Apple To Hold Sept. 9 Event To Introduce iPhone 17 Lineup

Apple Inc. plans to hold its big fall product launch on Sept. 9, when the company is expected to introduce an iPhone 17 lineup that includes a new skinnier version of its signature device.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. and stream online, continuing a strategy of virtual launches that began in the Covid era. The tagline for the event is "awe dropping", according to an invitation posted online and sent to media. 

The focus of the event will be the company’s new smartphones, including an updated base model, two fresh Pro editions and an all-new version that uses a far thinner design than any prior iPhone. The company is also preparing to introduce upgraded versions of the Apple Watch. 

The new standard iPhone 17 will look similar to the iPhone 16, but include a larger display and camera improvements, Bloomberg News has reported. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, meanwhile, will have redesigned backs with a larger camera area, making photography an even bigger part of the device. 

The thinner iPhone 17 will be the first wholly new design in years, coming in at about 2 millimeters slimmer than current models. Apple is betting that the approach can attract new customers to the iPhone, though the device will have drawbacks: It’s expected to have shorter battery life and only one rear camera. 

Apple’s iPhone 17 introduction will kick off a prolific period of new products. Also in the works for this year: an updated Vision Pro headset with a faster processor and an iPad Pro with a M5 chip and second front-facing camera. The Cupertino, California-based company is planning a new HomePod mini and Apple TV box as well.

For next year, the company is planning new MacBook Pro models, a low-end iPhone 17e and fresh Mac accessories like an external monitor. The biggest announcement in the near term will be the company’s first smart speaker with a display, which is slated for the first half of 2026. 

The September announcement will kick off a three-year overhaul of the iPhone, Apple’s biggest moneymaker. Next year, the company will introduce its first foldable iPhone, following the lead of Samsung Electronics Co. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. In 2027, Apple will roll out a curved-glass iPhone to mark the product’s 20-year anniversary.