Apple’s most anticipated annual September event, also known as the new iPhone announcement, delivered a familiar mix of upgrades and surprises. The iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, the refreshed iPhone 17, and the latest iPhone Air showcase faster chips, larger cameras, and sleeker designs — but also signal how the iPhone continues to shape culture, from creative tools to status symbols.
Pro & Pro Max: Pocket-Sized Studios
Get ready to glow with excitement—the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max now come in stunning new Cosmic Orange! Along with this show-stopping colour, they feature a sleek aluminum “plateau” design and a vapour chamber for improved cooling. The A19 Pro chip delivers roughly 40% faster sustained performance, perfect for heavy-duty apps, gaming, and creative work.
All three rear lenses are 48MP Fusion, and the Pro Max boasts Apple’s longest optical-quality zoom yet at 8x. The 18MP Center Stage front camera keeps you in frame automatically, while Dual Capture lets you shoot front and back simultaneously. For cinema-style video, Pro users can access ProRes RAW and Apple Log 2.
The Pro line shines in deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver, starting at $1,599 CAD.
iPhone Air: Design Meets Function
iPhone Air is just 5.6mm thin, with a titanium frame and Ceramic Shield front and back. Its 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion reaches 3,000 nits of brightness, and the A19 Pro, plus N1 and C1X chips, make it remarkably efficient.
The camera setup features a 48MP Fusion rear lens and the same 18MP Center Stage selfie camera found in the Pro line. Air comes in black, white, gold, and sky blue, starting $1,449 CAD.
iPhone 17: Everyday Upgrade
The base iPhone 17 has an all-48MP triple-camera system, a 6.3-inch ProMotion display, and an A19 chip efficiency that extends battery life to 30 hours of video playback.
Finishes include lavender, mist blue, sage, black, and white. Pricing starts at $1,129 CAD.
The Cultural Shift
Apple isn’t just selling tech. The Pro models aim at creators, the iPhone Air makes a design statement, and the iPhone 17 balances everyday performance with style. Whether this is true innovation or polished refinement, the iPhone remains a symbol at the intersection of tech, design, and culture.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone Air begin Friday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PDT, with shipping and in-store availability starting September 19 in over 63 countries and regions, and additional countries receiving the devices on September 26.