Apple has revealed its iPhone 17 -lineup with its thinnest smartphone ever as the tech giant works to prove it can keep up with the generative AI race.
Silicon Valley Powerhouse held its annual iPhone release event in the middle of mounting pressure: The White House pushes the company to reduce its dependence on Chinese production, while investors are questioning whether Apple is really ready for the AI age.
Adding to these challenges, the company is facing headwinds from President Donald Trump’s high customs policies. Apple shares have fallen more than 3%since Republicans took office in January.
Based on this, Apple is betting on a product that it hopes will trigger a super-cycle of iPhone purchases and turn the trend for customers holding on to their devices longer before upgrading.
“The event shows that Apple side-controlled the heart of the AI weapon race while positioning himself as a long-term innovator on the AI-Hardware front with silicon and unit-level integration,” Emarketer Analyst Gadjo Sevilla said.
To revive his brand, the Apple iPhone 17 Air introduced, which CEO Tim Cook called “a total game change.”
On only 5.6 mm thick (less than a quarter inch), the $ 999 device has Apple’s new A19 Pro-processor’s most powerful iPhone chip to date and promises the whole day battery life with up to 40 hours of video playback.
The air joins Apple’s more standard lineup, including the Premium iPhone Pro 17, the company’s most expensive and highest performing model.
While all new devices incorporate generative AI technology, Apple made no major messages to expand its AI capabilities in addition to updates to existing features in its “Apple Intelligence” Suite.
The company’s AI -push has struggled to get traction since launching “Apple Intelligence” late last year. Users have been particularly disappointed with the improvements of Siri, which remains surprisingly basic despite years of promises.
Apple is reportedly planning to integrate AI into online search next year and revise Siri, although the company has not confirmed these reports.
Technical giant is also said to work with Google to take advantage of his search and AI expertise.
“To really differentiate and smoke the competition, Apple will have to crack AI as a new contextual user interface” on his devices, Forrester analyst Thomas Husson said in a note.
“Performing such an ambitious AI strategy will take time. It will not happen at best until next year, if not for the iPhone’s 20 -Year anniversary” in 2027, he added.
Turn to the air
Industrial analysts see iPhone Air as a strategic twist with Apple Positioning Ultra-Thin Design snarers than larger screens-like its new premium sales point.
The super -slim profile could also pave the way for Apple’s long -standing foldable iPhone, expected already next year. Samsung and China’s Huawei already offer foldable smartphones.
However, engineering provides such thin devices challenges: Higher production costs and reduced battery space, although Apple claims 24-hour battery life for iPhone 17 air when fully charged.
Despite tariffs that increase production costs, the Apple iPhone prices kept unchanged from last year’s equivalent models – a step that could push the profit margins.
Cook revealed in July that Trump’s tariffs cost the Apple $ 800 million last quarter with an estimated impact of $ 1.1 billion expected this quarter.
Apple shares fell 1.40%after price information was announced, reflecting the investor’s concerns about the company’s ability to maintain its profit margins.
Apple also introduced AirPods Pro 3, with improved noise reduction and real-time translation features along with the Apple Watch Series 11, which includes 5G connection, extended battery life and heart health monitoring features pending regulatory approval.
