Apple unveiled several new products during its iPhone 17 launch event on Tuesday, including the standard iPhone 17 model that received several upgrades, the ultra-thin iPhone Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro versions that are more powerful than ever. Apple also unveiled the AirPods Pro 3 wireless earphones during the show, featuring an updated design, new features, and better battery life, and the Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE 3, which bring over a few notable innovations, including better sleep tracking and an algorithm to detect hypertension.
But some of the novelties Apple detailed briefly on stage might be more important for the future of Apple products than one might think. They might set the stage for more significant innovations in future Apple products, or improve specific experiences and influence changes coming to competitors’ products. Here are five of the most underrated announcements coming out of Apple’s iPhone 17 keynote.
AirPods Pro 3 Live Translation and Apple Watch hypertension notifications
Apple detailed the new Apple Intelligence-powered Live Translation feature during the AirPods Pro 3 segment, making it seem like the feature will be exclusive to the new product. However, Apple explains in a support document that Live Translation works with other AirPods models that support Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), including the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 with ANC. The earphones have to be paired with an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, which means an iPhone featuring the A17 Pro chip or newer.
Apple unveiled the new hypertension notification system during the Apple Watch Series 11 segment, implying the new health feature would be available only on the new high-end wearables launched this year. Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which has the same set of health features as the Series 11. However, the Apple Watch Series 11 press release reveals that hypertension notifications will be available in watchOS 26 after regulatory approval on Apple Watch Series 9 or later and Apple Watch Ultra 2. You won’t have to buy a new device to start using this potentially life-saving feature as soon as it’s available.
3 key iPhone 17 innovations you need to know about
The new 18-megapixel Center Stage selfie camera available on the four iPhone 17 models features a larger, square sensor that lets you take landscape photos without physically rotating the phone, as was necessary on older iPhones. This new experience will change how selfies are taken on iPhone 17 models, making it easier to capture content while holding the phone with one hand. The immediate benefit concerns the safety of the iPhone: No more fumbling with the phone to take the best landscape selfie.
The iPhone Air design introduces another underrated innovation. The internal design maximizes the space for the battery. The phone’s key hardware components are all packed towards the top of the phone, inside that camera plateau seen below. Apple can design smaller components and pack them tighter than ever before. The miniaturization of chips may help Apple design more powerful wearables, smart glasses with AI and AR capabilities, and even MacBooks and iPads with longer battery life. The smaller the footprint of internal components, the larger the battery becomes.
Speaking of MacBooks, Apple spent a great deal of time talking about the A19 and A19 Pro chips during the event, emphasizing the GPU performance improvements that will benefit on-device AI. The Neural Accelerators built into each GPU core deliver up to three times the peak GPU compute of the A18 Pro that powers last year’s iPhone 16 Pros. “This is MacBook Pro levels of compute in an iPhone, perfect for GPU-intensive AI workloads,” Apple said on stage. Rumors said recently that Apple is developing a cheaper MacBook Air featuring an iPhone A-series processor. The A19 Pro claim above indicates Apple could very well power a MacBook Pro with an iPhone chip in the future.