Apple 'Awe Dropping' event preview: iPhone 17 Air, Watch Ultra 3 and more

US technology major Apple is all geared up to host the annual fall event on Tuesday (September 9) at Cupertino.

It is slated to kick off at 10:30 pm IST at the Apple HQ, and the company has made arrangements to stream the programme live on the official company website and YouTube channel.

Tim Cook, Craig Federighi and other top Apple executives will do the keynote presentations during the new hardware reveal event.

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Like the previous years, Apple is said to unveil new iPhones and Watches.

This year, the company is expected to launch at least four iPhone 17 series variants.

All the devices are said to feature all-new design languages. Also, there will be a special iPhone 17 variant, which is expected to be called as the iPhone 17 Air.

The iPhone 17 Air will replace the iPhone 16 Plus model. Like the MacBook Air, the iPhone 17 Air is said to flaunt a super slim design. A recent report indicates that the device will have just 5.5mm thickness.

However, due to the design limitation, Apple may remove the physical SIM slot. The Air series is most likely to come with an e-SIM-only model.

Also, to overcome the loss of space for battery, Apple is said to be using a new advanced high-energy-density battery cell and ensure the device lasts a full day under normal usage.

Another radical change we can expect to see in the iPhone 17 Air is the camera module. To maintain slim design structure, Apple will be using just a single camera sensor and LED flash. This way, there won't be any camera bump we see in the current crop of iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models.

The iPhone 17 Air is expected to feature a 6.6-inch display, and also feature Apple's propreitary C1 cellular modem (for internet connectivity), same as the one we see in the iPhone 16e.

As per leaked visuals of iPhone 17 Pro models, they will come with a refreshing camera module design.

They will occupy the whole top slot on the back and retain the uniqueness of the iPhone. But reports have emerged that Apple may replace the titanium-based frame with an aerospace-grade aluminium casing.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are said to feature triple camera modules with better lenses and improved photography capabilities. Also, they will sport a new 48MP telephoto sensor, a big upgrade over the predecessor, which comes with a 12MP camera.

However, the regular iPhone 17 model will have a vertically aligned module with dual-camera sensors and LED flash, the same as the iPhone 16.

Apple will use an OLED display with Pro Motion technology on all four iPhone 17 variants. They will also support a 120Hz refresh rate. And, they will come with A19 series silicon.

The standard iPhone 17 and 17 Air may feature watered-down A19 chipsets, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will have more cores in the A19 Pro silicon.

As hinted in the teaser image, the iPhone 17 Pro models will come with an all-new orange and the iPhone 17 Air in blue.

Besides the new iPhone 17 series, Apple is also expected to introduce new Watch 11 series and Watch Ultra 3.

The premium Watch Ultra 3 is expected to sport a 49mm design, similar to its predecessor, but with a slimmer bezel. This enables Apple to increase the functional display space on the cover panel.

The new watch has 422 x 514p resolution, slightly better than 410 x 502p resolution on Watch Ultra 2.

The new Watch Ultra 3 will have several big upgrades, including satellite connectivity for SOS emergencies when Wi-Fi or cellular networks are not accessible in remote areas.

Further, the new Watch Ultra will support 5G, a first for Apple Watches to date.

It will be powered by the S11 chipset and possibly come with Blood Pressure tracking capability. More new features are expected in the Watch Ultra 3.

Even the Watch 11 series is said to feature the aforementioned chipset, but feature a smaller display and battery.

Apple has plans to bring the Watch SE (3rd Gen) with a brighter display and a new, faster Apple S chipset, which promises improved performance compared to the predecessor.

One more thing...

Latest reports indicate Apple may surprise fans with the new AirPods Pro (3rd Gen), which has been due for launch for close to two years. The 2nd-gen AirPods Pro were launched three years ago.

Given the three-year gap, we can expect big upgrades. Speculations are rife that Apple may bring a non-invasive heart rate tracker, a first for an Apple hearable device to date. Also, it will come with a smaller charging case similar to the standard AirPods 4 model.

And, it will support Apple Intelligence-powered live language translations.

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