iPhone launch events have generally become predictable and mundane. Many of the hardware upgrades leak months (or even years) in advance, minimizing our enthusiasm during the official keynote. That’s not to mention the smartphone’s maturity, and the “Apple just re-released last year’s iPhone!” sentiment among customers. This year could be different, however.
Apple’s next event, dubbed “Awe Dropping” and taking place on September 9, is rumored to bring loads of design and functionality changes to three of the company’s best-selling devices. It won’t just be recycled iPhones and wearables with slightly faster processors that nobody cares about. We’re expecting dramatic changes to key devices, and I can’t wait to see what Apple has in store for us.
The most Pro AirPods Pro ever
Even though the event is iPhone-centric, I’m actually anticipating the AirPods Pro 3 the most. While AirPods during their early days started as very basic wireless earbuds, they’ve evolved into complex devices over the years. Today, the AirPods Pro 2 tap into hearing health and offer advanced audio features that truly enhance the listening experience. I can only imagine what their successors will bring.
Rumors suggest we’ll see a more compact design that shortens the existing stems. Like the AirPods 4, the charging case may also do away with the physical pairing button in favor of a more futuristic, capacitive one.
Beyond the cosmetics, the AirPods Pro 3 could boast stronger active noice cancellation, which would limit exterior disturbance even more. And like its Beats-branded counterpart, the upcoming AirPods Pro could support heart rate measurements. This would provide watch-less users with more health data when recording workouts. Similarly, it may bring skin temperature monitoring and detect potential irregularities.
Foundry
The best part about AirPods Pro is Apple’s commitment in the software department. While the above-mentioned hardware perks are sufficiently exciting on their own, the company will likely supercharge them further via firmware updates for years to come. For example, the AirPods Pro 2 continue to receive noteworthy additions every year, despite being three years old. In fact, Apple could announce a handy live translation tool for them during the upcoming event.
A Pro camera for pros
As a mobile photography enthusiast, I absolutely despise my iPhone 16 Pro Max’s telephoto lens. Android phone manufacturers have been letting their users shoot faraway subjects with 100x zoom, while the iPhone is still limited to 5x optical and 25x digital zooms. While 25x zoom, in theory, is adequate in many use cases, the output quality is often subpar. Fortunately, the iPhone 17 Pro may finally address that.
If the rumors materialize, the telephoto lens may finally catch up to the wide and ultra-wide ones, bumping the resolution to 48MP. The change would help minimize pixelation, especially in dimly lit environments. It could also unlock 8x optical zoom, a welcome bump from 5x.
Foundry
Other rumored iPhone 17 Pro camera upgrades I look forward to include the redesigned rear bump and the standalone advanced camera app. Apple already offers a Final Cut Camera app for video recording—a Pro photography app would complement it nicely.
Going to the matte
I exclusively use dark mode on all of my Apple devices, and so do many users with sensitive eyes. This, however, also means that I have to stare at my face’s reflection whenever I’m using my iPhone, which can be quite distracting. According to rumors, Apple may fix this issue on the iPhone 17 Pro by applying a new anti-reflective layer on the screen. It could potentially mimic the matte Nano Texture display option offered by some iPads and Macs.
Half an iPhone Fold
Other compelling screen upgrades coming this fall could include the expansion of the 120Hz refresh rate to all iPhone 17 models. The feature—currently exclusive to Pro iPhones—would accelerate animations and make transitions smoother.
To the “all iPhones look the same” folk, this one is particularly exciting. During the next event, Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 Air—a competitively slim edition that prepares for 2026’s potential iPhone Fold debut. It won’t be the most technologically advanced handset, but it certainly will appeal to casual users seeking a mind-blowingly sleek phone.
More Series, less SE
Despite being the iPhone maker’s lowest-end smartwatch, the Apple Watch SE supports most of the features offered by its higher-end Series counterpart. Sure, you miss out on the always-on display, ECG sensor, and other nice-to-have perks, but otherwise you get the same main ecosystem integrations and fitness tracking.
In September, Apple could be upgrading the SE model in two key ways, bringing it closer to the Series watches. For starters, the Apple Watch SE 3 could finally adopt the bigger build first introduced with the Series 7, as the Series 10 and (presumably) 11 move onto an even larger design. The shift to a wider display could also include thinner bezels, contributing to a more modern look.
Foundry
Apple is expected to bump the next SE smartwatch’s processor from S8 to S11, potentially unlocking more intensive features the Series line has had for years. These could include the double-tap gesture, Siri health data access, wrist flick for dismissing notifications, and more.
All of these boosts would make the Apple Watch SE 3 a more tempting option for budget customers, as the compromises continue to shrink.
The missing WWDC segment
During last year’s WWDC, Apple infamously made some serious promises it couldn’t keep. The company has since learned not to overshare during its developer conference. As such, at WWDC25, Apple primarily only previewed features included with OS 26.0 and refrained from revealing future perks coming with OS version 26.1 and beyond.
With the iPhone launch event likely being close to OS 26.1 beta’s release, the company could logically preview some major unannounced OS 26.1 features it has readied during the keynote. And, similar to previous years, it could also unveil some exciting software tools exclusive to the new devices.
