Incremental updates used to be the tech world’s greatest achievement. Small updates to hardware and software meant giant leaps in technology, catapulting the entire industry ahead. Fast forward to 2025, and they have become the thing they were meant to eliminate—the death of real innovation.
The latest “Awe Dropping” from Apple was anything but awe-dropping.
A better AirPods Pro. A slight upgrade on the Apple Watch, yet another Watch SE 3, a new Watch Ultra, yet another “basic” iPhone, and yeah, the new iPhone 17 Pro in another questionable colour.
Many reports called the event an end to “months of anticipation”, but is it really? It is an annual affair.
And releasing a new phone every year in September makes no sustainable sense. Yet, here we are.
“More powerful” and “new” are the new old. Overused. Underdelivered. A new iPhone is only as good as its tiny incremental update on the one released 12 months earlier. How did a hardware cycle become so small? And how is this a hype?
We live in a time where TV shows take years to develop a new season with barely 8 to 12 episodes, but phone makers are releasing new phones as if running an annual festival fair! Shouldn’t it be the other way round?
The only respite in the latest Apple announcement is the new iPhone Air—the slimmest iPhone to date, that is, until the next one comes out in 2027.
iPhone Air’s positioning is, however, interesting. It is placed between the basic iPhone and the Pro.It features a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display, slightly bigger than the vanilla iPhone 17. It has a triple-camera system and is powered by the Apple silicon A19 Pro chip.
The minimum storage it ships with is 256GB, with an option to go up to 1TB. In India. The 256GB iPhone Air in India starts at Rs 1,19,900, and you can buy it from September 19.
And that’s about it.
Apple finally updated their abysmal front camera system to a “Centre Stage camera”. Higher megapixels (thank heavens!) and a system that automatically adjusts framing in selfies and video calls.
ALSO READ | Meet the new Apple iPhone Air: Full specs, features, price in India
The basic iPhone 17, which runs on a normal A19 chip, now starts at Rs 82,900. Pre-orders begin on September 12.
The flashy yet underwhelming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, powered by the A19 Pro chip, can now shoot in ProRAW and 8K video formats. Unless you are filming for the big screen, they rarely make any sense. But hey, we now have optical zoom at 6x.
India prices for the iPhone 17 Pro start at a staggering Rs 1,34,900, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max begins at a Rs 1,49,900 price tag. Pre-orders begin on September 12.
So, in total, these were the new releases this year: AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro (and Pro Max)
AirPods Pro 3: After a long wait of two years (by Apple standards), the tech giants released the new AirPods Pro 3. This time, it has heart-rate tracking and Live Translation tech built in. In India, the AirPods Pro 3 are priced at Rs 25,900.
Apple Watch Series 11: We finally get 24-hour battery life and an updated price tag of Rs 41,900.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Bigger 49mm titanium case with a larger LTPO OLED Retina display, peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits, and battery life of up to 42 hours in normal use or 72 hours in Low Power Mode. Indian prices start at Rs 89,900, and pre-orders are already live.
Apple Watch SE: The poor man’s Apple Watch now starts at Rs 29,900 in India.
That’s it! Apple iPhone Air was the disruptor this year. But the trimming down in width came at a cost—battery life! But fear not, for Apple finally brought back its MagSafe battery pack.
In an ideal world, this MagSafe battery pack would work for all Apple iPhones with MagSafe. But alas! It doesn't! This one is ONLY for the iPhone Air, bringing the total battery life up to 40 hours.
Maybe next year, when they bring out iPhone Air 2 or the iPhone 18, we will get a revamped battery pack, too? Till then, here’s to another incremental annual affair that is anything but awe-dropping.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.