Apple redefines thin with iPhone 17 Air, unveils new era of design

Apple on September 12 staged a sweeping product reveal, led by its thinnest iPhone ever—the iPhone 17 Air—measuring just 5.6 mm. The breakthrough device signals a bold design shift, forcing Apple to rethink the very internals of the iPhone without compromising on performance.

Unveiled at the company’s California event, the iPhone 17 Air boasts a ProMotion display with 3,000 nits brightness, the new 3-nanometer A19 Pro chip, and a 48MP dual fusion camera. Apple scrapped the physical SIM slot to make room for a larger battery, while introducing vapour-cooled thermals and a new rectangular camera plateau.

CEO Tim Cook called the lineup “unlike anything we’ve ever created,” stressing that design, for Apple, “is also how it works.”

While the iPhone 17 and Pro models feature incremental upgrades, the Pro and Pro Max versions significantly raise the photography bar with the equivalent of eight Pro lenses, up to 40x digital zoom, Apple’s longest-ever 200mm optical reach, and professional-grade video tools such as ProRes RAW.

The showcase extended well beyond iPhones. AirPods Pro 3 now offer real-time live translation, heartrate monitoring, and enhanced noise cancellation powered by Apple Intelligence models. Apple Watch Series 11 arrives slimmer and sturdier, featuring a blood pressure monitor, advanced sleep tracking, and a new 5G-enabled OS, while the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 3 gains satellite connectivity and a 42-hour battery life.

Pricing starts at ₹82,900 for the iPhone 17, while the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air begins at ₹1,19,900. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are priced at ₹1,34,900 and ₹1,49,900 respectively. In wearables, the Apple Watch Series 11 retails at ₹46,900, the Watch Ultra 3 at ₹89,900, and the Watch SE at ₹25,900. AirPods Pro 3 are available at ₹25,900.

With ultra-thin design, smarter wearables, and AI-powered audio, Apple’s 2025 lineup underscores its push to set fresh benchmarks in how devices look, feel—and now, translate—in real time.