Apple’s September event brought out the big guns with the iPhone 17 lineup, a brand-new ultra-thin iPhone Air, updated AirPods Pro 3, and the latest Apple Watch. The iPhone 17 and 17 Pro Max keep their usual price tags, while the Pro model bumps up $100. The all-new iPhone Air is the star of the show—just 5.6 millimeters thin with a titanium frame and dual-camera video recording, starting at $999. Preorders begin September 12, with phones landing in stores September 19.
But behind the shiny announcements is a bigger story—tariffs. Apple has been hit with over $1 billion in extra costs due to trade pressures. To keep prices steady, the company has shifted more iPhone production to India and even airlifted 600 tons of iPhones into the U.S. to avoid new tariffs. Analysts warn chip tariffs could raise electronics prices by up to a third, so Apple is walking a tightrope between innovation and cost control.
