Apple's iPhone 17 line-up includes a new ultra-thin model
CUPERTINO
Apple has unveiled its iPhone 17 lineup, featuring its thinnest smartphone ever, as the tech giant works to prove it can keep pace in the generative AI race.
Apple held its annual iPhone release event amid mounting pressures: The White House is pushing the company to reduce its dependence on Chinese manufacturing, while investors question whether Apple is truly ready for the AI age.
Adding to these challenges, the company faces headwinds from President Donald Trump's high tariff policies.
Against this backdrop, Apple is betting on a product that it hopes will spark a super-cycle of iPhone purchases and reverse the trend of customers holding onto their devices longer before upgrading.
To reinvigorate its brand, Apple introduced the iPhone 17 Air, which CEO Tim Cook called "a total game changer."
At just 5.6mm thick, the $999 device features Apple's new A19 Pro processor, its most powerful iPhone chip to date, and promises all-day battery life with up to 40 hours of video playback.
The Air joins Apple's standard lineup, including the premium iPhone Pro 17, the company's most expensive and highest-performing model.
While all new devices incorporate generative AI technology, Apple made no major announcements about expanding its AI capabilities beyond updates to existing features in its "Apple Intelligence" suite.
Industry analysts see the iPhone Air as a strategic pivot, with Apple positioning ultra-thin design, rather than larger screens, as its new premium selling point.
Apple will charge $1,100 for the iPhone 17 Pro, an increase of $100, from previous versions of that model. The iPhone Air will start at $1,000 — the price of last year's iPhone 16 Pro.
