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- Apple is kicking off its “awe-dropping” event in Cupertino on Tuesday.
- Analysts expect the tech giant to announce the iPhone 17 lineup, with a new slimmer “Air” model.
- New Apple Watches and AirPods Pro 3 are also anticipated. We’ll be liveblogging the whole event.
Today’s the day for the event that Apple says will leave us in “awe.”
The tech giant is expected to make some big product announcements during its “awe dropping” event in Cupertino, including the new iPhone 17 line-up. The fall event is Apple’s biggest day of the year as Tim Cook and other executives make their annual sales pitch for why customers should upgrade to the latest phone.
Although Apple has kept its plans for today hush-hush, analysts and tech industry insiders say they’re expecting a new slimmer iPhone, Apple Watches, AirPods, and more.
The star of the show is expected to be the much-rumored iPhone 17 “Air,” a slimmed-down model that could be positioned between the entry-level iPhone 17 and the high-end Pro variants. Powering the new lineup will be iOS 26, Apple’s revamped operating system that’s expected to feature the “Liquid Glass” aesthetic touted at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, a more transparent design language that the company has continued to tinker with in early beta versions of the software.
We’re also expecting to see AirPods Pro 3, an Apple Watch Series 11, a new Apple Watch Ultra, and more.
The main event kicks off at 1 p.m. ET, and we’ll be live-blogging Cook’s keynote and all the major announcements.
Follow along for the latest:
The new iPhones will run on iOS 26, with Apple’s new ‘Liquid Glass’ design aesthetic
picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
The iPhone’s new operating system was a major talking point at this year’s WWDC, and today’s event unveils the devices it was built to serve. In June, Apple showed off its new “Liquid Glass” design language within iOS 26 that redesigns the iPhone’s software aesthetic to a more transparent layout for toolbars and apps on the Home Screen.
For iPhone users, expect to jump from iOS 18 to iOS 26 as Apple brings together its operating systems and aligns them with the years to come.
Apps like the Phone app are also getting overhauled. In the new version, voicemails, recents, and favorites are combined. There’s also a new Call Screening feature that will allow Apple to silently answer unknown calls and give you info to know if it’s worth answering.
If you don’t end up upgrading to the latest iPhone 17, you’ll still be able to update to iOS 26 at some point soon — you just might not have access to all of its AI features.
Apple is expected to largely focus on new gadgets today
Analysts say they aren’t expecting any major surprises today.
With rumors about the new features of the iPhone 17 swirling, analysts expect the announcements to largely fall in line with the reports we’ve seen of new camera features, the thinner iPhone 17 Air, and new accessories. They’ll also be keeping an ear out for price hikes between $50 and $100 on new iPhone models, as EMARKETER writes that tariffs could lead to an iPhone that’s “even more expensive than before.”
One topic that they don’t expect to get much airtime is Apple Intelligence or the delayed AI-powered Siri overhaul. Analysts from Morgan Stanley predict that Apple won’t focus on AI as much at the event — which typically highlights new gadgets since Apple spotlighted its new software earlier this year at WWDC.
There’s always the chance there will be some surprises, though. After all, Apple loves to highlight “one more thing” at the tail-end of its events.
Don’t be surprised if some iPhones get a price hike
Some Wall Street analysts are predicting higher price tags for the iPhone 17 family, estimating some models could cost $50 to $100 more than previous versions.
The rumored iPhone 17 “Air” is expected to replace the “Plus” model in the lineup and Bank of America analysts wrote in August that it could cost about $100 more — making the price around $999.
As for the iPhone 17 Pro, Morgan Stanley analysts predicted the 128 GB storage model would be eliminated, effectively making Pro models start at $1,099 for the 256 GB version.
Of course, Apple could always choose to eat any cost increases, but it typically likes to try to preserve its famously high margins.
Tim Cook is coming into the event fresh off a recent win streak for Apple
After a bruising start to the year that saw Apple make the rare move to delay the AI-overhauled Siri, Tim Cook has scored some recent wins.
Apple reported stronger-than-expected iPhone sales in its most recent earnings report. During the first week of August, Cook visited the White House, where Apple received praise from President Donald Trump for being among companies that are “building in the United States.” As a result, the president signaled that Apple would be treated well in future trade agreements.
In the courtroom, a US Customs ruling allowed the company to bring a blood-oxygen monitoring feature back to some Apple Watches after a previous ban. The US also backed the iPhone maker in its fight against a UK order that would make encrypted user data accessible to the British government.
And in September, a judge decided that Google’s search deals with tech giants like Apple could continue — boosting Apple’s stock price.
Tim Cook is up and ready for an ‘exciting’ day
Cook posted his signature sunrise picture over the Apple campus to let followers know he’s up and ready for the event.
“Days like today are some of the most exciting moments at Apple,” Cook captioned the X post.