To reinvigorate its brand, Apple introduced the iPhone 17 Air, which CEO Tim Cook called \u201ca total game-changer\u201d.<\/p>\n
At just 5.6mm thick, the US$999 ($1685) device features Apple\u2019s new A19 Pro processor \u2013 its most powerful iPhone chip to date \u2013 and promises all-day battery life with up to 40 hours of video playback.<\/p>\n
The Air joins Apple\u2019s more standard line-up, including the premium iPhone Pro 17, the company\u2019s most expensive and highest-performing model.<\/p>\n
While all new devices incorporate generative AI technology, Apple made no major announcements about expanding its AI capabilities beyond updates to existing features in its \u201cApple Intelligence\u201d suite.<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s AI push has struggled to gain traction since it launched \u201cApple Intelligence\u201d late last year. Users have been particularly disappointed with improvements to Siri, which remains surprisingly basic, despite years of promises.<\/p>\n
Apple reportedly plans to integrate AI into online search next year and overhaul Siri, though the company hasn\u2019t confirmed these reports.<\/p>\n
The tech giant is also said to be partnering with Google to tap into its search and AI expertise.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo truly differentiate and smoke the competition, Apple will have to crack AI as a new contextual user interface\u201d on its devices, Forrester analyst Thomas Husson said in a note.<\/p>\n
\u201cExecuting such an ambitious AI strategy will take time. It won\u2019t happen at best until next year, if not for the iPhone\u2019s 20th anniversary\u201d in 2027, he added.<\/p>\n
Pivot to Air<\/p>\n
Industry analysts see the iPhone Air as a strategic pivot, with Apple positioning ultra-thin design \u2013 rather than larger screens \u2013 as its new premium selling point.<\/p>\n
The super-slim profile could also pave the way for Apple\u2019s long-rumoured foldable iPhone, expected as early as next year. Samsung and China\u2019s Huawei already offer foldable smartphones.<\/p>\n
However, engineering such thin devices presents challenges: higher production costs and reduced battery space, though Apple claims 24-hour battery life for the iPhone 17 Air when fully charged.<\/p>\n
Despite tariffs that increase production costs, Apple kept iPhone prices unchanged from last year\u2019s equivalent models \u2013 a move that may squeeze profit margins.<\/p>\n
Cook revealed in July that Trump\u2019s tariffs cost Apple US$800 million last quarter, with an estimated US$1.1 billion impact expected this quarter.<\/p>\n
Apple shares fell 1.40% after pricing details were announced, reflecting investor concerns about the company\u2019s ability to maintain its profit margins.<\/p>\n
Apple also introduced the AirPods Pro 3, featuring enhanced noise cancellation and real-time translation capabilities, with the Apple Watch Series 11, which includes 5G connectivity, extended battery life and heart-health monitoring features, pending regulatory approval.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Agence France-Presse<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"To reinvigorate its brand, Apple introduced the iPhone 17 Air, which CEO Tim Cook called \u201ca total game-changer\u201d.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12770,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[15140,365,68,534,95,351,363,364,6440,15144,15149,13313,353,809,15143,111,139,69,15148,15141,15147,7798,4535,583,370,145,15145,15142,11743,15146],"class_list":["post-12769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-15140","tag-ai","tag-air","tag-amid","tag-and","tag-apple","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-artificialintelligence","tag-ever","tag-featuring","tag-generative","tag-giant","tag-iphone","tag-keep","tag-lineup","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-pace","tag-pressures","tag-prove","tag-race","tag-smartphone","tag-tariff","tag-tech","tag-technology","tag-thinnest","tag-unveiled","tag-unveils","tag-works"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}