In simply three days, Apple will maintain a press occasion to announce its newest spherical of recent merchandise. We’ve seen the paintings, we’ve learn the tagline (“Awe Dropping”), and we may be fairly certain the iPhone 17 will make an look. However every thing else is shrouded in thriller.
Till now. Sure, that’s proper. As soon as once more, Macworld despatched a crew of hard-bitten journalists to rummage by the bins at Apple Park, and as soon as once more, they hit pay dust: the total presentation script, storyboards, rehearsal tapes, props, costumes, a type of old-timey film clapperboards, and several other half-eaten sandwiches. We’ve eaten the sandwiches and used the remainder to painstakingly assemble a minute-by-minute simulation of the iPhone 17 launch occasion, which you’ll take pleasure in under.
Simply to be one hundred pc clear, this isn’t actual. Our “script” is predicated on detailed evaluation of credible leaks and rumors, with a couple of (hopefully apparent) jokes blended in. Please don’t ship in any extra offended emails.
Introductory guff
09:58 a.m.: We’re reside! The pre-stream is up and operating. Should you’re considering the music sounds acquainted, it’s “Platitude Queen” by Onion Terror. Which in fact was used earlier this 12 months within the opening credit of Apple TV+’s gritty remake of “Maintaining Up Appearances.” What a triumphant efficiency that was from Margot Robbie.
10:00: The stream correct begins. Minimize to a darkened metropolis avenue. A younger girl is jogging from streetlight to streetlight, glancing periodically on the exercise stats on her Apple Watch Extremely. (Is {that a} larger watch, or a small actress?) “You are able to do this!” the watch says, surprisingly. “Only one mile to go. Vitals regular. Loads of power left. You’re on monitor to beat your private greatest!”
10:02: A middle-aged man on a graffitied subway practice faucets his AirPods. “Adjusting audio,” it says. “Blocking out the annoying man subsequent to you.” Now he’s in a restaurant. “Translating from Cantonese,” the headphones report, and he begins to order.
10:04: An aged girl takes out her iPhone–which is in a case, so it’s exhausting to get a transparent view of the design–and summons Siri. “Has there ever been a boy born who can swim sooner than a shark?” she asks. “Nonetheless no,” Siri replies wearily.
10:06: And now the digital camera is flying by the clouds above Apple Park. It swoops down, and there, standing in entrance of the acquainted rainbow sculpture, is Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner. “Good morning!” he says. “We’ve obtained a implausible present for you in the present day.”
10:07: “Apple merchandise make the world a greater place,” Cook dinner trills. “They play a significant function at work and in our free time. They assist us to enhance our well being and keep in contact with family members. They put the world’s information at our fingertips. They usually ship sustainable shareholder worth by hitting high-margin KPIs going ahead.”
10:09: Right this moment’s occasion goes to deal with three areas, Cook dinner says: iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. “To speak us by the thrilling adjustments coming to iPhone, it’s over to Kaiann.”
Foundry
iPhone 17
10.10: Kaiann Drance, Apple’s VP of iPhone product advertising, has obtained the massive gig as soon as once more, after presenting the iPhone 16 final 12 months. She’s standing subsequent to a colossal iPhone field and appears alarmingly enthusiastic.
10:11: “Thanks Tim, nice to be right here,” she says. “I’m super-excited to speak about iPhone! After final 12 months’s thrilling iPhone 16 launch we sat down and requested ourselves one query: what’s absolutely the minimal we might change and nonetheless have individuals improve their telephones, thereby sustaining a sustainable long-term income stream?”
10:12: “And in the present day I’m proud to disclose the reply to that query! Please welcome iPhone 17: One other 12 months Has Handed™.”
10:13: Time for a advertising video! And we’re seeing the brand new iPhone in all its glory. Which largely matches with the leaked pictures we’ve been bombarded with for the previous three months: there’s a good-looking new purple end (right here we go once more; Apple tried purple on the iPhone 12 and 14, then gave up on the colour for some time), the blue mannequin is way paler, and pink has vanished altogether (boo!). However the essence of the design seems the identical: the 2 rear digital camera lenses, for instance, stay in the identical vertical alignment as on the iPhone 16.
10:14: “iPhone 17 is our greatest ever iPhone,” Drance says smugly. “We took every thing you really liked about iPhone 16 and made it fractionally higher. Our brand-new A19 processor delivers market-leading efficiency on even essentially the most demanding apps, whereas an upgraded 24MP front-facing digital camera ensures the sharpest selfies you’ve ever seen.”
10:16: “And as for the display screen… goodness me, what a change! For the primary time ever on a non-Professional iPhone, we’re providing an always-on show, however that’s not all. All of this month’s new iPhones have LTPO screens with a surprising 120Hz price and our well-liked ProMotion characteristic, so you possibly can stay up for buttery-smooth animation whereas sustaining our regular distinctive battery life.”
10:18: Pre-orders for the iPhone 17 are open now, and it’ll ship on September 19. Costs begin at $799 for the 128GB mannequin, which is identical because the entry-level iPhone 16 final 12 months. Evidently Apple managed to shrug off the consequences of the tariffs, at the least for now. That’s excellent news.
10:19: “That’s iPhone 17. We expect you’re going to adore it.”
iPhone 17 Professional (and 17 Professional Max)
10.20: Drance is sticking round, and we’re heading straight into the iPhone 17 Professional. No point out thus far of the rumored iPhone 17 Air, however it’s a little bit of a giveaway that the iPhone 17 was solely proven in a single display screen dimension. Presumably the Air might be introduced later?
10:21: “Apple’s Professional collection of iPhones are the {industry} commonplace for premium smartphone design,” Drance says. “The truth is, they make even our commonplace iPhones appear to be disgusting trash. Evidently, speaking in regards to the pathetic iPhone 17 simply now was an actual ordeal for me. So I’m excited to announce iPhone 17 Professional.”
10:23: We’re seeing the brand new handsets now. Most clearly, the rear digital camera module has been closely redesigned: it’s now a broad bar that covers virtually the total width of the cellphone’s again floor. (The digital camera lenses themselves, conversely, look the identical.) And right here too we’re seeing new coloration choices, with the Professional fashions out there in a startling new orange and a much more somber darkish blue in addition to the same old black, white, and grey. And… is {that a} smaller Dynamic Island?
10:25: We’re speaking efficiency. Is the 17 Professional getting a bump from 8GB to 12GB of RAM, as rumoured? Apple tends to be cagey about such issues. “iPhone 17 Professional is so highly effective you’ll actually faint while you see it,” says Drance, unhelpfully. “The A19 Professional chip is quicker than a peregrine falcon, which is the quickest animal on earth.”
10:26: “Many individuals assume it’s the cheetah,” she provides. “But it surely’s not.”
10:27: Digicam efficiency ought to see a big enchancment. Apart from getting the identical 24MP selfie digital camera because the iPhone 17, the 17 Professional’s telephoto lens has been bumped to a whopping 48MP, up from the 12MP lens on the 16 Professional. Which means superior zoom efficiency, Drance says the Professional fashions now have a 7x optical zoom earlier than the digital model kicks in.
10:29: Right here’s an attention-grabbing change: the iPhone 17 Professional will get a mechanical aperture, which implies you possibly can customise the quantity of sunshine allowed by. “This implies an unprecedented degree of management over the depth of subject,” Drance boasts. We don’t know the way this can work in observe, however on the Huawei Mate 50 Professional, you possibly can select from 10 steps between f/1.4 and f/4.0 or, as most of us will inevitably do, simply depart the digital camera in auto mode.
10:31: “The iPhone 17 Professional has an industry-leading battery and can final you for a scarcely conceivable single day of utilization earlier than needing a cost. And charging is now sooner than ever, due to an enormous improve to MagSafe.” It’s been bumped from a most 25W to 50W, though this can depend upon having a suitable charging puck (and energy adapter) in addition to the iPhone 17 Professional. You might simply discover a bottleneck in a unique a part of your charging setup.
10:33: We’re rattling by the iPhone 17 Professional’s different upgrades now. The display screen has a brand new anti-glare end (forward of the occasion, we heard this was additionally going to be scratch-resistant, however maybe Apple desires to keep away from any references to its telephones getting broken). And there’s a brand new Apple-designed Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip, which Drance says will enhance energy effectivity.
10:35: “That’s iPhone 17 Professional: Something Else Is Repulsive™. We expect you’re going to adore it.” It comes out on September 19 and begins at… oh wow, it’s $1,199 for the most cost effective 17 Professional, a loopy $200 bump on final 12 months’s mannequin! Granted, you get twice as a lot storage (the 128GB mannequin has been phased out), however nonetheless. The 17 Professional Max begins at $1,299, which is $100 greater than the equal 16 Professional Max final 12 months. This can be a lot to soak up.
New Apple Watches
10:36: Tim Cook dinner is again. “Thanks Kaiann! We’re excited for you all to check out the brand new iPhone 17 vary, which we anticipate to ship worthwhile synergy in key market verticals and enhance our buyer retention analytics. Now on to Apple Watch, and for the final time, it’s over to Jeff.”
10:37: Wow, it’s Jeff Williams! Williams stepped down as Apple COO on the finish of July, however he stays with the corporate till his retirement later this 12 months. Clearly Cook dinner persuaded him to do one final keynote earlier than heading out the door. The person appears emotional: he’s taken off his footwear and one in every of his socks.
10:38: “Thanks Tim,” he says, visibly moved. “You already know, prospects come as much as me, massive prospects, tall prospects, tears operating down their buyer faces, they usually say, Jeff, the Apple Watch Collection 10 is the best smartwatch on the earth! How will you probably high that?! And I say, we’re wanting into that very strongly.”
10:39: “So in the present day, we’re proud to announce Apple Watch Collection 11.”
10:40: Video time! And the brand new watch seems… precisely the identical because the Collection 10 from final 12 months. No new colours: it seems to once more be out there in black, silver, and rose gold, plus the darkish and lightweight titanium finishes. Nonetheless, you recognize. It seems good. It’s high-quality.
10:42: “Apple Watch is the preferred well being machine on the earth,” says Williams. “It saves lives every single day, and helps our prospects to enhance their health. And from in the present day, these well being advantages will grow to be much more important.”
10:44: The Collection 11 has a brand new sensor that allows blood-pressure monitoring, which could possibly be fairly essential in unlocking a spread of recent well being options–not least the flexibility to detect hypertension and thereby predict strokes and coronary heart assaults extra precisely.
10:46: The brand new Apple Watch additionally will get a brand new S11 processor, inevitably, though the precise advantages of which might be unclear. (Ever discovered your Apple Watch gradual? Didn’t assume so. Plus, pre-launch reviews indicated that the S11 is actually only a rebadged S10.) Whereas its improve to 5G connectivity is a pleasant shock.
10:48: Oh, we’re executed. “That’s Apple Watch Collection 11. We expect you’re going to adore it.” It begins at $399 and can seem in shops beginning September 19.
10:50: We’ve abruptly reduce to yet one more advertising video. Primarily based on the colours—blue, yellow, pink—and basic vibe, it’s certainly a brand new SE mannequin.
10:52: “We’re proud to announce Apple Watch SE 3,” says Cook dinner. “You already know, for youths.”
10:53: The SE has been fully redesigned. It’s made from plastic, and is available in a wide range of shiny colours. The show is larger (up from 40/44mm to 41/45mm) to match the outdated Collection 7 reasonably than the Collection 5 which the final SE was primarily based on. It additionally will get the S11 chip.
10:55: The brand new Apple Watch SE begins at $249. That’s the identical value because the earlier mannequin, with the additional value of the bigger display screen and the economies of utilizing plastic presumably cancelling one another out.
Jim Martin / Foundry
10:57: We’re on to the Extremely now. And there’s a slight redesign right here: specifically, a bigger display screen. “Clients informed us they liked the massive, shiny show on Apple Watch Extremely, however puzzled if it could possibly be even larger? So we’re proud to announce that this 12 months’s Extremely has 5 % extra display screen actual property!”
10:59: The official line is that the display screen dimension has elevated from 49mm to 50mm. We perceive that the decision has gone up from 410×502 to 422×514, which is certainly 5.39 % extra pixels. And Williams insists the watch itself isn’t any bigger, thanks presumably to slimmer bezels across the display screen.
11:00: The Extremely 3, unsurprisingly, additionally will get the identical upgrades because the Collection 11: the S11 chip, 5G, and the brand new blood-pressure monitor.
11:01: And we’re wrapping up for this part. “That’s Apple Watch Extremely 3,” says Williams. “We expect you’re going to adore it.” It begins at $799 and can seem in shops on September 19. It’s good that the watches have escaped the worth bump that hit the Professional iPhones.
AirPods Professional 3
11:03: We’re again to Tim Cook dinner, who wipes a tear and does that namaste factor he’s so keen on. “Thanks Jeff, and revel in retirement!” he says. “And now, on to AirPods.”
11:04: “AirPods stand for all that’s nice about Apple,” he says. “They’re superbly designed, supremely useful, and able to sustaining high-margin profitability throughout key demos in difficult market situations. For extra AirPods information, it’s over to Kate.”
11:06: “Thanks Tim!” says Kate Bergeron, Apple’s VP of {hardware} engineering. (She introduced new AirPods on the Glowtime occasion final 12 months.) “Let’s discuss AirPods Professional.”
Desire a slimmer case? You’ll need the AirPods Professional 3.
Foundry
11:07: It’s video time, and we’re watching the brand new AirPods Professional swooping and floating round an summary panorama. First issues first, Apple hasn’t eliminated the stems to match the Beats Studio Buds, as was rumored for a while. It’s not a radical redesign, then. However there are another noticeable adjustments: the buds now appear extra streamlined, the charging case is a unique form, they usually’re out there in black!
11:10: “We all know that the handy, slimline charging case is among the belongings you love most about AirPods Professional,” Bergeron says, not unreasonably. “So we determined to make it even higher.” Affirmation that the new case is slimmer, very similar to the AirPods 4 case, and is paired by merely tapping the case reasonably than having a devoted pairing button. And there’s no lanyard loop! Unhappy.
11.12: On to the earbuds themselves, that are getting a ton of recent options. (That is what occurs while you don’t correctly replace a product for 3 years.) It has a new H3 chip. There are heart-rate and temperature sensors. And, as rumored, it helps reside translation!
11.14: “AirPods Professional ship industry-leading audio high quality,” Bergeron says, “and that’s more true than ever with the brand new third-generation mannequin. You’ll really feel such as you’re within the room along with your favourite artists due to the distinctive immersion of Spatial Audio.”
11.15: Energetic Noise Cancellation has been upgraded, too. “It is going to filter out all of the background noises you wish to keep away from,” Bergeron says, “however with the newest model of Adaptive Audio, you may be as selective as you want.”
11.16: “That’s AirPods Professional 3. We expect you’re going to adore it.” Seems to be like this part (and maybe the presentation?) is completed. The machine begins at $249 and ships on September 19. Oh, however hold on: Bergeron simply added that the reside translation characteristic will arrive “later within the, or a, 12 months.” It should have been delayed.
Yet one more factor…
11:18: Cook dinner is again. “Thanks Kate, and due to all of our presenters tonight,” he says. “We’re excited so that you can expertise all these nice merchandise and enhance our Q1 top-line income efficiency in keeping with analyst expectations. And ultimately, isn’t that what expertise is all about?”
11.19: “However earlier than we go, there’s simply One Extra Factor I’d like to debate…”
11.20: Video time. Ah, this have to be the iPhone 17 Air eventually. And what a magnificence it’s. It’s simply breathtakingly slim. Individuals are going to like this factor (though they could not love the compromises it comes with).
11:22: The 17 Air is wildly completely different from the opposite fashions within the vary. Apart from being simply 5.5mm thick, it has just one digital camera lens on the rear (inside an oddly broad module) and one other on the entrance. These are first rate cameras, thoughts you: 24MP on the entrance, and 48MP on the rear.
11:24: It additionally has its personal set of colours: the usual black and white, plus a light-weight blue that, for some purpose, is lighter than the one on the iPhone 17, and a light-weight gold that doesn’t seem anyplace else within the present vary.
11:26: No phrase on the battery capability, however it have to be far, far lower than on the opposite fashions. Cook dinner solely says the Air will final “for a full day.” That’s not very reassuring.
11:27: Should you’re apprehensive a few repeat of Bendgate, it’s at the least clear that Apple has taken that menace severely. The Air has a titanium-aluminum alloy metallic body for added power. (Plus, the much more slender iPad Professional which launched final 12 months doesn’t appear vulnerable to bending, so there’s that.)
11:29: “iPhone 17 Air delivers industry-leading efficiency in an unprecedentedly slimline package deal,” Cook dinner boasts. What which means, apparently, is the A19 processor reasonably than the A19 Professional (and reportedly a slower GPU, though Apple received’t verify that at this level).
11:31: “That is iPhone 17 Air: Oh God Why?™,” says Cook dinner. “We expect you’re going to adore it.” It begins at $1,099. Oof! That’s lots for a cellphone that basically isn’t Professional-specced. Though it does get 256GB of storage at least.
11:32: And that basically is your lot. Cook dinner thanks the presenters as soon as once more, then does a celebratory backflip. Keep stylish, Cupertino!
Apple’s Awe Dropping occasion is about for September 9, 2025. Need to know what to anticipate? We’re anticipating new {hardware} releases together with the iPhone 17 (operating iOS 26), Apple Watch Collection 11, Extremely 3 and SE Third-gen (operating watchOS 26), and doubtlessly new AirPods. Discover out how, when, and the place to look at the Apple September Occasion, and hold tuned to our Occasion Information for all the newest protection.
