Apple CEO: 'We Are Raising the Bar Again'

Apple on Tuesday rolled out its next generation of iPhones that includes a new ultra-thin model and a slight price hike for one of its high-end models, while the company feels the squeeze of a global trade war. "We are raising the bar again," Apple CEO Tim Cook told the crowd gathered in an auditorium on its campus in Cupertino, California.

• The iPhone 17 line-up includes a new slimmed-down model that will adopt the "Air" name that Apple already uses for its sleekest iPads and Mac computers, the AP reports. In what has become an annual rite for Apple, all four new iPhone 17 models will feature better cameras and longer-lasting batteries than last year's line-up. The iPhone 17 will all boast at least 256 gigabytes of storage, doubling the minimum amount from the last generation.

• In addition to better camera quality on its front and back facing lenses, iPhone 17's front camera has been upgraded across its lineup to have a wider field of view and new sensor, allowing you to take landscape photos and other selfie orientations without having to rotate your phone, reports the AP. iPhone's new Air offering also gives users the option to record videos using the front and back cameras simultaneously. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max added a more powerful telephoto lens, among other improvements.
• Apple also unveiled other gadget updates on Tuesday—including AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. Among updates to Apple's newest AirPods is live translation, which uses on-device AI to translate when other languages are spoken around the person using them.
• Apple says its latest high-end sports watch—the Ultra 3—now features the biggest display and longest battery life seen in any of the company's watches, among other updates.

• The new iPhones are the first to be released since President Trump returned to the White House and unleashed a barrage of tariffs, in what his administration says is an attempt to bring overseas manufacturing back to the US— a crusade that has thrust Cook into the hot seat. All the iPhone 17 models are still expected to be made in Apple's manufacturing hubs in China and India, exposing them to some of Trump's tariffs.
• Analysts believe the additional fees on iPhones coming into the US increase the pressure on Apple to raise prices to help protect its profit margins on its most marquee product. Without giving a specific reason, Apple will charge $1,100 for the iPhone 17 Pro, an increase of $100, or 10%, from previous versions of that model. The iPhone Air will start at $1,000—the price of last year's iPhone 16 Pro. Apple is sticking with the same starting price for the basic iPhone 17 at $800 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max at $1,200. All four models will be in stores Sept. 19.