Everything Apple just announced: iPhone 17 Air, AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch Series 11 and more

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.

"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.

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.

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.

Apple previously charged $200 to upgrade devices from 256GB of storage to 512GB. Now that all of Apple's iPhone models this year start with 256GB of storage space, it will cost more to upgrade them. — Kif Leswing

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.

"The problem with Apple is that everything that's showing up today is, in fact, pretty incremental," he told CNBC's "Power Lunch." "Yes, the phone is thinner, and yes, it looks great. We haven't had a big supercycle in four years."

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.

— Chris Eudaily

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 software, iOS 26, will be released to the public on Monday, Apple said in press releases for the new iPhones.

For most people, the biggest change in iOS 26 will be a complete visual redesign. Apple calls its new iOS look "liquid glass," and has replaced static opaque buttons and menus throughout the operating system with new animations and transparent designs that are intended to flow like water as the user navigates the software. — Kif Leswing

Investors seemed to be indifferent to Apple's latest product announcements, including the new iPhone Air model and Apple Series 11 Watch.

Apple shares were down about 1.5% when the event ended. — Jonathan Vanian

Apple raised the price of its iPhone 17 Pro on Tuesday, as expected, as the company deals with tariffs and geopolitical challenges.

The iPhone 16 Pro started at $999, but this year's model starts at $1099. It comes with more built-in storage, though.

In addition, Apple's mid-range phone, the $899 iPhone 16 Plus, was discontinued. It's been replaced by a $999 iPhone Air.

Apple's entry-level iPhone 17 remains at $799 and up. Meanwhile, Apple's high end Pro Max phones will cost $1,199. — Kif Leswing

Apple said the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models will have the "best camera system we've ever made."

• Front:18 megapixel center stage camera
• All three rear cameras are 48 megapixels
• 4x zoom at 100 millimeters and a far-reaching 8x zoom at 200 millimeters
• Tetra prism telephoto with an improved censorship image stabilization system

— Chris Eudaily

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.

"Despite being much thinner and lighter, iPhone Air still gets amazing all-day battery life," the company said.

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.

— Chris Eudaily

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro will use aluminum as its case material. Apple's two previous Pro phones used titanium, which is used on this year's Air model. Before that, Apple sold iPhone Pro models with a stainless steel frame, which had heat dissipation and weight tradeoffs — Kif Leswing

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.

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.

Apple's chief marketer Greg Joswiak said the chip will enable its devices to run local large language models.

The company says these updates will allow its new phones to have three times the GPU computation as last year's phones. Apple also said that the phone's computation performance compares to its MacBook Pro laptops. — Kif Leswing

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.

The new iPhone 17 features a 48 megapixel dual fusion camera system and has four times the resolution compared to iPhone 16. — Chris Eudaily

Apple has announced its new thin-and-light iPhone, called iPhone Air, as analysts expected.

It's the first major new iPhone design since the iPhone X was introduced in 2017. It's got a titanium frame that Apple says is "space grade." Apple said it is 5.6 millimeters thick and comes in white, gold, black, and sky blue colors.

Apple says the Air is more durable than previous iPhones and uses a chip it calls the A19 Pro.

"Our intention was to make an iPhone that feels like a piece of the future, powerful, yet so thin and light it seems to disappear in your hands," an Apple presenter said. — Kif Leswing

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.

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.

Analysts say that after battery life, display quality is one of the top reasons for users to upgrade to a new iPhone. — Kif Leswing

The iPhone 17 series mobile devices will be available in five colors: lavender, mist blue, black, white and sage. They will also feature "ceramic shield 2," which Apple says will make the devices three times more scratch resistant than earlier models. — Lora Kolodny

Apple announced pricing for its new Apple Watches, which it calls Series 11, and Apple did not raise starting prices for its models, despite speculation from Wall Street analysts that it would have to a result of tariffs.

The company's low end watch, the Apple Watch SE 3, starts at $249. Its main-line Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399, the same as the Series 11, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sells for $799 and up, which is also unchanged. — Kif Leswing

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.

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.

It starts at $799, the same price as its predecessor. — Kif Leswing

Apple said the Watch Series 11 is "our thinnest and most comfortable watch."

A ceramic coating on the glass makes it harder and more scratch resistant. The Series 11 also features a new 5G modem and antenna architecture and is more power efficient, using less battery.

— Chris Eudaily

The Apple Series 11 will have a battery that can last 24 hours, and it will come available in colors like jet black, silver, rose gold and a new gray version. — Jonathan Vanian

Apple positions its Apple Watch as a health aid, and its biggest medical improvement this year in its Series 11 models is that it can now monitor people with hypertension, or high blood pressure.

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.

"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. However, she warned that it won't detect all instances of hypertension.

Apple says it expects FDA clearance "soon." — Kif Leswing

Apple has announced its first price of the day — and there's no change. Apple's new AirPods will retail for $249, the same price as the current generation AirPods Pro 2. They go on sale on September 19. — Kif Leswing

Along with features like live translation, active noise reduction and a longer battery life, Apple's new AirPods Pro 3 will be available in five sizes. The company calls them the "best-fitting" AirPods ever. — Lora Kolodny

Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the event by announcing the AirPods Pro 3.

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 new earbuds also have improved spatial audio features.

"No matter what headphones you've used before, with AirPods 3, you'll have the world's best active noise cancelation of any in ear wireless headphones, transparency enables you to hear your surroundings and now your own voice and people speaking to you will sound more natural than ever," Bergeron said.

Bergeron said there will be longer battery life, and will last 8 hours on a single charge, up from 6 hours previously. Pre-orders for the devices kick off on Tuesday for $249, and the AirPods Pro 3 will ship on Sept. 19. — Jonathan Vanian

Apple's new wireless headphones, called Apple AirPods Pro 3, will be able to translate conversations in foreign languages in real-time.

"It doesn't just translate individual words," Apple's presenter said. "The meaning of each phrase is translated for you. When you need to talk, just speak naturally."

Live translation has emerged as one of the first major consumer features powered by artificial intelligence. Google announced several live translation features, including the ability to automatically translate phone calls in the user's voice, at its event last month. — Kif Leswing

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."

"Design has always been fundamental to who we are and what we do for us," Cook said. "Design goes beyond just how something looks or feels. Design is also how it works."

He said Apple would launch new Apple Watches, iPhones and AirPods on Tuesday.

Apple's most famous designer, Jony Ive, who left the company in 2019, is now working with rival OpenAI on new competing hardware products. — Kif Leswing

Apple streams its launch events on its website and YouTube, which publishes a viewer count. Minutes ahead of the event start time, there were over 650,000 people on the YouTube stream. That figure shows there is still intense consumer demand to learn about the latest Apple products. — Kif Leswing

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.

He predicts that Apple could raise iPhone prices due to tariffs.

"Probably going to be about $50 to $100 given the tariffs issues," Ives said. — Kif Leswing

Steve Wozniak famously founded Apple alongside the late Steve Jobs in a Cupertino garage. He hasn't been involved on a day-to-day basis in decades, but he's an important inspiration to Apple employees and fans.

— Kif Leswing

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.

"End of the day, when it comes to iPhones or Apple products, in every survey we have run, the top two reasons people want to buy a new iPhone is: The battery life is very bad or they need a new screen," Daryanani said.

"AI and Apple Intelligence is the fourth or fifth reason why they want to buy," he continued.

— Kif Leswing

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.

"In a world of tariffs, in this world of the economy, that's pretty amazing for Tim Cook," Stern told CNBC's "Worldwide Exchange." "So I think that's going to be a big thing that investors should be looking at, right. The prices of these phones: Are they inching upwards without any real significant feature increases? That's going to be a tougher sell."

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."

"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.

— Chris Eudaily

Apple CEO Tim Cook always posts a photo from Apple Park, in Cupertino California, on launch days.

— Kif Leswing

It's dark and a cool 67 degrees at Apple's Cupertino headquarters ahead of the iPhone maker's "Awe dropping" launch event.

CNBC's Steve Kovach reports that staff are setting up breakfast before the crowds arrive. The campus will soon be packed for the expected announcement of new iPhones and Apple Watches.

— Chris Eudaily

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.

Andersen told CNBC's "Power Lunch" that the focus on hardware was "kind of a head fake and ignoring the elephant in the room, frankly, which is: Where is Siri?"

"As AI continues to develop, they are obviously standing in the background. So they will attempt to focus the fact of new penetration and that the hardware offers new innovations, but in the long run, I do really think they have to focus on the software development," he said.

Read more on CNBC PRO.

— Chris Eudaily

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.

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.

Revealed in June, Apple has created a new visual language that it calls Liquid Glass. 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.

So far, Liquid Glass has had mixed reviews from early adopters who have tried it out in beta versions, but when Apple releases the new software this month, millions of people will experience it for the first time. Apple is hoping that they will find it "delightful." — Kif Leswing

The biggest question Apple investors and customers have about this year's iPhones is how much they will cost.

Consumer products, including apparel, footwear, coffee and game consoles, are seeing price increases driven by tariff costs. Some Wall Street analysts are counting on Apple to follow.

Most analysts expect Apple to raise prices on some of its models as it grapples with the Trump administration's tariffs. The company said in July that tariffs could cost it over $1 billion this quarter.

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.

"No one's going to come out and say it's related to tariffs," said IDC analyst Nabila Popal.

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.

One possibility, JPMorgan analysts have said, is that Apple could eliminate the 128GB version of the iPhone Pro, which currently costs $999 for the iPhone 16, meaning consumers would have to pay $1,099 for an iPhone 17 Pro that has more starting-level storage than its predecessor. — Kif Leswing

Apple has released four new phones at its September events since 2020. But not all four iPhone models are equally popular.

Every year, one of Apple's models tends to lag its siblings in terms of sales, according to analysts. This year, it's been Apple's tweener model, the iPhone 16 Plus, which costs $899. 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.

Before the Plus lagged, Apple offered a "Mini" phone with a smaller screen at its lowest entry-level price. That Mini model also failed to produce strong sales.

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.

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.

"While we acknowledge that a thinner device would introduce a relatively new form factor for the iPhone, we think that it will have a muted impact on consumer purchasing decisions," UBS analysts wrote in a Sunday note. — Kif Leswing