For years, black has been more than just another color in Apple’s lineup. It has been the shorthand for “Pro.” When you picture a MacBook Pro on a desk, chances are it’s the Space Black model. The iPad Pro? The iMac Pro? Same story. Even Apple’s accessories, from the Magic Keyboard to the Magic Trackpad, are available in a deep black option.

But this fall, something odd happened. The new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max don’t come in black. Not Jet Black, not Midnight, not Space Black. Apple has effectively retired the most “Pro” color from its most important Pro product.

A history of black iPhones

Black has a legacy at Apple. There has been a black iPhone since the iPhone 3G. Over the years, the black hue sometimes ended up as a lighter variant like Space Gray, but there was always an option for fans of a darker, more neutral color.

Back in 2016, the iPhone 7 introduced Jet Black, an ultra-glossy finish that instantly became a collector’s item despite its tendency to scratch. In 2017, the iPhone X was released only in black and white, with the iPhone XS adding a sleek gold option a year later.

In 2019, Apple unveiled the iPhone 11 Pro in a dark green color, but still offered a Space Gray option. The iPhone 12 Pro and 13 Pro leaned on Graphite, while the iPhone 14 Pro came in Space Black, a finish that made headlines for being the darkest iPhone Apple had made in years.

By the time the iPhone 15 Pro arrived, Space Black felt like a default. Rumors suggested it would carry forward to the iPhone 17 Pro, too, but when Apple unveiled the lineup this week, the option was nowhere to be found.

The rumors versus what actually happened

Earlier this year, Macworld obtained access to an internal document that revealed the potential colors Apple had been experimenting with for the iPhone 17 lineup. We got most of them right, except for a Steel Gray iPhone 17 that apparently ended up being scrapped.

The same document also hinted that Apple had plans to release the iPhone 17 Pro in the traditional black, white, and silver, in addition to the new Deep Blue and Cosmic Orange. However, while black and white seemed like pretty obvious choices, Apple didn’t go that route.

That raises a question: Did Apple intentionally step away from the most Pro-looking color, or was black simply a casualty of the company’s ever-changing material science experiments? 

We don’t know exactly why Apple scrapped a black option – it could be something related to the new material, since the black aluminum on the iPhone 5 tended to scratch easily. But it’s not like Apple hasn’t made other black aluminum products since then.

Why black matters for Pro users

Black isn’t just a safe color. It’s a statement. For professionals, black hardware blends seamlessly into workflows. It doesn’t scream for attention in a meeting room. Many people choose black devices because they’re discreet, elegant, and sophisticated.

By skipping black on the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple is creating a gap in its product family. You can buy a Space Black MacBook Pro, pair it with a Space Black iPad Pro, and then… what? A silver or orange iPhone 17 Pro? The ecosystem suddenly feels inconsistent.

Personally, I’m really unsure about which iPhone color I should get this year. I currently have a desert iPhone 16 Pro Max, which I think is a very elegant color since it’s not too bright but still gives it a bit of a unique touch. Now the orange seems too bright and flashy. The dark blue didn’t catch my attention. And the silver looks a little too basic. It seems that there’s a fourth option missing, and that option would be black.

Apple may argue that its new finishes are just as premium, but the absence of black feels like a misstep. Pro users value consistency, and for many, black is the most consistent, professional option. It’s the uniform of Apple’s Pro lineup, and now it’s missing from the product that matters most.

Maybe Apple will reintroduce black next year, just as it has cycled through greens, purples, and golds before. But for now, if you want a Pro iPhone that matches your black MacBook or Apple Watch, you’re out of luck.

Black has always been the most Pro color. Without it, the iPhone 17 Pro lineup looks just a little less… Pro.

Cobo founder DiscusFish has said that the new iPhone 17 introduces a new Memory Integrity Enforcement (MIE) feature that boosts crypto wallet security.

The system is designed to block advanced memory attacks during crypto wallet signing by combining hardware and software protections.

Why It Matters for Crypto Users

Apple shared in a September 9 blog post that MIE is powered by the A19 chip and uses Enhanced Memory Tagging Extension (EMTE), which checks memory in real-time. This setup instantly blocks common exploits such as buffer overflows and use-after-free attempts.

For the crypto industry, this is important because memory flaws account for nearly 70% of all software vulnerabilities and are a common entry point for malware during wallet operations. Signing processes have always been a top target for hackers, as a single weak spot can lead to the theft of funds.

Apple’s new MIE steps in by stopping these attacks at the hardware level before they can cause damage. Shutting down these threats early makes wallet signing much safer and harder for spyware to steal assets. Another benefit is that protections are always on, meaning users do not need to set up anything themselves. DiscusFish called the feature “a major win for high-net-worth crypto users and frequent signers.”

Apple has also addressed side-channel risks with a function called Tag Confidentiality Enforcement (TCE), which prevents attackers from exposing memory tag values through speculative execution or other ways. This closes another pathway often used by hackers to get wallet data.

The company’s security team confirmed that MIE was tested against real-world exploit chains, with most attacks stopped in their earliest stages. This reduces the opportunities for bad actors to compromise software.

Additionally, the protections go beyond Apple’s native tools. Developers can also enable these features through Enhanced Security settings in Xcode, allowing crypto apps outside Apple’s ecosystem to benefit from the same defense model.

iPhone 17 Sets New Standard for Wallet Safety

Overall, the new iPhone 17 reduces the risk of spyware targeting private keys by combining typed memory allocators, tag checks, and confidentiality safeguards. This means that digital asset owners can reduce reliance on external hardware wallets or specialized devices for everyday signing.

Elsewhere, a recent report from Web3 security firm CertiK revealed that more than $2.1 billion has already been lost to crypto-related attacks in 2025. Wallet breaches account for the bulk of these losses, with compromised apps alone responsible for $1.6 billion. The company added that this makes them the most damaging attack vector by a wide margin.

Apple had a lot to say about its new phones during the “Awe Dropping” event Tuesday, but there were plenty of little features that couldn’t fit in the keynote. One interesting feature spotted in the iOS 26 release candidate includes a reference to an option to disable pulse width modulation (PWM) in the iPhone 17 Pro.

PWM is a method for adjusting display brightness by quickly switching the screen pixels on and off. However, some people can notice a flickering effect, and it can be particularly bothersome, causing eye strain and other health issues. At low brightness, PWM can produce better-looking results than other methods. As such, the toggle will be hidden in the Display & Text Size tab in the Accessibility settings.

Apple provides the following description:

Disables pulse width modulation to provide a different way to dim the OLED display, which can create a smoother display output at low brightness levels. Disabling PWM may affect low brightness display performance under certain conditions.

MacRumors confirmed that the setting is on the iPhone 17 Pro, but did not confirm it is on the iPhone 17 or iPhone Air.

For more on Tuesday’s iPhone 17 event, we have the complete lowdown on the iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro 3.

In just three days, Apple will hold a press event to announce its latest round of new products. We’ve seen the artwork, we’ve read the tagline (“Awe Dropping”), and we can be pretty sure the iPhone 17 will make an appearance. But everything else is shrouded in mystery.

Until now. Yes, that’s right. Once again, Macworld sent a team of hard-bitten journalists to rummage through the bins at Apple Park, and once again, they hit pay dirt: the full presentation script, storyboards, rehearsal tapes, props, costumes, one of those old-timey movie clapperboards, and several half-eaten sandwiches. We’ve eaten the sandwiches and used the rest to painstakingly construct a minute-by-minute simulation of the iPhone 17 launch event, which you can enjoy below.

Just to be 100 percent clear, this isn’t real. Our “script” is based on detailed analysis of credible leaks and rumors, with a few (hopefully obvious) jokes mixed in. Please don’t send in any more angry emails.

Introductory guff

09:58 a.m.: We’re live! The pre-stream is up and running. If you’re thinking the music sounds familiar, it’s “Platitude Queen” by Onion Terror. Which of course was used earlier this year in the opening credits of Apple TV+’s gritty remake of “Keeping Up Appearances.” What a triumphant performance that was from Margot Robbie.

10:00: The stream proper begins. Cut to a darkened city street. A young woman is jogging from streetlight to streetlight, glancing periodically at the workout stats on her Apple Watch Ultra. (Is that a bigger watch, or a small actress?) “You can do this!” the watch says, surprisingly. “Just one mile to go. Vitals steady. Plenty of energy left. You’re on track to beat your personal best!”

10:02: A middle-aged man on a graffitied subway train taps his AirPods. “Adjusting audio,” it says. “Blocking out the annoying guy next to you.” Now he’s in a restaurant. “Translating from Cantonese,” the headphones report, and he begins to order.

10:04: An elderly woman takes out her iPhone–which is in a case, so it’s hard to get a clear view of the design–and summons Siri. “Has there ever been a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?” she asks. “Still no,” Siri replies wearily.

10:06: And now the camera is flying through the clouds above Apple Park. It swoops down, and there, standing in front of the familiar rainbow sculpture, is Apple CEO Tim Cook. “Good morning!” he says. “We’ve got a fantastic show for you today.”

10:07: “Apple products make the world a better place,” Cook trills. “They play a vital role at work and in our free time. They help us to improve our health and stay in touch with loved ones. They put the world’s knowledge at our fingertips. And they deliver sustainable shareholder value by hitting high-margin KPIs going forward.”

10:09: Today’s event is going to focus on three areas, Cook says: iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. “To talk us through the exciting changes coming to iPhone, it’s over to Kaiann.”

iPhone 17

10.10: Kaiann Drance, Apple’s VP of iPhone product marketing, has got the big gig once again, after presenting the iPhone 16 last year. She’s standing next to a colossal iPhone box and looks alarmingly enthusiastic.

10:11: “Thanks Tim, great to be here,” she says. “I’m super-excited to talk about iPhone! After last year’s thrilling iPhone 16 launch we sat down and asked ourselves one question: what’s the absolute minimum we could change and still have people upgrade their phones, thereby maintaining a sustainable long-term revenue stream?”

10:12: “And today I’m proud to reveal the answer to that question! Please welcome iPhone 17: Another Year Has Passed.”

10:13: Time for a marketing video! And we’re seeing the new iPhone in all its glory. Which largely fits with the leaked images we’ve been bombarded with for the past three months: there’s a handsome new purple finish (here we go again; Apple tried purple on the iPhone 12 and 14, then gave up on the color for a while), the blue model is much paler, and pink has vanished altogether (boo!). But the essence of the design appears the same: the two rear camera lenses, for example, remain in the same vertical alignment as on the iPhone 16.

10:14: “iPhone 17 is our best ever iPhone,” Drance says smugly. “We took everything you loved about iPhone 16 and made it fractionally better. Our brand-new A19 processor delivers market-leading performance on even the most demanding apps, while an upgraded 24MP front-facing camera ensures the sharpest selfies you’ve ever seen.”

10:16: “And as for the screen… goodness me, what a transformation! For the first time ever on a non-Pro iPhone, we’re offering an always-on display, but that’s not all. All of this month’s new iPhones have LTPO screens with a stunning 120Hz rate and our popular ProMotion feature, so you can look forward to buttery-smooth animation while maintaining our usual exceptional battery life.”

10:18: Pre-orders for the iPhone 17 are open now, and it will ship on September 19. Prices start at $799 for the 128GB model, which is the same as the entry-level iPhone 16 last year. Evidently Apple managed to shrug off the effects of the tariffs, at least for now. That’s good news.

10:19: “That’s iPhone 17. We think you’re going to love it.”

iPhone 17 Pro (and 17 Pro Max)

10.20: Drance is sticking around, and we’re heading straight into the iPhone 17 Pro. No mention so far of the rumored iPhone 17 Air, but it’s a bit of a giveaway that the iPhone 17 was only shown in a single screen size. Presumably the Air will be announced later?

10:21: “Apple’s Pro series of iPhones are the industry standard for premium smartphone design,” Drance says. “In fact, they make even our standard iPhones look like disgusting trash. Needless to say, talking about the pathetic iPhone 17 just now was a real ordeal for me. So I’m excited to announce iPhone 17 Pro.”

10:23: We’re seeing the new handsets now. Most obviously, the rear camera module has been heavily redesigned: it’s now a broad bar that covers almost the full width of the phone’s back surface. (The camera lenses themselves, conversely, look the same.) And here too we’re seeing new color options, with the Pro models available in a startling new orange and a far more somber dark blue as well as the usual black, white, and gray. And… is that a smaller Dynamic Island?

10:25: We’re talking performance. Is the 17 Pro getting a bump from 8GB to 12GB of RAM, as rumoured? Apple tends to be cagey about such things. “iPhone 17 Pro is so powerful you’ll literally faint when you see it,” says Drance, unhelpfully. “The A19 Pro chip is faster than a peregrine falcon, which is the fastest animal on earth.”

10:26: “Many people think it’s the cheetah,” she adds. “But it’s not.”

10:27: Camera performance should see a significant improvement. Aside from getting the same 24MP selfie camera as the iPhone 17, the 17 Pro’s telephoto lens has been bumped to a whopping 48MP, up from the 12MP lens on the 16 Pro. That means superior zoom performance, Drance says the Pro models now have a 7x optical zoom before the digital version kicks in.

10:29: Here’s an interesting change: the iPhone 17 Pro gets a mechanical aperture, which means you can customize the amount of light allowed through. “This means an unprecedented level of control over the depth of field,” Drance boasts. We don’t know how this will work in practice, but on the Huawei Mate 50 Pro, you can choose from 10 steps between f/1.4 and f/4.0 or, as most of us will inevitably do, just leave the camera in auto mode.

10:31: “The iPhone 17 Pro has an industry-leading battery and will last you for a scarcely conceivable single day of usage before needing a charge. And charging is now faster than ever, thanks to a huge upgrade to MagSafe.” It’s been bumped from a maximum 25W to 50W, although this will depend on having a compatible charging puck (and power adapter) as well as the iPhone 17 Pro. You may just find a bottleneck in a different part of your charging setup.

10:33: We’re rattling through the iPhone 17 Pro’s other upgrades now. The screen has a new anti-glare finish (ahead of the event, we heard this was also going to be scratch-resistant, but perhaps Apple wants to avoid any references to its phones getting damaged). And there’s a new Apple-designed Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip, which Drance says will improve power efficiency.

10:35: “That’s iPhone 17 Pro: Anything Else Is Repulsive. We think you’re going to love it.” It comes out on September 19 and starts at… oh wow, it’s $1,199 for the cheapest 17 Pro, a crazy $200 bump on last year’s model! Granted, you get twice as much storage (the 128GB model has been phased out), but still. The 17 Pro Max starts at $1,299, which is $100 more than the equivalent 16 Pro Max last year. This is a lot to take in.

New Apple Watches

10:36: Tim Cook is back. “Thanks Kaiann! We’re excited for you all to try out the new iPhone 17 range, which we expect to deliver profitable synergy in key market verticals and boost our customer retention analytics. Now on to Apple Watch, and for the last time, it’s over to Jeff.”

10:37: Wow, it’s Jeff Williams! Williams stepped down as Apple COO at the end of July, but he remains with the company until his retirement later this year. Clearly Cook persuaded him to do one last keynote before heading out the door. The man seems emotional: he’s taken off his shoes and one of his socks.

10:38: “Thanks Tim,” he says, visibly moved. “You know, customers come up to me, big customers, tall customers, tears running down their customer faces, and they say, Jeff, the Apple Watch Series 10 is the greatest smartwatch in the world! How can you possibly top that?! And I say, we’re looking into that very strongly.”

10:39: “So today, we’re proud to announce Apple Watch Series 11.”

10:40: Video time! And the new watch looks… exactly the same as the Series 10 from last year. No new colors: it looks to again be available in black, silver, and rose gold, plus the dark and light titanium finishes. Still, you know. It looks nice. It’s fine.

10:42: “Apple Watch is the most popular health device in the world,” says Williams. “It saves lives every day, and helps our customers to improve their fitness. And from today, those health benefits will become even more essential.”

10:44: The Series 11 has a new sensor that enables blood-pressure tracking, which could be pretty crucial in unlocking a range of new health features–not least the ability to detect hypertension and thereby predict strokes and heart attacks more accurately.

10:46: The new Apple Watch also gets a new S11 processor, inevitably, although the actual benefits of that are unclear. (Ever found your Apple Watch slow? Didn’t think so. Plus, pre-launch reports indicated that the S11 is essentially just a rebadged S10.) Whereas its upgrade to 5G connectivity is a nice surprise.

10:48: Oh, we’re done. “That’s Apple Watch Series 11. We think you’re going to love it.” It starts at $399 and will appear in stores starting September 19.

10:50: We’ve suddenly cut to yet another marketing video. Based on the colors—blue, yellow, pink—and general vibe, it’s surely a new SE model.

10:52: “We’re proud to announce Apple Watch SE 3,” says Cook. “You know, for kids.”

10:53: The SE has been completely redesigned. It’s made of plastic, and comes in a variety of bright colors. The display is bigger (up from 40/44mm to 41/45mm) to match the old Series 7 rather than the Series 5 which the last SE was based on. It also gets the S11 chip.

10:55: The new Apple Watch SE starts at $249. That’s the same price as the previous model, with the extra cost of the larger screen and the economies of using plastic presumably cancelling each other out.

10:57: We’re on to the Ultra now. And there’s a slight redesign here: namely, a larger screen. “Customers told us they loved the big, bright display on Apple Watch Ultra, but wondered if it could be even bigger? So we’re proud to announce that this year’s Ultra has 5 percent more screen real estate!”

10:59: The official line is that the screen size has increased from 49mm to 50mm. We understand that the resolution has gone up from 410×502 to 422×514, which is indeed 5.39 percent more pixels. And Williams insists the watch itself is no larger, thanks presumably to slimmer bezels around the screen.

11:00: The Ultra 3, unsurprisingly, also gets the same upgrades as the Series 11: the S11 chip, 5G, and the new blood-pressure monitor.

11:01: And we’re wrapping up for this section. “That’s Apple Watch Ultra 3,” says Williams. “We think you’re going to love it.” It starts at $799 and will appear in stores on September 19. It’s nice that the watches have escaped the price bump that hit the Pro iPhones.

AirPods Pro 3

11:03: We’re back to Tim Cook, who wipes a tear and does that namaste thing he’s so fond of. “Thanks Jeff, and enjoy retirement!” he says. “And now, on to AirPods.”

11:04: “AirPods stand for all that is great about Apple,” he says. “They are beautifully designed, supremely functional, and capable of sustaining high-margin profitability across key demos in challenging market conditions. For more AirPods news, it’s over to Kate.”

11:06: “Thanks Tim!” says Kate Bergeron, Apple’s VP of hardware engineering. (She announced new AirPods at the Glowtime event last year.) “Let’s talk AirPods Pro.”

11:07: It’s video time, and we’re watching the new AirPods Pro swooping and floating around an abstract landscape. First things first, Apple hasn’t removed the stems to match the Beats Studio Buds, as was rumored for some time. It’s not a radical redesign, then. But there are some other noticeable changes: the buds now seem more streamlined, the charging case is a different shape, and they’re available in black!

11:10: “We know that the convenient, slimline charging case is one of the things you love most about AirPods Pro,” Bergeron says, not unreasonably. “So we decided to make it even better.” Confirmation that the new case is slimmer, much like the AirPods 4 case, and is paired by simply tapping the case rather than having a dedicated pairing button. And there’s no lanyard loop! Sad.

11.12: On to the earbuds themselves, which are getting a ton of new features. (This is what happens when you don’t properly update a product for three years.) It has a new H3 chip. There are heart-rate and temperature sensors. And, as rumored, it supports live translation!

11.14: “AirPods Pro deliver industry-leading audio quality,” Bergeron says, “and that’s truer than ever with the new third-generation model. You’ll feel like you’re in the room with your favorite artists thanks to the exceptional immersion of Spatial Audio.”

11.15: Active Noise Cancellation has been upgraded, too. “It will filter out all the background noises you want to avoid,” Bergeron says, “but with the latest version of Adaptive Audio, you can be as selective as you like.”

11.16: “That’s AirPods Pro 3. We think you’re going to love it.” Looks like this section (and perhaps the presentation?) is finished. The device starts at $249 and ships on September 19. Oh, but hang on: Bergeron just added that the live translation feature will arrive “later in the, or a, year.” It must have been delayed.

One more thing…

11:18: Cook is back. “Thanks Kate, and thanks to all of our presenters tonight,” he says. “We’re excited for you to experience all these great products and boost our Q1 top-line revenue performance in line with analyst expectations. And in the end, isn’t that what technology is all about?”

11.19: “But before we go, there’s just One More Thing I’d like to discuss…”

11.20: Video time. Ah, this must be the iPhone 17 Air at last. And what a beauty it is. It’s just breathtakingly slim. People are going to love this thing (although they may not love the compromises it comes with).

11:22: The 17 Air is wildly different from the other models in the range. Aside from being just 5.5mm thick, it has only one camera lens on the rear (inside an oddly broad module) and another on the front. Those are decent cameras, mind you: 24MP on the front, and 48MP on the rear.

11:24: It also has its own set of colors: the standard black and white, plus a light blue that, for some reason, is lighter than the one on the iPhone 17, and a light gold that doesn’t appear anywhere else in the current range.

11:26: No word on the battery capacity, but it must be far, far less than on the other models. Cook only says the Air will last “for a full day.” That’s not very reassuring.

11:27: If you’re worried about a repeat of Bendgate, it’s at least clear that Apple has taken that threat seriously. The Air has a titanium-aluminum alloy metal frame for added strength. (Plus, the even more slender iPad Pro which launched last year doesn’t seem prone to bending, so there’s that.)

11:29: “iPhone 17 Air delivers industry-leading performance in an unprecedentedly slimline package,” Cook boasts. What that means, apparently, is the A19 processor rather than the A19 Pro (and reportedly a slower GPU, although Apple won’t confirm that at this point).

11:31: “This is iPhone 17 Air: Oh God Why?,” says Cook. “We think you’re going to love it.” It starts at $1,099. Oof! That’s a lot for a phone that really isn’t Pro-specced. Although it does get 256GB of storage as a minimum.

11:32: And that really is your lot. Cook thanks the presenters once again, then does a celebratory backflip. Stay classy, Cupertino!

Apple’s Awe Dropping event is set for September 9, 2025. Want to know what to expect? We’re anticipating new hardware releases including the iPhone 17 (running iOS 26), Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3rd-gen (running watchOS 26), and potentially new AirPods. Find out how, when, and where to watch the Apple September Event, and keep tuned to our Event Guide for all the latest coverage.

Apple has officially announced its “Awe Dropping” special event for September 9, where we’ll get our first look at the iPhone 17 lineup. As usual, the company didn’t reveal anything beyond the date and tagline, but the invitation artwork and Apple’s history of easter eggs give us a few strong hints about what’s coming.

Here are five takeaways from Apple’s event invite that just might confirm details about the iPhone 17 and beyond.

A jaw-dropping iPhone design is coming

This year’s tagline, “Awe Dropping,” seems to tease something visually striking, jaw-dropping if you will. For months, rumors have pointed to Apple introducing a new, ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air model to replace the unpopular Plus model. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to mark the most radical change in iPhone design since the iPhone X and kick off a three-year-long iPhone overhaul.

If Apple really wants to drop jaws, a radically thinner iPhone design certainly fits the bill.

The iPhone 17 lineup will have bold new color options

As reported exclusively by Macworld, Apple has planned many new colors for the iPhone 17 models, ranging from a new iPhone 17 Pro in orange to various shades of blue. If you weren’t certain of the new colors before, the event invitation artwork appears to be a clear confirmation that the rumors are right.

According to our sources, both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a light shade of blue. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will come in dark blue and orange. More traditional colors, such as black and white, are also expected.

Well, the Apple logo shown in the event artwork essentially features all the new colors we mentioned, which is a pretty clear sign that these are indeed the new colors for the iPhone 17 lineup. So you can start figuring out which one you want now.

The iPhone 17 Pro is getting new cooling system

According to rumors, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a new vapor chamber cooling system to keep the device at an optimal temperature even when running intensive activities such as games. This not only ensures greater comfort when holding the phone in your hand but also helps to sustain peak performance.

Interestingly, if you watch the Apple logo animation in the artwork, it looks suspiciously like a heat map, with shades of intense red and cool blue swirling around the edges. Could this be Apple confirming the new cooling system for the iPhone 17 Pro models?

New colorful wallpapers are coming

Sometimes, Apple’s event artwork means only one thing: new wallpapers. And that may be the case this year. For instance, the stylized Apple logo created to promote the September 2023 event was based on the wallpaper shipped with the iPhone 15 Pro.

Perhaps this year’s iPhones will feature dark wallpapers with a heat map effect, or swirling blue and orange. Or something interactive like the image on Apple.com. Go try it out—move your finger, mouse, or Apple Pencil over the Apple logo and the colors will morph and mingle with your movements.

iOS 26 and Liquid Glass are a big deal

Speaking of the interactive event logo, as you drag your finger around, it’s hard not to see that the effect looks a lot like what happens when you swipe your finger across Liquid Glass elements in iOS 26.

Apple typically releases new versions of iOS to the public the week after its September event, and this year should be no different. Perhaps the invite is nothing more than a tease for the new interface coming to everyone’s iPhones in a few weeks.

In fact, just this week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Liquid Glass is more than just a 2025 redesign. It’s the start of a 3-year iPhone supercycle that will include a new folding phone and culminate with the launch of the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027. That phone is expected to have curved glass that mimics the evolution of the Liquid Glass interface over the next three years. So Apple would definitely want to draw attention to Liquid Glass now.

Mark your calendars

Apple’s invites are always carefully designed, and this one is no exception. From new colors to the heat-map-like cooling teaser, there’s a lot hiding in plain sight. We’ll know for sure on September 9, but if history is any guide, Apple just gave us a pretty good preview of what’s coming.

Of course, Macworld will have full coverage leading up to the keynote as well and all through the event. So stay tuned!

Apple has announced its annual iPhone event will take place on Tuesday, September 9, at 10 am PT. This event, which Apple is marketing with the tagline “Awe Dropping,” should be where the company unveils the iPhone 17 lineup and new Apple Watches. We may also see the introduction of AirPods Pro 3, updated Apple TV hardware, or an updated HomePod mini.

The event will be streamed on YouTube, Apple TV, and Apple’s events website.

Expected and possible product announcements

These are the products we expect Apple to announce at the “Awe dropping” event.

• iPhone 17: Available in Black, White, Steel Gray, Green, Purple, and Light Blue, the iPhone 17 will sport an A19 processor and a 24MP TrueDepth camera on the front.
• iPhone 17 Air: This new iPhone model will replace the iPhone Plus. Expected to be less than 6mm thick, it should be the thinnest iPhone ever. Available in Black, White, Light Blue, and Light Gold. 
• iPhone 17 Pro: Even more powerful thanks to the A19 Pro and 12GB RAM, the Pro model will have a 48MP Telephoto camera and a new thermal management system for better peak performance. It will come in Black, White, Gray, Dark Blue, and Orange. 
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: Expect superior battery life thanks to a 5,000mAh battery, and other specs should be similar to the iPhone 17 Pro.
• Apple Watch series 11: Don’t expect many changes here, other than a possible spec bump thanks to a new processor.
• Apple Watch Ultra 3: Again, a processor upgrade is the big change here, though it may offer satellite cellular connectivity.
• Apple Watch SE 3: Little is known about the new model, but with the existing model still based on the Apple Watch Series 4 (minus ECG), it could see a dramatic redesign.

There are a few more products Apple is expected to release this fall that could also be unveiled at the September 9 Apple Event:

AirPods Pro 3: The third generation of Apple’s popular Pro earbuds are expected to add heart rate monitoring (similar to PowerBeats Pro 2), a new H3 chip that offers better active noice cancelling and superior sound quality, and a refreshed design with shorter stems. Apple may also announce a Live Translation feature that may also work with AirPods Pro 2.

Apple TV 4K (4th gen): A processor upgrade to an A17 Pro is the big rumored upgrade. It could enable Apple Intelligence features on the set-top-box.

Homepod mini: An update to the HomePod mini should give it a faster processor, but we don’t know what else will change. The HomePod mini hasn’t been updated since its debut in 2020, other than with new colors in 2025.

If the rumors are correct, Apple will hold its annual iPhone event in just two weeks, on Tuesday, September 9. That’s nothing new, as Apple always announces a new Phone in the fall, but this year’s event could be as big as the iPhone X launch in 2017, according to a new Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman lays out Apple’s plans to “reinvigorate its flagship phone” over the next three years. It starts with the iPhone 17 Air, expected to launch as a new model this year. Rumors have long pointed to the model as a super-skinny replacement for the iPhone 16 Plus with a slightly smaller screen and single rear camera. Gurman also reports that the model will have “subpar battery life” and use Apple’s C1 model, which was introduced in the iPhone 16e earlier this year.

 More importantly, Gurman says the iPhone 17 Air’s “engineering and components will set the stage for future innovation” across the next two generations.

First up will be Apple’s first folding iPhone, due in 2026. Gurman says the handset will feature five cameras (one on the front, one on the inside, and two on the back) and use Touch ID built into the power button instead of Face ID. It will reportedly include the next generation of Apple’s modem, the C2, “with capabilities approaching the latest from Qualcomm,” and might only be available in black and white.

In 2027, Apple is planning yet another massive redesign to commemorate the iPhone’s 20th anniversary. Gurman reports that the iPhone 20 will “finally break from the squared-off slab we’ve lived with since 2020 and move to an approach with curved glass edges all around.” He provides few details but notes that it will “fit nicely” with the Liquid Glass redesign coming to iOS 26 next month.

Gurman doesn’t speculate on the price for these new models, but they’re certain to come in higher than the $1,199 starting price of the Pro Max. Samsung’s flagship folding phone starts at $1,999, and analysts expect the folding iPhone to be a bit higher than that, with Gurman noting that the folding iPhone “will be hugely popular with Apple’s legion of consumers who are willing to spend whatever to get the latest and greatest.”

Altogether, it’s a very exciting time for the iPhone with new flagship models launching every year. And it looks like the days of the boring iPhone release are over.

If you’re interested in unreleased Apple products, you’ve probably read something by Sonny Dickson. He’s one of the most widely known and frequently quoted figures in the mysterious world of tech leaks, with a long and distinguished track record of early and accurate predictions… and, as is the case for all leakers, a few missteps too. Nobody’s perfect.

Now the poacher is turning gamekeeper, and Dickson is launching his own line of tech products inspired by the artistic merits of obsolescent devices. (Perhaps it would be poetic justice if some of his future products were leaked in turn.) Macworld caught up with Dickson over email to discuss life as a leaker, sustainability, tech as art, and his plans for the future.

Macworld: When did you first become interested in technology?

Sonny Dickson: I’ve always been interested in technology. My first computer was a grape iMac, then later I purchased an iBook. I believe technology is art generated by scientists and engineers. Every awe-inspiring thing in the tech industry is its own masterpiece. Some may be better than others, but they are all moving our lives forward to new possibilities.

MW: What’s your favorite tech product of all time?

SD: The first iPhone. It changed the whole direction of personal computing and gave everyone who owned one a real sense of living in the future.

MW: Which current tech product do you think will be regarded as art in 18 years?

SD: Glasses. And probably first-gen AI.

MW: What was your first big scoop as a leaker?

SD: It’s been a while, but I think the iPhone 5c colors were real showstoppers back then. That was a huge change from the contrasting white and black color schemes. I believe this was also when people started following my leaks.

MW: How does it feel right after publishing a major leak? Do you worry about how the companies involved will react?

SD: I’ve been doing this for a while now, and it’s become a bit of a routine. I just move on to the next story, and I usually don’t get too caught up in the comments people make because I don’t exaggerate the information I receive. I might double-check the accuracy, but I’m not going to post something that has no backing.

MW: Has anyone ever threatened you with legal action, or actually sued you, for your leaking activities?

SD: No, and no.

MW: How do you think leakers and the tech media should cover their own inaccuracies?

SD: Everyone should own up to what they predicted, whether accurate or inaccurate. They could even express why they may have said it, which gets more people to read their articles. AppleTrack and similar sites can be a great way to keep a leaderboard for accuracy, but I haven’t checked it in a while.

MW: What do you think of other tech leakers in the rumors business right now?

SD: Everyone is incredibly friendly and kind. Gurman is one of the most wonderful people you’ll ever meet. I believe everyone is doing their best, and since I focus on my own path, I don’t keep track of those who may not be as reliable. 

MW: How do you think Apple feels about rumors? Do you think on some level the company appreciates the publicity?

SD: Leaks are a great way to generate buzz and interest around its products. Throughout my career, I’ve found that they get people excited about what’s to come without sharing too much. My goal is to never bring bad press to any company. I’m a big fan of Apple’s, which is why I started Collectible Phones.

MW: Tell us a little more about the inspiration behind your new company.

SD: The excitement started when I built a prototype for myself. Personally, I love seeing the deeper meaning of how technology was originally designed and how it has evolved. We wanted to showcase old technology. We take older phones and make something new from them, either deconstructing the parts and turning them into framed works of art or refurbishing them and restoring them to full working order, in order to help stop e-waste.

MW: How much of the framed original iPhone is, well, original, and how much is replica? Were the recycled parts in each framed display all taken from a single unit that someone once owned?

SD: Everything is original and mostly from a single unit. The only part that is not taken from the original is the battery, for safety reasons. We use a replica block of plastic with a sticker over it.

MW: How difficult is it to ensure the older devices are still functional?

SD: It’s always a challenge. I’ve seen where all the old phones go that are disgarded and not recycled. We as a company are trying to minimize e-waste by turning them into a prized possession.

MW: What single change do you think would do most for sustainability in the tech industry?

SD: Change the design of new tech products to prioritize upgradability rather than disposal. For example, instead of waiting for Apple to release the latest iPhone, we should recognize that the devices we already own are incredibly powerful.

Rather than replacing them, we need systems that allow us to upgrade and extend their lifespan. This could be achieved through right-to-repair and upgrade laws, which would enable users to improve and maintain their devices without having to buy entirely new ones. The result would be less electronic waste, more personalized technology, and a shift toward a more sustainable tech industry.

MW: Which other iPhone models (and other devices) do you plan to offer as collectibles?

SD: We’re planning to offer all iPhone models and other devices that were iconic or “cool” in their time. At the top of our list right now are the original iPhone, the iPhone 4 (known for its bold redesign), and the iPhone X, which marked the shift to Face ID and an edge-to-edge display. When curating our collection, we’ll prioritize both artistic value and historical significance.

Visit the Collectible Phones website to check out the range of framed and working handsets currently on offer.