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

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
maxresdefault

iOS 26 Code Leak Reveals Apple Smart Home Hub Details

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:02 pm PST by
Apple is working on a smart home hub that will rely heavily on the more capable version of Siri that's coming next year. We've heard quite a bit about the hub over the last two years, but a recent iOS 26 code leak provides additional insight into what we can expect and confirms rumored features. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Macworld claims to have access to an ...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...

Top Rated Comments

vegetassj4 Avatar
15 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
15 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
15 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
15 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
15 weeks ago
Only thing I'm waiting on are those new AirPods Pro
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mattg3 Avatar
15 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)