iPhone 17: Apple refreshes its family of phones with a new ultra-thin model

Apple Park, the official headquarters of the Cupertino company, has once again been the stage for the presentation of many of the new hardware products from one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Apple has announced four new iPhone 17 models, including an ultra-thin model, new AirPods Pro, and an Apple Watch.

These developments come at a crucial time for the company, with sales of the previous model and a new trade order imposed by Donald Trump forcing Apple to shift its manufacturing to India. Apple estimates the tariffs will cost it more than $1 billion in the current fiscal quarter.

In fact, for the first time, the entire iPhone 17 lineup destined for the US market will be manufactured in India, including the Pro models, which have traditionally been assembled in China.

"Design is the guiding principle of everything we do," Tim Cook asserted at the start of the event. And with this mantra, he announced updates across all of his teams to try to demonstrate to the market that, despite not being a leader in artificial intelligence, they remain an innovative company.

iPhone Air

At just 5.6 millimeters thick, the new iPhone Air is Apple's thinnest phone ever made. The device is thinner than rival Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge (5.8 mm), which will be its main competitor.

The device boasts a Promotion panel with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and Ceramic Shield 2 scratch protection. It's claimed to be four times more drop-resistant than previous versions, and thanks to its titanium frames, it's the most durable iPhone yet.

One thing Apple hasn't cut corners on its new slim device is the processor, using the same one found in the more advanced Pro models. The new A19 Pro chip is, according to Apple, the fastest processor in any phone on the market and is very focused on efficiency.

It also incorporates neural accelerators in each CPU, which means that these new iPhones with the A19 chip have processing comparable to that of a MacBook Pro.

Apple claims it's the most energy-efficient iPhone to date, a significant factor that's especially concerning given the device's compactness.

As for the cameras, the new Air has a single 48MP rear lens paired with a 2x telephoto lens. Apple claims it's a single camera that integrates two lenses, which doesn't compromise on quality in low-light situations.

As rumored, the iPhone Air will not have a slot for traditional SIM cards, but will instead work with an eSIM to save space on the device.

This could limit its use with certain cheaper carriers, although in Spain major companies such as Movistar, Orange, Vodafone, O2, Yoigo, Pepephone, Jazztel, Simyo, Digi, Suop, and Lebara offer eSIM plans.

iPhone 17 Pro

The big change in the Pro models is the design, with a horizontal camera module that spans the entire width of the device, similar to that of the Google Pixel.

"The most powerful iPhone ever created," says Apple, with a device that focuses on power, durability, and a renewed and striking look, with an orange color similar to that of the Apple Watch Ultra .

Inside, the iPhone 17 Pro features the A19 Pro chip, just like the Air model, and a new thermal system to prevent overheating. It's a vapor chamber containing water that's laser-welded to the chassis. This structure allows heat to be directed throughout the system and dissipated.

Apple also insists that its device is more durable, thanks to the same Ceramic Shield 2 glass used on the rest of the iPhone 17 family, but above all, because it is built in a single piece with a space-grade aluminum alloy.

The battery life has increased to 39 hours, and, as with the Air model, the SIM card slot has been removed in favor of an eSIM.

As for cameras, three lenses with a 48 Mpx wide-angle main sensor, accompanied by an ultra-wide-angle and a telephoto lens.

iPhone 17

In terms of design, the iPhone 17 doesn't feature any major changes compared to the previous year, but it does have some internal improvements.

As rumored, the cheapest model in the family boasts ProMotion and reaches 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, as well as 3,000 nits of brightness.

The chip used is the A19, fully prepared for the demands of AI with the new features that Apple announced at its developer event last June and that will arrive with iOS 26.

The battery is another big benefit, as Apple says it lasts 8 hours longer than the 16-inch model thanks to ProMotion. It can also charge 50% in just 20 minutes.

The camera has also made a big leap forward, with a 48MP main sensor. On the front, there's a significant leap in selfie quality with a new front-facing camera featuring the Center Stage tool, which allows for better focusing and higher quality by doubling the sensor size.

AirPods Pro 3

After three years without a refresh, Apple's most powerful in-ear headphones have improved, and significantly.

The company, which hadn't announced any major new features for its AirPods in several years, is introducing the AirPods Pro 3 with exciting updates and much-improved noise cancellation. "It's the best noise cancellation of any wireless earbuds on the market ," Apple claimed. It's twice as powerful as the previous generation and four times better than the first AirPods Pro.

Another major new feature is real-time translation. Noise cancellation lowers the volume when it detects conversation and automatically translates what the other person has said into their language, in full, meaningful sentences, not single words.

If you're talking to someone with AirPods Pro 3, you'll be able to speak your own language and have it translated simultaneously. If not, you can use your iPhone to show the other person the translated sentences in real time.

The geometry of the earphones has also been improved to better fit the ear.

Apple Watch

Apple has also announced the renewal of its entire watch catalog: the cheapest model, Watch SE, the most powerful, Ultra, and the traditional model, Apple Watch Series 11.

The Series 11 model adds a high blood pressure detection feature and a new sleep score , with a slightly improved battery that lasts more than 24 hours, still insufficient compared to the competition.

The SE model adds gestures like double-tap and wrist twist and includes several health features from higher-end models, in addition to improved battery life.

The Ultra model, meanwhile, has improved its display, now OLED and with smaller borders.

Availability and Prices

Despite rumors pointing to a price increase for some iPhone models, Apple has maintained or even lowered their prices.

Apple has lowered the starting price of the iPhone 17 model, from 959 euros for the 256 GB model, the same price as the 128 GB iPhone 16.

As for the Pro models, Apple has eliminated the 128GB model to directly offer 256GB of capacity at €1,319 , €30 less than the iPhone 16 Pro of that size.

The iPhone 17 Pro starts this time at €1,469 , exactly the same as a year earlier. The big difference is that it offers a version with 2TB of storage, which increases to €2,469, the most expensive iPhone to date.

They will be available on September 19th, although they can be reserved starting this Friday the 12th.