As is tradition, the online Apple Store is closed ahead of Apple's product event in September. We expect the company to officially unveil the new iPhone 17 series, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3 , and a new generation of AirPods Pro.
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The event starts at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Apple typically closes the store to signal that new hardware is about to be announced, though it won't necessarily be available for sale immediately.
Assuming Apple sticks to its regular schedule, the iPhone 17 will be available for pre-order starting this Friday, with shipping later in September. The availability of the new Apple Watches and AirPods Pro 3 is less certain, though Apple often aligns releases with the iPhone schedule.
The iPhone 17 series will include four models: the base iPhone 17 model, the new slim iPhone 17 Air, as well as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The Air is the model that will likely attract the most attention, with a striking new chassis that's rumored to be just 5.5mm thin. However, there are limitations to making a phone that thin. The Air will only have a single rear camera lens and may disappoint when it comes to battery life.
The 17 Air and the base iPhone 17 will be powered by Apple’s next-generation silicon, the Apple A19. The Pro models will get even more performance thanks to the A19 Pro chip. The Pro phones will also feature a dramatically updated camera array, housed in a redesigned full-width rectangular rear module, as well as an upgraded selfie camera. Battery life is also expected to be significantly improved compared to the 16 Pro.
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The main Apple Watch Series 11 is expected to be a minor refresh, following the redesigned Series 10 last year. There may also be a specification upgrade to the base Apple Watch SE.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will receive significant updates, with a brighter display with wider viewing angles and a faster refresh rate in always-on mode, satellite connectivity, 5G support, and an updated chip.
The AirPods Pro 3 are also expected to get a refresh. The big addition will be a new heart rate sensor, allowing users to track exercise stats during workouts without having to wear an Apple Watch. The design of the earbuds may also be tweaked for better comfort.
It remains to be seen whether the AirPods Pro 3 will also feature an updated chip with improved sound quality and upgraded noise cancellation. In 2026, Apple is expected to revise the AirPods Pro again, adding infrared cameras for AI vision tasks.
The new charging case will be similar to the AirPods 4 case, where the physical pairing button has been replaced with a touch sensor.
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It seems likely that the event will feature a trio of new iPhones, Watches, and AirPods. However, there’s a chance we’ll see the M5 iPad Pro, the Vision Pro with an upgraded headband, and possibly the second-generation AirTag, or new HomePod mini and Apple TV set-top box updates. Those products are more likely to be part of a second event in October.
