Apple Event 2025 live blog: iPhone 17 Air, Watch SE, AirPods Pro 3, more

I've got the power!

One significant new rumour that arrived just yesterday is that bar the all-new iPhone 17 Air, the rest of this year's iPhones will reportedly come with bigger batteries than ever before.

That's because it's claimed that the EU and UK will allow the phones to launch without a SIM tray – they'll be eSIM only.

This is something that's been the case for the last few years in the US, but European networks have needed to catch up. And as that seems to have happened, the tray is said to have been removed entirely in favour of larger batteries.

If that turns out to be the case, the biggest beneficiary will be the iPhone 17 Pro, with a claimed 18.6% rise in battery capacity. Whether this translates to lifespan is yet to be seen, however.

Keeping tracks

Hi, news editor Rik taking over for a bit as we count down to the event itself. And I've just realised that there's an extra product that could be revealed today too – that hasn't been talked about much already.

Rumours on an Apple AirTag 2 have been flying around for more than a year, but we've recently had the biggest indication yet that it's due to finally launch.

New information emerged that an updated AirTag was in the pipeline and it could debut during today's event. It'll likely look similar but feature better usability, greater range and more precise location information. We shall see in just a few hours.

Poor, forgotten lil HomePod

Every time a major Apple Event is imminent, the T3 team talks, with thoughts always turning to the HomePod. Eventually, anyway.

'Will it, won't it?' That's usually the question on our lips – as the poor lil forgotten HomePod is clearly due a major upgrade. One that just never seems to come.

For this event, however, I suspect it'll be left off the list once again. That's to avoid distracting fromthe mega-launch that is the iPhone 17 Air. But 'soon', surely? Along with that promised Apple HomeKit rework?

We're clearly not the only ones thinking about it either. As Yanko Design's 2024 image shows – in an altogether more Amazon-like product – there's still love for the HomePod, complete with screen or otherwise.

Zoom, zoom, let's shake the room

Familiar trio of cameras? Well, not entirely. I do expect the iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max to look fairly different – and larger battery rumours mean the top-end handsets may be larger – with a new rear camera unit design.

In among that, however, it's thought that a 48-megapixel sensor will be on the cards, up from 12MP, delivering four times the amount of resolution. That ought to open the door for enhanced digital zoom, too, with crisper far-away snaps.

Phone's zoom cameras have improved significantly in recent years, though many – Apple and Samsung included – haven't necessarily raced to catch up. But it looks as though now's the time, with the iPhone 17 Pro delivering a zoom upgrade as part of its rumoured redesign that'll put it on par with much of the competition.

BRB!

Ah, the classique! Yes, the Apple Store is down, as happens ahead of every new iPhone launch, so the site can be back-end loaded with all the new, shiny kit for you to buy.

I do hope you weren't planning on buying any new Apple kit in the next five hours, though, as you'll have to wait until at least then for things to fire back up.

Gotta have that Glass

If you followed Apple's WWDC 2025 event then you'll know all about the Liquid Glass aesthetic that's incoming. Indeed, as reported, you can already download the beta on your iPhone to experience the future, right now.

But what you really want is the real thing. And that's likely to be just around the corner, with iOS 26 part and parcel of the iPhone 17 range's launch – which I'd expect to see on the shelves by the end of next week.

For the non-Air iPhone 17 models, I really do think it's this new look and feel that's going to make the handsets feel like something more futuristic. But, fret not iPhone 16 owners, as I'd also expect the final software to be coming to older iPhone models, too, right back to the iPhone 11 series.

Watch that all about, then?

I've also been mulling over the idea that a new Apple Watch SE will be revealed, bringing the series up to its third generation.

Given this is the 'least premium' of the Apple Watch line-up, it's interesting that Apple would align it with a top-tier iPhone launch – such as the Pro Max.

But perhaps that sub-flagship space is exactly where the Cupertino company is hoping to make big moves this year. The iPhone 17 Air ought to be circa the $999 price point, for example, which is clearly still a lot of money – but, crucially, less than the Pro or Pro Max models.

The key feature the Watch SE (3rd Gen) is expected to introduce is an 'AI Workout' feature, leveraging Apple Intelligence, no doubt, and presumably requiring pairing with a more up-to-date iPhone model.

With a rumoured $199-249 asking price expected, it's around a quarter that of the Watch Ultra, which sits at the top of the range. Which, if true, will surely give the entry-level Watch mass appeal.

Are we ready for the Air?

T3's Tech Editor, Mike Lowe, back in the Apple live blog hot seat.

I've been mulling over the idea of the iPhone 17 Air ahead of tonight's launch. And it has me wondering: are we really ready for a super-slim iPhone?

After all, Apple isn't the first to the party. Samsung was way ahead, with the Galaxy S25 Edge delivering a commendable effort earlier this year. But while I called that handset 'a vision of the future', its longevity just wasn't quite up to scratch.

That's one of the things that Apple is really going to have to solve with its Air. Will buyers be okay with less battery life? Fewer cameras? Is it all just more compromise than progression?

I'm more questions than answers right now. But if one thing's clear, it's that year-on-year iPhone progression has been in 'baby steps' mode for some time. So a shake-up is certainly exciting.

Please make one more thing this

Though it doesn't happen every event, Apple occasionally saves the best for last. It's a continuation of Jobs' showmanship that has become an Apple staple and has included the iPod shuffle, the MacBook Pro, FaceTime, the Apple Watch and even the Apple Vision Pro.

There was initially speculation that the iPhone 17 Air will take this place tonight, but I believe it will just be announced as part of the range. So what will it be, or will we see one at all?

I honestly don't think there will be a 'one more thing' in this presentation, as there's already a lot to unpack. Anything that might be considered, will likely be held over for its own event later in the year, or early in 2026. However...

If there was to be one, it could be one of a few options. There's been talk of a new lower-priced Vision headset – a Vision 4K – or even a new Apple TV. There's also been the long running rumour of a HomePod with a screen that could be used as a home hub, which I've been dying to see.

One, two or three cameras?

If some of the leaks and mockups are to be believed, the new iPhone 17 Air could feature just a single camera. That would mean that visually, the biggest difference between the models – aside from the thickness – will be the number of cameras, or at least lenses, it features.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will likely to continue to offer three cameras, the iPhone 17 will probably stick to two and the iPhone 17 Air with one. As we've seen on recent models though, one camera doesn't mean just one focal length. The 48MP fusion camera on the iPhone 16, 16 Pro and 16e provided a 1x zoom, but also a 2x zoom at 12MP by cropping in.

If Apple were to upgrade its main camera beyond 48MP, like the 200MP wide-angle on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra it could potentially cover even more focal lengths from a single camera and lens.

Orange or blue?

Another of Gurman's points is that there will be two new colours for the iPhone this year, an orange and a blue. Blue has long been a staple colour for the iPhone but we have seen various tones and shades, from deep titanium blues through to light powder blues. I do hope we see a lighter or brighter blue this year to make it stand out but recent mockups have suggested more of a navy blue.

Gurman's last comment

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is one of the biggest authorities on Apple insight, and just a few hours ago, Mark posted on X his last comments leading up to the event. The biggest point seems to be a new heat management system for the iPhone, This would explain the logo with what could be a sort of heat map feel.

I have noticed that under heavier use, recent iPhones can run pretty hot as they use the chassis to cool the chip. An improved heat management system could reduce this body temperature and potentially improve both performance and battery life.

It's Apple launch day!

Good morning all, it's Mat Gallagher here and I'm excited. Apple event days still have a certain buzz to them in a way that not many other launches can. In many ways, Apple is responsible for the style of keynotes that we now see across the industry. Steve Jobs turned boring product presentations into showmanship, and now we have Jimmy Fallon presenting Google events!

So while it's still very early in the morning in Cupertino, here in Bath, the excitement levels are already rising. Today we will see Apple's latest iPhone range, which will almost definitely include the iPhone 17 Air. We will see the latest Apple Watch, and possible a new Apple Watch Ultra, and an Apple Watch SE.

Will we see more than that? Will there be a 'just one more thing'? That's where it gets interesting.

Sili-carb-a-what?

Silicon-carbon. It's something you'll be hearing about more and more, no doubt. It's a fairly new battery technology, which some of the best Android phones are already using, that the iPhone 17 Air is rumoured to also utilise.

So why's it important? Silicon-carbon batteries offer greater density, effectively meaning more capacity can be delivered from a physically smaller cell. And when space in a super-slim phone is more limited, that's going to be key for battery longevity.

That said, the iPhone 17 Air is rumoured to have a 3,000mAh battery capacity, which isn't high by any means. Although, Apple has become very accomplished in delivering decent life thanks to its iOS software. So this pairing could be a very effective solution indeed.

Floating on Air...

It was back in July that an iPhone 17 Air leak revealed itself from a reputable source, so it's widely expected that the new super-slim iPhone be the biggest part of today's launch.

Whether the purported design, above, turns out to be true is something we'll have to wait and see. For all we know, it could be a decoy – but current bets are that it's accurate.