Right on schedule, Apple announced the “awe dropping” showcase that will grace our eyeballs tonight, 9 September 2025, where it will show off everything from a fresh crop of iPhones to a new set of AirPods. That’s assuming the news, coming from Bloomberg’s Apple insider, Mark Gurman, is correct… it usually is.
The show is set to kick off at 19h00 SAST tonight, leaving you plenty of time to tune in. Whether it’ll actually live up to its rather ambitious name remains to be seen, but you can find out for yourself in all the usual spaces — Apple’s official YouTube channel chief among them. We’ve also embedded the stream below to make finding it that much simpler. But if you’re bored with the typical Apple showmanship, we’ve got you covered on Stuff.
My awe is on the floor
The highlight of the show, as ever, will be the new iPhones on display, though with a slight deviation from tradition. Rather than releasing the iPhone 17, 17 Plus, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, as is Apple’s MO, the Big Fruit Company has reportedly swapped out the regular ‘Plus’ model for the newer, lighter iPhone 17 Air.
At least, that’s how it’s known in the rumour sphere. Apple might well have a different name lined up for the newcomer to the iPhone family by tonight, but considering the level of effort it usually displays, calling it the ‘iPhone 17 Air’ seems about right. And, seeing what Apple is trying to accomplish with this phone, it makes sense.
Apple is hoping that the promise of a thinner, lighter iPhone will make up for the new Air’s shortcomings elsewhere. Measuring in at a reported 5.5mm, it’s only throwing in a single rear camera (48MP) as well as a smaller battery than the rest to accommodate the revised form factor. Oh, and it literally can’t support physical SIMs at these dimensions, meaning you’ll have to adopt a proper eSIM if the iPhone 17 Air is a must.
We’ll have to wait until later to confirm, but it’s expected to also bear a 6.6in display, USB-C port, and the new A19 chipset, which does at least make up for the physical battery limitations here. At the time of writing, pricing remains a total mystery.
Now Watch this
If you were expecting a major refresh for the upcoming Apple Watch Series 11, don’t. Gurman states that Apple hasn’t done much to transform this year’s batch of wearables, at least for the base Series 11 family, which retains the same basic shape of last year’s line-up, but with a brighter display. We’re positive there’s more upgrades to the underlying health tech involved, but good luck telling the device apart from last year’s efforts.
The kindest explanation for the lack of innovation is that Apple spent the year cooking up the Watch Ultra 3, which didn’t get a major refresh at last year’s showing. It reportedly offers a slightly larger screen, a new Series 11 chipset, and “the ability to tap into Apple’s satellite feature for text messaging and emergency communications.” So that rules out that theory. Turns out Apple likes raking in the cash for very little effort. Who knew?
Probably the most value-for-money proposition is the refreshed Apple Watch SE, which will get basic upgrades in the form of a new screen and chip — all done to make that relatively cheap starting price that much more desirable.
Blowing hot Air(Pods)
It’s been a while since the AirPods Pro 2 saw a hardware update, but that’s set to change tonight. Even so, keep those expectations on the low end, especially if you’re already rocking a pair of the company’s regular Pods. Possibly the biggest addition is ironically the newly revised charge case, which reportedly knocks the size down by quite a sizeable margin.
There’s also a new pairing mechanism on the way to get you listening to your tunes sooner, paired with a new heart rate monitor like the one added to the Beats Powerbeats earlier this year. Another big change is the ability to translate live conversations on the go — matching the functionality offered in iOS and iPadOS as the company continues to hype up Apple Intelligence.
