(Credit: Apple)
Mark your calendars! Apple's annual fall hardware event is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 9.
How to Watch Apple's Sept. 9 Event
This "special Apple Event" is likely to include the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup and the next-gen Apple Watch. It begins at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET at Apple Park, and PCMag will be there to bring you all the details. If you can't make it to Cupertino, Apple will livestream the event on its website and YouTube channel (embedded below). Before things start, tune in to a pre-show featuring PCMag's Iyaz Akhtar and CNET's Bridget Carey, beginning at noon ET (embedded above). They'll also be providing commentary during and after Apple's event.
What to Expect: iPhone Air, AirPods Pro 3, and More
The invitation and a tweet from CEO Tim Cook tease an "awe-dropping" event—a curious turn of phrase that Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests is a "play on jaw-dropping" for the rumored ultrathin and light iPhone Air.
That slender iPhone will be the headliner, Gurman says. Inspired by the MacBook Air, it promises to be a lightweight version of the slab-style phone with which we're all familiar. If Apple plays its cards right, it could amount to a major redesign. Recently, it's made only minor tweaks to the iPhone's screen and edges, although the Air could come with trade-offs like lower battery life.
The iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max are expected to join the iPhone Air. As usual, the Pros will have better camera systems than their cheaper counterparts, but Apple is reportedly adding an orange color option for the Pros, which Apple might have confirmed via the orange outline on its logo in today's invitation.
We can also expect upgrades to the Apple Watch lineup; look for an Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. (Assuming the company sticks with the naming convention after switching up its operating system monikers to align with the year.)
Apple skipped over a major Ultra hardware upgrade last year, giving it only a cosmetic refresh with new bands and color options. However, an Ultra 3 with some wrist-busting dimensions is reportedly in the works for this year.
Will we get a sneak peek at Apple's rumored foldable phone? Cupertino has avoided the form factor as competitors like Samsung and Google move full steam ahead. It's now reportedly in the pipeline, but Apple isn't expected to launch it until next year.
The foldable iPhone is code-named V68, and it opens up into a small tablet, just like Samsung's foldable devices, Gurman says. It will have four cameras and rely on eSIM, but expect it to use Touch ID instead of Face ID, like the iPad.
If you're not in the market for a new iPhone, iOS 26 is supported on smartphones going back to the iPhone 11. Apple will likely announce when you can download the stable version of iOS 26 (as well as iPadOS 26 and macOS 26) at its event next month.
A refreshed pair of AirPods Pro is also likely. The previous version debuted three years ago, so an update is long overdue. MacRumors expects the usual design and power upgrades, but we might also get some health-specific features, like heart-rate tracking and temperature sensing.
It remains to be seen if Apple will debut any AI-specific hardware features. The company has thus far struggled to get Apple Intelligence off the ground since it debuted last year on the iPhone 16 and 15 Pros, more than a month after its newest phones hit stores. The lackluster features have prompted false advertising lawsuits, and Apple has reportedly explored using the AI models of rival companies like OpenAI or Anthropic.
If Apple Intelligence had been a resounding success on the iPhone 16, it would seem like a no-brainer to keep building on it with the iPhone 17. But it took a backseat at WWDC in June, so Apple might lean on its bread and butter come Sept. 9: hardware.