iPhone 17 Launch: 'Transformed' Appearance, New Slim and Light Model Added

Apple's iPhone 17 series was launched with the biggest change in appearance in many generations, but the hardware upgrades are not remarkable.

Apple launches iPhone 17 series with a "makeover" design - Photo: APPLE

Early morning September 10 (Vietnam time), Apple held an event to launch its fall hardware. As every year, the focus of the September launch event was the latest generation of iPhone 17 series smartphones.

This time, Apple launched a total of four smartphone models, including the iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. The iPhone Plus line was officially "killed" and replaced by the thin and light iPhone 17 Air.

iPhone 17 modest upgrade

The most notable upgrade of the "regular" iPhone 17 is the 6.3-inch ProMotion screen - a technology that was only available to iPhone Pro lines in previous generations.

With ProMotion displays, Apple is finally bringing 120Hz refresh rates to its entire smartphone lineup, something Android phone makers have been doing for years.

The design of the iPhone 17 is almost identical to its predecessor, the iPhone 16. This phone model is equipped with a new A19 processor chip with a GPU that is 20% faster than the predecessor A18 and 90% faster than the A15 Bionic on the iPhone 14.

Like the previous generation, the cheapest iPhone model is still equipped with a dual camera system. Notably, the ultra-wide-angle camera has been upgraded to 48MP resolution, instead of 12MP as before.

The base version of the iPhone 17 has also been upgraded from 128GB to 256GB.

The iPhone 17 is considered to be the device with the least upgrades among this year's iPhone models. However, analysts say that just equipping it with a ProMotion screen is enough to make this a smartphone worth buying.

New design, new phone model

The latest feature of the iPhone 17 series is the "unprecedentedly thin" iPhone Air line - Photo: AFP

As rumored for months, except for the cheapest model, the "regular" iPhone 17, the smartphones of the iPhone 17 generation all have a completely new design compared to their predecessors.

The rear camera cluster is now almost the entire width of the device, instead of just a square cluster like before. This new camera cluster is called "plateau" by Apple. The rest of the back is designed in two tones, instead of monochrome like before.

The biggest highlight of the event was the iPhone Air - Apple's thinnest iPhone ever, measuring just 5.6mm thick. The iPhone Air features a 6.5-inch ProMotion display (maximum refresh rate of 120Hz).

Most of the hardware is integrated into this camera array, leaving the rest of the device as just space for the battery, creating an "ultra-thin" body. However, the iPhone 17 Air only has a single rear camera, severely limiting its photography capabilities.

This "super thin" phone model will compete directly with the Galaxy Edge model launched by Samsung earlier this year.

New back design on iPhone 17 series products - Photo: APPLE

In addition to the new camera cluster and back color design, the frame of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models has also been replaced from titanium to anodized aluminum.

Apple says the choice of aluminum improves heat dissipation while keeping the device lightweight and durable.

Like the iPhone Air, the two most expensive phones run on the A19 Pro chip - which Apple claims has the same processing power as the MacBook Pro.

Aside from the appearance, the most notable upgrade for the iPhone 17 Pro is the upgrade of the telephoto camera from 5x (equivalent to 125mm focal length) to 8x (200mm), while increasing the resolution from 12MP to 48MP.

Thus, all three cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro have been upgraded to 48MP resolution.

iPhone Pro price increase for the first time in 8 years

Apple CEO Tim Cook smiles at the product launch event on September 9 - Photo: AFP

As expected by analysts, while keeping the price of the iPhone 17 series unchanged from $799, Apple has increased the price of the iPhone 17 Pro, with a starting price of $1,099. This is the first time Apple has raised the price of the iPhone Pro model from $999 since 2017.

Meanwhile, the Pro Max model will retain its price of $1,199. The iPhone Air will cost $999, up from $899 for the iPhone 16 Plus.

However, Apple Intelligence - the company's own artificial intelligence (AI) technology - has not announced any significant upgrades.

The "new look" for iPhone products is expected to boost sales of the latest generation of phones.

However, modest hardware upgrades and Apple Intelligence stagnation still bring certain concerns, especially when Android phone manufacturers are making great strides in both areas.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 has just been launched by Apple - Photo: AFP

In addition to the iPhone, Apple also introduced the Apple Watch Ultra 3 smartwatch models with 5G connectivity, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3 and AirPods Pro 3 headphones.

The new generation of Apple Watch is equipped with a blood pressure measurement feature, while AirPods Pro 3 will have the ability to directly translate many languages ​​in near real-time thanks to artificial intelligence.

However, the blood pressure monitoring feature on the Apple Watch is currently awaiting regulatory approval from US authorities. Apple currently expects this feature to notify the blood pressure status of 1 million people in 150 countries. Notably, Apple has decided not to increase the price of new smartwatch models and high-end headphones.

All new products will be available from September 19.

NGOC DUC

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ra-mat-iphone-17-ngoai-hinh-lot-xac-them-mau-moi-mong-nhe-20250910080131884.htm