storage as an upgraded version from last year. “People are going to upgrade because they need a new iPhone, but people are not going to be running out to buy these phones if they don’t need a new phone,” she said. Apple’s highest-end watch, the Ultra, was introduced in 2022, and updated with minor improvements in 2023, but it didn’t get a big update last year — only a new black color. Apple said the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models will have the “best camera system we’ve ever made.”
- The idea behind the slim model is that consumers will give up some battery life and features, such as multiple camera lenses, for a more lightweight iPhone.
- Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman said that the iPhone 17 launch comes at a “really tough” moment for Apple as the company is facing questions about its artificial intelligence efforts.
- Apple’s new wireless headphones, called Apple AirPods Pro 3, will be able to translate conversations in foreign languages in real-time.
- Apple said the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models will have the “best camera system we’ve ever made.”
- It also adding parts called “machine learning accelerators” into its graphics processors, or GPUs, which are typically used for AI, in addition to graphics.
Apple Watch’s new trick — monitoring high blood pressure
That’s because Apple will likely roll out its iOS 26 operating system after its iPhone event, and that software update will include the most drastic visual change to the iPhone’s interface in a decade. It’s dark and a cool 67 degrees at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters ahead of the iPhone maker’s “Awe dropping” launch event. The company said that its algorithm looks for chronic high blood pressure in the background, by reviewing data over 30-day periods. Apple said its technology was based on a series of medical studies with 100,000 participants. The company said that it had updated the model and it is now called Apple Watch Ultra 3. Apple said it had improved its display, satellite connectivity and added 5G coverage.
On Tuesday, Apple said its entry-level iPhone 17 will get the feature, and will also get a slightly larger 6.3-inch screen with smaller bezels. That means the screen is getting bigger, but the size of the phone is staying the same as that of the iPhone 16. The new chip has a second-generation caching architecture that helps to double its ability to do math, the company said. It also adding parts called “machine learning accelerators” into its graphics processors, or GPUs, which are typically used for AI, in addition to graphics. “Despite being much thinner and lighter, iPhone Air still gets amazing all-day battery life,” the company said. Apple revealed the launch date for iOS 26, the latest version of the iPhone operating system that will ship with the new devices next week.
The Air’s internal design maximizes battery space and the new operating system, iOS 26, will have new power-saving features that learn your usage patterns and anticipate when you might run low on battery. Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman said that the iPhone 17 launch comes at a “really tough” moment for Apple as the company is facing questions about its artificial intelligence efforts. “iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, the same great price as last year’s 256GB iPhone 16 Pro,” said Apple’s marketing chief Greg Joswiak during the launch event. This is CNBC’s coverage of Apple’s biggest launch event of the year, where it announced new iPhones and Apple Watches that will go on sale on Sept. 19. This year, analysts have said they expect Apple will mix up its lineup yet again, replacing the “Plus” with a slim model that could be called the “Air,” like Apple’s thin laptops and iPads.
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max camera specs
- Apple’s chief marketer Greg Joswiak said the chip will enable its devices to run local large language models.
- Wall Street Journal tech columnist Joanna Stern said Apple’s launch event has to deliver for investors and consumers, but price stability will be a key point of focus.
- The Air’s internal design maximizes battery space and the new operating system, iOS 26, will have new power-saving features that learn your usage patterns and anticipate when you might run low on battery.
- The company said iPhone users took over 500 billion selfies last year, and the new model has a “center stage front camera” that has the largest front camera sensor, almost twice the size of the previous front camera.
- For example, an iPhone 17 Air with 256GB of storage costs $999 while the one with 512GB of storage costs $1,199, according to Apple’s website.
Even if iPhone users aren’t planning to buy one of the new devices the company announces on Tuesday, they should expect their phones to get a drastically different look later this week. Andersen Capital Management founder Peter Andersen said he was disappointed in the iPhone maker’s lack of attention to software and artificial intelligence ahead of the launch event. Stern said that without major design overhauls or new types of devices that drive excitement, she expects the launch to be “the same as the last many iPhone events.” The new device will fit people’s ears better than previous versions of the AirPods, and they will contain translation features, said Kate Bergeron, Apple vice president of hardware engineering.
The idea behind the slim model is that consumers will give up some battery life and features, such as multiple camera lenses, for a more lightweight iPhone. Apple’s expected entry into the market comes after rival Samsung released a similar device called the Galaxy S25 Edge earlier this year. Most analysts expect Apple to raise prices on some of its models as it grapples with the Trump administration’s tariffs. Wall Street Journal tech columnist Joanna Stern said Apple’s launch event has to deliver for investors and consumers, but price stability will be a key point of focus. Every year, one of Apple’s models tends to lag its siblings in terms of sales, according to analysts.
Apple’s AirPodsPro 3 will be able to translate in real-time
The campus will soon be packed for the expected announcement of new iPhones and Apple Watches. “Using data from the optical heart sensor, the algorithm looks for chronic high blood pressure by analyzing how your blood vessels respond,” said Sumbul Desai, Apple’s health vice president.
Apple has announced its new thin-and-light iPhone, called iPhone Air, as chicken road analysts expected. The company said iPhone users took over 500 billion selfies last year, and the new model has a “center stage front camera” that has the largest front camera sensor, almost twice the size of the previous front camera. Apple’s chief marketer Greg Joswiak said the chip will enable its devices to run local large language models.
Investors seemed to be indifferent to Apple’s latest product announcements, including the new iPhone Air model and Apple Series 11 Watch. The software, iOS 26, will be released to the public on Monday, Apple said in press releases for the new iPhones. Newman said that last year’s promise of Apple Intelligence driving a big cycle didn’t really pan out, but the company does have “the longest on-ramp” to get AI right with its massive user base. The biggest question Apple investors and customers have about this year’s iPhones is how much they will cost. CNBC’s Steve Kovach reports that staff are setting up breakfast before the crowds arrive.
While Apple’s AI hasn’t lived up to expectations, customers will still upgrade their iPhones to improve battery life, Evercore’s Amit Daryanani said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Tuesday. Apple’s new wireless headphones, called Apple AirPods Pro 3, will be able to translate conversations in foreign languages in real-time. Consumer products, including apparel, footwear, coffee and game consoles, are seeing price increases driven by tariff costs. In previous years, one way Apple distinguished its entry-level iPhone from its “Pro” models was a feature it calls ProMotion, or the display’s refresh rate, which makes the entire interface smoother. There were questions about the battery life of the new Air model ahead of today’s launch, and now we have the answer, though the announcement was short on specifics.
The new look replaces formerly opaque static buttons throughout the iPhone’s operating system with transparent graphics designed by Apple to have detailed, liquid-like animations. Investors will be apathetic towards the Apple event if there are no new major hardware updates, said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives on CNBC’s Halftime Report on Tuesday. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the launch event with a short speech about how the company thinks about design, saying that it’s “at the core of everything we do.” The Series 11 also features a new 5G modem and antenna architecture and is more power efficient, using less battery.
