Top Stories: Apple's 'Awe Dropping' iPhone Event on September 9

It's finally official! As expected, Apple will be holding its annual flagship iPhone event on Tuesday, September 9, and we're expecting to see several new iPhone models, some new accessories, new Apple Watch models, and perhaps a few more announcements.

top stories 2025 08 30
Apple has plenty more announcements in the pipeline beyond next month's event, however, including a host of new products coming through the first half of next year and several exciting changes for the iPhone lineup over the next few years, so read on below for all the details!

Top Stories

Apple Event Announced for September 9: 'Awe Dropping'

Apple will hold its annual iPhone-centric event on Tuesday, September 9, at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, according to an announcement that went out this week. The event will start at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with select members of the media invited to attend.

awe dropping event
We're expecting a number of announcements at the event, with Apple's event logo potentially hinting at a few aspects of the upcoming iPhone models. Apple reportedly has a host of product launches planned for the coming months, but many of them won't be appearing at next month's event in order to spread things out and keep the focus on the new flagship iPhone models and related products.

iPhone 17 Air is Launching Soon, Here Are All the Rumors

While we're getting four new iPhone models at Apple's upcoming event, the most intriguing one is the so-called "iPhone 17 Air," a new ultra-thin model replacing the traditional Plus model in the lineup.

iPhone 17 Air Dummy Thumb 2
We're expecting a thin body of around 5.5mm with a wide rear camera bump, a 6.6-inch display, just one rear camera, and an ultra-thin battery that will result in shorter battery life than other models, but some users may find that tradeoff worth it.

Apple Has Reportedly Considered Releasing iPhone 17 Air Bumper Case

We're continuing to hear more about potential accessories for the iPhone 17 lineup, and beyond a battery case to help give the iPhone 17 Air additional battery life, we're now hearing that Apple has at least considered releasing iPhone 4-style bumper cases with no rear panel in an effort to provide some protection while still emphasizing the thinness of the new model.

iPhone 17 Air Thumb 2 Blue Electric Boogaloo
In other case news, previous reports of a new "TechWoven" material have been joined by rumored colors for "Liquid Silicone" cases similar to those Apple has offered for many years. And finally, we've seen our first alleged look at the Crossbody Strap accessory that will be able to attach to Apple's new cases.

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 12 New Features

Rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max have been building for months, and with an official unveiling now right around the corner, we've recapped all of the features we're expecting to see in the new models.

iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1
From a redesign with an aluminum chassis and large rear camera bump to new colors including an orange or copper option to camera improvements and more, this year's Pro models should see some significant changes.

From iPhone 17 Air to iPhone 20: Apple's Redesign Timeline

The upcoming iPhone 17 Air is just the first step in a rapid-fire effort to remake the iPhone lineup over the next few years, as recapped this week by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Apple Foldable Thumb
Following the new ultra-thin Air model this year, we should see Apple introduce its first foldable iPhone next year, and in 2027 we may see a special 20th-anniversary model with a wraparound display and no bezels at all.

AirPods Pro 3 Expected to Launch This Year With Key New Feature

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple to release new AirPods Pro this year, and he said the earbuds will have a key new feature: heart rate monitoring. A similar feature was introduced earlier this year on the Powerbeats Pro 2.

AirPods Pro 3 Heart Rate Tracking Feature
We're also expecting a number of design changes for the new AirPods Pro, including a smaller case with a hidden capacitive pairing button and a disappearing status light. The earbuds themselves may also see a redesign to shrink the size a bit and allow for a better fit.

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

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...

Top Rated Comments

vegetassj4 Avatar
18 weeks ago
I actually think they dropped the awe sometime around iPhone 12



droppin the awe...droppin the awe

Attachment Image
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThomasJL Avatar
18 weeks ago
It won’t be “Awe Dropping,” and considering Tim Cook’s insatiable greed, it also won’t be “Price Dropping.”
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lotzosushi Avatar
18 weeks ago
Picked up my 17 Pro Max case today, they’re already available for sale here in Asia. ?



Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thiscatisfat Avatar
18 weeks ago

‘Awe Dropping’ is one hell of a gamble. Now Apple’s has to blow our collective socks off with some mind-blowing new gear. But with a tech conservative like Tim Cook at the helm? Never gonna happen.

I’ll take the APP3 at day 1. That’s it.
We all know it’s going to be boring and Apple will confidently push their overbloated opinion of what they’re delivering. It’s really sad to see Apple in this state.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scrapesleon Avatar
18 weeks ago
Only thing I'm waiting on are those new AirPods Pro
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mattg3 Avatar
18 weeks ago
Only thing jaw dropping is that they can keep conning people to buy another stupid phone so they can waste their life away staring at screens. I sense a big anti- phone movement soon among next generation to move away from being phone zombies.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)