On September 9th, Apple’s 2025 Fall Event kicked off. Themed “On Fire,” this event, a highly anticipated technological extravaganza, instantly ignited the global tech community.
The star of the show was undoubtedly the highly anticipated iPhone 17 series, featuring key upgrades from core chip performance to screen display quality and imaging system configuration, becoming the center of attention.
In addition, new Apple Watches and AirPods were also added to the lineup.
iPhone 17, a blockbuster arrival. The iPhone 17 series includes four models: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, catering to diverse user needs. Pre-orders for the series will officially open at 8 PM on September 12th, with sales starting on September 19th.
iPhone 17
The latest released iPhone 17 is equipped with the 3nm A19 chip, featuring a 6-core CPU (including 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores) and a 5-core GPU. It also features an optimized neural network engine tailored for Apple intelligence. Powered by the A19, on-device generative models and large language models will run much faster.
It is worth noting that after launching the Apple Silicon A14 chip based on TSMC’s 5nm architecture in 2020, Apple sequentially released the A15 and A16 chips over the following two years, continuously iterating its chip process. In 2023, as 3nm process technology matured, Apple began adopting TSMC’s N3B process. This shift brought both performance and energy efficiency improvements to its devices, becoming a key milestone in chip upgrades.
However, current information indicates that the iPhone 17 series has broken with its previous iteration cadence—this is the third consecutive year that the series has used 3nm process technology, without the usual process generational upgrades. It is reported that Apple may have to wait until the iPhone 18 series in 2026 to adopt 2nm chips. By then, the iPhone 18 Pro models may be the first to adopt the 2nm process, while the standard iPhone 18 may still use the 3nm process.
The iPhone 17 is available in five colors: Lavender Purple, Mist Blue, Black, White, and Sage Green.
The iPhone 17 features a 6.3-inch ProMotion display with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The always-on display can drop down to 1Hz and supports live events and widgets on the lock screen. The screen also boasts a peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits outdoors. For enhanced durability, the iPhone 17 features Ceramic Shield 2, which offers three times greater scratch resistance.
The iPhone 17 features a 48-megapixel dual-camera system with 1x and 2x optical zoom. The system can switch between 48 megapixels and the more practical 24-megapixel mode. In 2x zoom mode, the optical telephoto lens achieves a 52mm equivalent focal length. This camera system cleverly integrates an ultra-wide-angle lens with the main camera, offering 13mm and 26mm focal length options. In addition, the front camera also supports the character centering function, giving it more flexible composition.
In terms of battery life, the iPhone 17 promises “all-day battery life” and video playback time is 8 hours longer than the iPhone 16. In addition, you can get 8 hours of video playback time with just 10 minutes of charging.
iPhone 17 Air
The launch of the iPhone 17 Air was revolutionary. Featuring an ultra-thin design at just 5.6mm thick, it’s been dubbed the “thinnest iPhone yet.”
The iPhone 17 Air comes in four colors: Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, and Space Black.
The front of the iPhone 17 Air features a 6.5-inch 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate display (peak brightness 3000 nits), supports AOD 1Hz off-screen display, and is paired with an 18MP selfie camera. The back of the phone houses a 48MP fusion camera (26mm equivalent, f/1.6 aperture).
In terms of performance, the iPhone 17 Air is equipped with the latest A19 Pro processor, featuring a 5-core graphics processor and a second-generation dynamic cache architecture, delivering up to three times the peak GPU computing power of the A18 Pro. It also incorporates the Apple-designed N1 chip, supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and Thread networking. The new C1X self-developed 5G baseband chip, which is 2 times faster and reduces energy consumption by 30%.
In terms of imaging, the iPhone 17 Air features a 48-megapixel fused single-lens camera with a 2x telephoto lens. Leveraging Apple’s optimized imaging algorithms, it delivers superior image quality and detail.
In addition, the iPhone 17 Air will fully transition to an eSIM design, continuing Apple’s commitment to simplifying physical interfaces and advancing communication standards.
iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, with their all-new unibody aluminum design, revolutionary cooling system, and fully upgraded imaging capabilities, have been hailed by Apple CEO Tim Cook as the “most advanced iPhone yet.”
The iPhone 17 Pro series comes in three colors: Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue.
In terms of appearance, Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max feature a redesigned camera module structure, adopting a new horizontal large-matrix camera design. This design improves visual consistency while providing more physical space for the upgraded telephoto lens.
In terms of core specifications, the iPhone 17 Pro is equipped with the A19 Pro chip. Compared to the A19 Pro in the iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 Pro’s A19 Pro features an additional GPU core, resulting in superior graphics performance.
In terms of imaging capabilities, the iPhone 17 Pro series’ imaging system has undergone a comprehensive upgrade. The rear triple-camera setup—wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and periscope telephoto—has all been upgraded to 48-megapixel fusion sensors. The telephoto lens supports 4x optical zoom (100mm equivalent) and 8x high-quality hybrid zoom (200mm equivalent), with digital zoom up to 40x. The front-facing camera is a standard 18-megapixel camera with a centering feature. Video shooting capabilities have been further enhanced with support for the ProRes RAW format.
In addition, Apple uses a VC heat sink for the iPhone 17 Pro. Thanks to the new cooling system, the iPhone 17 Pro can quickly dissipate heat through the one-piece aluminum alloy body, which can fully unleash the powerful performance of the A19 Pro chip.
Apple Watch and AirPods were unveiled simultaneously.
In addition to the iPhone, this event also marked the first simultaneous update of the entire Apple Watch lineup in nearly three years, including the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3. These watches offer significant improvements in health monitoring features, durability, battery life, and smart experiences.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the highlight of this upgrade, boasting the largest screen and longest battery life ever for Apple’s watch. In terms of appearance and display, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 utilizes advanced wide-viewing angle OLED and LTPO3 technology, resulting in brighter screens at angles. The watch also adds 5G cellular network support and satellite connectivity, a battery life of up to 42 hours, and features high blood pressure monitoring.
The Apple Watch SE 3, as the entry-level model, is equipped with the powerful Apple Watch chip S10, an always-on display, and wrist gestures like flicking. It boasts up to 18 hours of battery life and supports fast charging, which is twice as fast as the previous-generation SE 2, extending battery life by 8 hours in just 15 minutes. In terms of appearance, it is available in two colors: Starlight and Midnight, and is made of aluminum. The health monitoring function is further enhanced. In addition to the existing fall detection and collision detection, it also adds wrist temperature sensing, sleep apnea notification and sleep scoring functions to protect the user’s health.
Apple Watch Series 11 is the thinnest and most comfortable watch ever released. It features a new RS glass and ceramic cover design that is twice as hard as before, significantly enhancing its durability. Equipped with the latest 5G modem and antenna architecture, it supports 5G networks, consuming less power and providing extended coverage. The Series 11 boasts up to 24 hours of battery life and features new flowing and precise watch face designs.
Next month, Apple’s most popular headphone buds will also see a new version—the AirPods Pro 3. The starting price of the AirPods Pro 3 remains unchanged at $249, the same as the previous model. Pre-orders for the new model began following the launch event, with the official release scheduled for September 19th. This marks the first time Apple’s new headphone buds have incorporated heart rate monitoring, along with upgraded active noise cancellation (ANC) and real-time translation features.
AirPods Pro 3 feature a completely new acoustic design, delivering superior sound quality. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is significantly enhanced, reportedly up to twice the noise reduction of the previous generation. Combined with new eartip materials and an optimized seal, the combined noise reduction can reach up to four times that of the previous generation in some scenarios.
Functionally, AirPods Pro 3 are deeply integrated with Apple Intelligence, introducing the “Real-Time Translation” feature for the first time. This feature can be activated by simultaneously pressing the ear stems with both hands. The earbuds automatically reduce ambient sound and provide a real-time translation. When used with the Translate app on iPhone, the user’s voice can be converted to text and translated into the target language, which is then displayed on the screen, enabling face-to-face, cross-language communication.
Health features have also been expanded. AirPods Pro 3 features a built-in heart rate sensor that supports heart rate monitoring for 50 sports and provides real-time voice motivation during exercise. In terms of battery life, with Active Noise Cancellation mode enabled, single-charge time increases from 6 hours to 8 hours, and in Transparency mode, it extends to 10 hours, providing a more durable overall experience. The charging case also supports MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging.
