"Awe Dropping" might be the cringiest Apple tagline since "Think Different." Marketing executives who haven't used a phone in production came up with this garbage. But the September 9 event might actually fix some real problems. That infrared logo isn't just pretty - it means Apple finally cares about thermal management.
iPhone 17 Air: Thin Battery Life, Thick Marketing
The iPhone 17 Air will kill your battery by 2pm. Physics still exists - thin phones have shit battery life. Apple's betting users care more about looking cool than actually using their phones all day.
6.6-inch display with 120Hz ProMotion sounds great until you realize powering that screen in an ultra-thin chassis means thermal throttling kicks in during basic tasks. I've tested thin Android phones. They all overheat and slow down when you need them most.
$899 starting price for a phone designed to make you carry a battery pack. You're paying premium money for Apple's design fetish that makes the phone worse at being a phone.
Pro Models Get Major Camera Redesign
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models will feature a completely redesigned camera system with a new pill-shaped camera bump that's significantly larger than previous generations. This redesign accommodates enhanced computational photography capabilities and improved optical zoom performance.
The Pro models will also include enhanced build materials, with a more durable aluminum-based back construction that improves both aesthetics and functionality. The infrared theme in Apple's event logo suggests significant improvements to thermal management across the Pro lineup, possibly including vapor chamber cooling technology.
Standard iPhone 17: Apple Finally Stops Artificially Crippling Base Models
The base iPhone 17 gets 120Hz ProMotion because Apple finally ran out of artificial restrictions to justify Pro pricing. It only took them five fucking years to stop deliberately making their cheapest phone feel sluggish. The 6.3-inch display (up from 6.1-inch) means they're competing with Android phones from 2019 – progress!
At $799 starting price (which will be $850+ after taxes and "required" accessories), you're finally getting a phone that doesn't feel purposely handicapped. Of course, this means Apple needs new ways to make Pro buyers feel special – expect some other arbitrary limitation to surface.
Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3
Alongside the iPhone lineup, Apple will introduce updated Apple Watch models, including the Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, and a refreshed SE model. The Ultra 3 represents the first update in two years to Apple's premium wearable, with enhanced health monitoring capabilities and improved battery life for extreme sports applications.
iOS 26 Integration and AI Features
The entire iPhone 17 lineup will launch with iOS 26, which was previewed at WWDC 2025. The operating system includes enhanced AI capabilities, improved Siri functionality with potential Google Gemini integration, and new productivity features designed to take advantage of the improved hardware performance.
Reality Check: Launch Timeline and What Could Go Wrong
Pre-orders start September 12 at 8:00 AM ET, assuming no supply chain disasters. Remember iPhone 12 delays? iPhone 14 Plus inventory issues? Shit happens, especially when you're cramming new thermal management into ultra-thin designs.
General availability on September 19, 2025 assumes everything goes perfectly. With new manufacturing processes for the Air model and the complexity of vapor chamber cooling in Pro models, expect at least some SKUs to be "temporarily unavailable" through October.
Apple's facing real competition for the first time in years – Google Pixel 8 Pro cameras that don't suck, Samsung finally fixing their software, and Chinese manufacturers delivering flagship features at half the price. The iPhone 17 Air better deliver on its promises, because consumers have options now and Apple's reality distortion field isn't as strong as it used to be.