California, USA – Apple on Tuesday introduced an upgraded line of iPhones, including a slimmer iPhone Air, while holding prices steady despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs that have weighed on the company’s profits.
The iPhone Air, starting at $999, features a high-density battery and a new A19 Pro processor designed for improved energy efficiency and performance in a thinner design. Apple called it the most durable iPhone yet, with CEO Tim Cook declaring it “the biggest leap ever for iPhone.” Rivals such as Samsung already market ultra-thin devices, placing the new model in direct competition.
Alongside the iPhone Air, Apple unveiled the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro, updates to its flagship series, as well as a new Apple Watch with a blood pressure monitor and the AirPods Pro 3 wireless headphones. A 256GB version of the iPhone 17 will start at $799, double the storage of the iPhone 16 at the same price. The iPhone 17 Pro will begin at $1,099 for 256GB, dropping the lower-priced 128GB option available in the previous generation.
Apple kept prices unchanged across the iPhone lineup, the new watch, and AirPods. Analysts said the strategy signals the company’s willingness to absorb tariff-related costs in order to maintain competitiveness against Samsung, Google, and rising Chinese brands. Apple shares fell 1.6 percent after the pricing announcements.
“They’re leveraging their scale to try to keep prices where they are,” said Tom Mainelli of IDC’s Device & Consumer Research Group. “Apple knows tariffs will affect consumer spending, especially in the U.S., so they want to make upgrades affordable at last year’s prices.”
Analysts also see the iPhone Air as a possible stepping stone toward foldable devices, where Samsung dominates. “This new device brings a sense of newness to the iPhone, which has remained the same for too long,” said PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore. “The improved lineup positions Apple strongly across different segments.”
Apple introduced other notable features at the event. The new AirPods Pro 3 will offer live language translation, including real-time conversations if both people wear the earbuds. The Apple Watch will add a blood pressure monitor, pending regulatory approval. The iPhone 17 includes a brighter, scratch-resistant screen and an upgraded front-facing camera designed for improved horizontal selfies.
On the hardware side, Apple revealed a new N1 Wi-Fi chip and a C1X modem for cellular data, replacing components previously supplied by Broadcom and Qualcomm, whose shares dipped following the announcement. “This is MacBook Pro levels of compute in an iPhone,” said Apple chip executive Tim Millet during the launch event in Cupertino. The iPhone Air will also feature two cameras and remove the physical SIM card slot to allow for greater battery capacity.
While the event emphasized hardware improvements, Apple offered little detail on its artificial intelligence roadmap. The company continues to partner with OpenAI for device-level AI features, but analysts noted it sidestepped the competitive push from Google’s Gemini-powered smartphones. “Apple is positioning itself as an innovator in AI hardware integration, even if it’s not leading the software arms race,” said eMarketer analyst Gadjo Sevilla.
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