Top Stories: iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7, New iPads, and More

Apple's highly anticipated "California Streaming" event on Tuesday had an interesting mix of expected and unexpected news, including the iPhone 13 lineup that largely followed expectations and the Apple Watch Series 7 that didn't get the expected flat-sided redesign but otherwise matched up with rumors pretty well.

Top Stories 77
On the more unexpected front, we got updates to the iPad mini and entry-level iPad, something most people weren't expecting until a second autumn event in October or November. We also didn't get the third-generation AirPods, which were rumored but fairly uncertain about heading into the event.

For a look at Tuesday's biggest announcements, check out our 7-minute recap video and associated article that links out to all of our coverage from event day.

Apple Announces iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini With Smaller Notch, Repositioned Rear Cameras, and More

Apple on Tuesday announced the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, both featuring a smaller notch, repositioned rear cameras, improved performance, and more while maintaining the same 6.1-inch and 5.4-inch sizes of their respective iPhone 12 predecessors.

iPhone 13 Feature Candy Corn
As rumored, the new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini include a 20% smaller notch, allowing for more display area. Inside, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are powered by the brand new A15 Bionic chip, while a more advanced dual-camera system on the rear delivers better photos and video than ever.

Pre-orders are now underway ahead of a launch on Friday, September 24, although shipping times for many models and some Apple Card users experienced difficulties trying to place orders as they went live.

Apple Unveils iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max With ProMotion Displays and Up to 1TB Storage

In additon to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, Apple on Tuesday also announced the iPhone 13 Pro and ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro Max, featuring brighter Super Retina XDR displays with ProMotion, improved rear cameras, a more powerful variant of the A15 Bionic chip, up to 1TB of storage, a new Sierra Blue color option, and more.

iPhone 13 Pro Feature Gold
Both devices sport the A15 Bionic chip with a six-core CPU and a five-core GPU for a significant performance improvement. This variant of the A15 chip contains one extra GPU core than the ‌iPhone 13‌ mini and ‌iPhone 13‌'s A15 chip.

Pre-orders for the Pro models are also underway ahead of their September 24 launch, and if you're having trouble deciding which model to get, we have a buyer's guide comparing the regular and Pro lineups.

Apple Unveils Apple Watch Series 7 Featuring Larger Screen Sizes From $399

As expected, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 7 at Tuesday's event, delivering the expected larger display size thanks to thinner bezels and slightly larger casings.

Apple Watch Series 7 Pink and Green Feature
What we didn't expect is that the design is quite similar to the Series 6 and other recent models, with smooth, rounded edges rather than the flat-edged redesign that had been rumored by several prominent sources.

You'll also have to wait a while to get your hands on the new Apple Watch, as Apple has said only that it will be available "later this fall." Recent reports indicated that Apple was having trouble ramping up mass production of the new models, and that's almost certainly the reason for Apple's vague launch timeframe.

Apple Introduces Redesigned Sixth-Generation iPad Mini With Touch ID, USB-C Port, 5G, and More

We heard a number of rumors about a redesign for the iPad mini that would bring it more in line with the iPad Air, and that's exactly what we got Tuesday with the sixth-generation model.

iPad mini 6 orange BG
The new iPad mini features a larger 8.3-inch display that largely covers the front of the device, Touch ID on the power button rather than having a Home button, a USB-C port instead of Lightning, and support for the second-generation Apple Pencil.

Orders for the new iPad mini are available now, with a launch coming on Friday, September 24.

Apple Announces New 9th-Generation iPad With A13 Chip, True Tone Display, and More

While it didn't see as big an overhaul as its smaller sibling, the entry-level 10.2-inch iPad did receive an update on Tuesday, upgrading to an A13 Bionic chip offering up to 20% faster performance, a True Tone display, an improved front camera, and more.

iPad 9th gen feature
The new ‌iPad‌ features an upgraded 12MP ultra-wide front camera with Center Stage, which uses machine learning to automatically detect people in the frame, panning and zooming to keep them in view during FaceTime calls. The feature recognizes when other people join or exit a call, adjusting the camera position to fit everyone in.

Orders for the new iPad are available now, with a launch coming next week on Friday, September 24.

iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15 Will Be Released on September 20

Apple's big software update launch will take place next Monday, September 20, with Apple releasing iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8 on that date.

iOS 15 General Feature Green
We haven't yet received an official launch date for macOS Monterey, but it appears likely we'll have a Mac-focused media event in about a month or so, and we'll likely hear more about Monterey then, if not sooner.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone Like 'Two Titanium iPhone Airs' Joined at the Hinge

Monday September 22, 2025 2:16 am PDT by
Next year's rumored foldable iPhone will showcase an ultra-thin design resembling "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple's first foldable device will be "super thin and a design achievement," combining Apple's thinnest iPhone form factor with cutting-edge folding...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

Some iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Users Experiencing Intermittent Wi-Fi Issue

Monday September 22, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple's latest iPhone models launched on Friday, and some early adopters of the devices are experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi issues. Affected customers say Wi-Fi connectivity periodically cuts out on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with hundreds of comments about the issue posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community over the...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1

Monday September 22, 2025 10:05 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with the first betas of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The new betas are the first updates to the iOS, iPadOS, macOS 26, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS releases that came out last week. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going...

Top Rated Comments

Mrjetsondc Avatar
53 months ago
I got the Pro at 505am on launch. I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything at launch. I traded in my 11.

What I find interesting is that I promised myself I would never buy a 1k dollar phone.

but here I am.

I have failed my bank account.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dcphilly Avatar
53 months ago

I got the Pro at 505am on launch. I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything at launch. I traded in my 11.

What I find interesting is that I promised myself I would never buy a 1k dollar phone.

but here I am.

I have failed my bank account.
it's ok. adjust your promise of $1k limit by inflation and you're good.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Octopuss Avatar
53 months ago
I stick to my 11 pro max for at least another year, nothing to see here
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
53 months ago
We know Tim Cook got paid this weekend. His pockets are full. This is probably his favorite weekend too.



Attachment Image
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
52 months ago
I am happy. The iPhone mini survived another year. :D
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iapplelove Avatar
52 months ago
I won’t even ditch my broken iPhone X for the new offerings. Yawn
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)