Early this morning for us Aussies, Apple was taking the covers off not one, not two but three new iPhones. Here are the iPhone 17 features, pricing and release date. And all the details on the iPhone Air, the new ultra-thin and light model.

Apple iPhone 17 range: what's new?

Apple loves a bit of new. 

That's why instead of just the standard and Pro models this year, there's a new ultra-slim Air model. 

Here's a download.

iPhone 17

Design: Built stronger to last longer

While the Pro-model iPhone is getting a racy new design, the base model iPhone looks as expected. All the buttons are the same, with the dedicated Camera Control, Action Button and such making a return. 

But don't think it's laziness on Apple's part. Look closer and you see there's a lot more in the detail.

There's a stronger aluminium frame underneath to hold it all together, and an updated ultra-strong glass on the front. Apple calls it Ceramic Shield 2 and it's new for this model. It claims it's not only stronger but also three-times more scratch resistant. 

Which is good, considering how my iPhone 16 Pro looks after a year of rattling around in my pocket.

There are also new colours, naturally. Purple (known as Lavender) makes a return, as does the standard black and white. Two new colours include the Sage Green and the Mist Blue.

One-less size option

Previously, Apple would give you a choice with the standard model: either the regular size or the Plus size. With last year's iPhone 16, for example, there were 6.1-inch iPhone and a 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus variants available.

The 6.7-inch iPhone "Plus" model is benched this time around. Instead, there's a new model that sits between the base model and the Pro model. It's called "Air" - or iPhone 17 Air to give it its full moniker.

As the name suggests, it's super-, super-thin, harkening back to the MacBook Air models that are so thin and light you could probably use one to cut your veggies for dinner.

Screen: larger, brighter, faster and always on

It's what you look at most, so let's talk about it.

The screen is bigger this time around, bumping up from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches on the diagonal. You get a bit of extra real estate, likely because it's the only size available on the base model now. As mentioned above, Apple has done away with the Plus model in favour of the new iPhone 17 Air.

Elsewhere, Apple's busy solving other problems. The most annoying thing about using a phone is when you get it outside in the bright sun and can't see anything. Apple's tried solving this one before but now it's pushing it to the extreme. 

The new base model iPhone 17 pushes the peak brightness of the 6.3-inch screen up to 3300 nits of brightness. A nit is just a measurement of how bright something gets, and 3300 of 'em is worth writing home about. At its peak brightness - it isn't that bright all the time - it's more than double that of most high-end TVs (typically 1500 nits these days.

The screen on the base-model iPhone 17 is now far smoother to use, too. The "refresh rate" - that is, how many times a phone's screen flickers to render an image - is now up to 120Hz. It's something Apple calls ProMotion and it makes using the device a super-smooth and eye-pleasing experience. 

ProMotion used to be reserved - as the name suggests - for Pro devices. Now it's on the base model for iPhone 17 which is great. Seriously, once you use it, you'll never be able to go backwards to a slower refresh screen. 

Plus, the screen now has the option of being "always on". Now available on the base model for the first time, Always-On Display keeps your lock screen visible at a glance, showing the time, widgets and notifications without needing to tap or lift the phone. And it doesn't suck your battery dry in the process, don't worry.

A rear-camera with more attention to detail

It's easy to just list how many megapixels a camera has and use it as a byword for the quality of a photo you're likely to get. In reality, it just means how large you can make an image when it's taken!

The iPhone 16 featured a 48-megapixel dual-camera setup on the rear, and so does the iPhone 17, but what's really great is all the little stuff that has trickled down from last year's Pro model into this year's base model.

For example, while both phones have the same 48MP main lens and 12MP 2x telephoto, the iPhone 17 swaps out the older 12MP Ultra Wide for a new 48MP version. That means sharper landscape shots, better edge detail, and the ability to take super high-res images on every lens, not just the main one.

Apple also added Hybrid Focus Pixels to that new Ultra Wide, so it should lock focus faster in low light or when you’re moving. Macro photography now uses the full 48MP sensor too, which is great for close-up shots of texture or detail.

Video gets a few subtle upgrades. The iPhone 17 now supports Dual Capture, so you can film with two lenses at once. Spatial video has been bumped to 1080p, so immersive recordings should look a little cleaner.

The difference isn’t in the big numbers. It’s in the little changes that make the camera feel more capable in more situations. If you’re upgrading from an older phone, the jump is obvious. But even coming from an iPhone 16, it feels like Apple has fine-tuned the entire camera experience.

Smarter front-camera that follows you around

I hate taking selfies, and not just because I have to look at my stupid mug as I frame up my shot. It's because most front-facing or "selfie" cameras on phones are rubbish.

Apple's put in the work to make this one suck way less, though. 

It has a larger sensor for higher-resolution images (18-megapixels now instead of 12-megapixels), and now it follows you around.

There's a feature on iPads these days that automatically keeps you in position as you move about during a video call. It's called Centre Stage. It's honestly the thing I get the most comments on when I got it: "how are you moving your camera like that???" folks would ask. Now this recentring tech is making its way to iPhone video calls too, all the way down to the base iPhone 17 model. That video is also now super stable as well with the addition of tech that reduces the shake of your hand while filming or walking.

You also get dual-video recording in the software now too. Think of it like a FaceTime call where you can see yourself as always in a little window but also what's being captured by the rear camera. Great for big family moments where one person might have to get stuck taking the shot but now they won't miss out on being captured.

A bunch of other smaller details

There are always little things that make the new iPhone nicer to live with in your pocket everyday. Here are some of my faves:

Longer battery, faster charging

The iPhone 17 lasts noticeably longer than the iPhone 16, with Apple quoting up to 30 hours of video playback compared to 22 on last year’s model. That’s a big jump, and you’ll notice it. Charging gets a bump too. With the right 40W adapter, you can go from zero to 50 percent in 20 minutes, which is about 10 minutes faster than before. Handy when you forget to plug in overnight.

A smarter chip to bring it all together

The A19 chip doesn’t just bring raw power. It adds a new graphics engine with hardware ray tracing, plus updates to the Neural Engine that help run Apple Intelligence more smoothly. You won’t notice it in every task, but animations feel snappier, and heavier apps and games are just a bit more fluid than before.

A new wireless chip for better battery and connectivity

Apple has quietly added its new N1 wireless chip to the iPhone 17. It’s designed to better manage Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and network activity with less strain on your battery. We saw this in action on the iPhone 16e earlier this year, where it helped extend battery life under mixed-use conditions like video calling, streaming and background sync. It’s a small chip with a big impact.

More storage

You're constantly making stuff now, so now you've got 256GB of storage as standard when you buy the new base model.

iPhone Air

This is the big announcement for me: the thinnest iPhone ever. It's simply called iPhone Air. No number this time around.

The iPhone Air is the thinnest and lightest big-screen iPhone Apple has ever made, shaving its profile down to just 5.6mm and weighing only 165 grams. That's compared to 7.8mm and 199 grams for the iPhone 16 Plus, and 8.25mm and the same 199 grams for the iPhone 16 Pro.

Of course, with less real estate on the inside, there are things you may do without in the pursuit of lightness. Here's the download.

What is it?

The iPhone Air is Apple’s newest addition to the lineup. It skips the number entirely, so there’s no iPhone 17 Air. Just “Air”. That small change says a lot. This isn’t just a cheaper version of something else. It’s a new category that focuses on being light, clean and premium without going all the way to Pro-level pricing.

The Air replaces the iPhone 16 Plus. That phone was big and heavy, with a screen size that appealed to people who just wanted more space. The Air still gives you a large display at 6.4 inches, but in a slimmer and lighter body that feels more modern and easier to live with every day.

It borrows a lot of its look from the Pro models. The shape is tighter and the lines are cleaner. It feels more like a high-end device even though it costs less. Size-wise, it sits right between the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro. So you’re not losing out on screen space, but you’re not lugging around something chunky either.

Apple built this for people who want a big screen and a premium design but don’t need all the extras. You still get fast performance, the latest chip, and a solid main camera. But you skip the more advanced stuff like extra lenses, faster charging and smoother displays.

If you care more about comfort, weight and design than you do about features you might not use, the iPhone Air hits a very specific sweet spot. It’s the iPhone that doesn’t try too hard but still gives you plenty.

What you’re missing

The iPhone Air trims some features to keep things light, both in weight and in price. It’s not a dealbreaker for most people, but it’s worth knowing what gets left out.

Start with the screen. It’s bigger than the iPhone 17 at 6.4 inches, but it doesn’t have the same smooth 120Hz refresh rate. That means you don’t get the ultra-fluid motion you’ll see on the 17 or the Pro models. It’s still a great screen, just not quite as slick when you scroll or swipe.

Battery life is slightly down compared to the others. Light and slim that means the battery has had to slim down too. On paper, it clocks in at up to 27 hours of video playback. That’s three hours less than the standard iPhone 17, and a full 12 hours less than the iPhone 17 Pro. But unless you’re binging full seasons in one go, you’ll still get through a full day without stress.

Charging is also a little slower. You’ll get up to 50 percent battery in around 30 minutes, compared to 20 minutes on the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro when using a 40W charger. It’s not a huge drop, but it’s worth noting if you’re the kind of person who relies on a quick top-up before heading out.

For a device this thin and light, the Air still holds its own. You’re giving up a bit of endurance for a lot of comfort. And for most people, that’s a trade worth considering.

Then there’s the camera. You only get a single rear lens on the iPhone Air. That’s the same 48MP main camera found on the iPhone 17, which is good. But there’s no Ultra Wide or Telephoto lens. So no zooming in optically and no wide-angle shots when you’re trying to fit more into the frame. It’s a simple setup that takes solid photos, but it’s more limited compared to the Pro or even the base 17.

In short, the Air cuts back in a few places to stay light and lean. You lose some features, but you’re not getting a watered-down experience. You just have to decide which parts matter most to you.

What you’re getting

The iPhone Air earns its name. It’s thin, light and feels noticeably easier to handle than any other big-screen iPhone. It weighs less than both the iPhone 17 and the 17 Pro, and you notice it right away when you pick it up. The frame is polished titanium, not aluminium like the base model, which keeps it sturdy without adding weight. The finish also feels smoother in the hand, less industrial and more premium.

Even though it loses a few features compared to the Pro and base model, the Air still packs the same powerful A19 Pro chip under the hood. That means it runs the same apps, the same Apple Intelligence features, and handles heavy tasks just as well. You don’t need to pay Pro prices to get that level of performance.

The camera might be a single-lens system, but it’s the same 48MP Fusion Main used across the whole iPhone 17 line. That means sharp shots, good low-light performance, and support for things like next-gen portraits, spatial photos and high-res video. You don’t get the zoom range or the ultra-wide lens, but the main sensor still delivers the goods.

You’re also getting a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display, which splits the difference between the 6.3-inch iPhone 17 and the 6.9-inch 17 Pro Max. It’s a nice size if you want something bigger without it feeling bulky. It’s not as bright or smooth as the Pro, and it doesn’t get the new anti-reflective coating, but it still looks sharp and vibrant. For most people, it’s a great middle ground.

The iPhone Air isn’t just a cheaper Pro. It’s a new kind of big-screen iPhone for people who want something thinner, lighter and easier to live with every day. It feels like a fresh idea rather than a cut-down compromise.

iPhone 17 Pro

Here's the big one. Apple has thrown just about everything at this new Pro model this year to compete with other smartphone manufacturers like Samsung who are constantly looking to cut Cupertino's lunch.

Design: it looks way different 

If you're someone who likes a bit of variety, you're in luck. The Pro gets a big visual redesign this year.

Apple’s Pro iPhones have always looked serious — brushed titanium, sharp edges, industrial camera bumps. The iPhone 17 Pro dials that back a bit. And it works.

There are now smoother edges and a more refined silhouette. It’s meant to be lighter in the hand and no longer top-heavy like the 16 Pro could feel without a case. The unibody design also means no visible antenna bands this year — the back is cleaner, simpler and a bit more confident.

Around the camera bump, things have changed too. It’s flatter, slightly smaller, rectangular rather than square, and sits more flush to the rear housing. That alone makes it feel like less of a burden in your pocket or on the table. The lenses still pack plenty of punch, but they’re no longer doing so from a massive protruding slab.

Plus, now that it's a uniform rectangle camera it hopefully won't wobble around the table when you lay it flat.

The colours feel less serious too. Gone are the gunmetal blues and industrial greys. Now you get finishes like Cosmic Orange and Midnight. Even the silver is brighter, almost chrome-like in some light. It feels like Apple is finally giving people permission to have fun with their Pro phones again — not just dress them up like miniature MacBooks.

Ditching titanium for aluminium to save weight but retain strength

Apple has swapped out titanium for aluminium on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. It’s not about cutting costs. It’s about cutting weight.

While titanium offered strength, it also made last year’s phones feel heavy and slightly top-heavy, especially when used without a case. The move back to aluminium makes the iPhone 17 Pro feel better balanced in the hand. The difference is just a few grams on paper, but noticeable in daily use. It’s easier to hold for longer, especially when reading or filming.

This isn’t the same aluminium Apple used back in the iPhone 6 era. It’s a new unibody construction with tighter tolerances and a denser internal frame. The strength is still there, but it no longer feels like you’re carrying around a stainless steel watch on your phone.

There are some small changes to the shape as well. The edges are slightly smoother. The camera bump is less pronounced, despite packing more optical zoom. It still looks like an iPhone Pro, just refined.

The rest is familiar. The buttons are in the same place, the Action Button remains, and the USB-C port returns. Apple hasn’t changed the look for change’s sake. It’s changed the materials to make the thing easier to live with.

Screens: same sizes, better to look at

The iPhone 17 Pro keeps the same 6.3- and 6.7-inch display size and silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate from last year, but improves it in a way that matters more than you’d think: visibility.

It now supports up to 3300 nits of peak brightness, which sounds like a spec-sheet number until you actually use it outside. As mentioned above, that’s more than double what most high-end TVs put out, and well above what the iPhone 16 Pro could manage. 1000 nits more.

You’ll really notice it when you’re trying to read a message in full sunlight, snap a photo at the beach, or navigate in the car with the sun hitting the dash. The screen just cuts through the glare.

But it’s not just about cranking up the brightness. Apple has also added a new anti-reflective coating to the glass, the same one it brought to iPads and MacBooks last year. 

Like 120Hz ProMotion, It’s hard to explain until you see it in person, but once you do, it’s hard to go back. It cuts down the sheen from overhead lights and reflections from windows, making everything from text to video look sharper. 

Especially if you read a lot in dark mode or find yourself using your phone under office lighting, this change makes the whole experience feel less fatiguing on the eyes.

It’s a small tweak on paper, but like most Apple display updates, it’s one of those “you only notice it when it’s gone” improvements that ends up being more important than you think. This feels like the screen the Pro model should’ve had all along.

Smarter chips for better AI support and longer battery

It's no secret that AI needs a lot of grunt to get up and go. And with some devices that comes at the cost of battery life. Apple's thought hard on this one.

Under the hood, the iPhone 17 Pro runs on Apple’s new A19 Pro chip — a name that might not mean much at first, but it’s the most capable mobile chip Apple’s ever shipped. And while that’s been said plenty of times before, this one is clearly tuned with AI in mind.

The CPU and GPU both get a boost in raw performance, but the real story is the Neural Engine, which sees a sizeable jump in processing power. It’s the part of the chip that handles machine learning tasks — everything from image processing to voice recognition to on-device intelligence. And it’s increasingly doing more of the work behind the scenes.

The new A19 Pro chip also enables Apple Intelligence, Apple’s take on an AI assistant layer. While some of its features aren’t fully rolled out yet, this chip is designed to handle them locally, without needing to ping the cloud for every smart request. Think summarising emails, creating smart replies, or editing photos — all right on the phone.

Also onboard is Apple’s new N1 wireless chip, introduced earlier this year in the iPhone 16e. This chip manages things like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ultra-Wideband more efficiently, and does so with less impact on battery. We’ve already seen it help stretch battery life on lighter models, and now it’s doing the same on the Pro line.

Together, these chips aren’t just about making your phone faster — they’re about making it smarter, more responsive, and more capable of running the AI-powered tools Apple is banking on for the next generation of iPhone features. Whether you’ll use those tools every day or not, this is the hardware platform they’ll run on.

Cameras: smarter and zoomier

Apple hasn’t thrown out the camera system and started again, but it has made several refinements.

You’re still working with a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide, and a dedicated telephoto lens up to 5x zoom on the Pro Max model. 

Importantly, what Apple has changed is how the phone processes that zoom. Stick with me here.

There's a difference between "optical-quality zoom", formerly known as digital zoom (which can make stuff blurry) and actual optical zoom (which is supported by hardware and actually gets you sharper shots at distances. Think of it like the difference between zooming into an image you've already taken, making it blurrier, versus using a big paparazzi camera, which actually uses glass and hardware to bring you closer to your subjectt.

Where last year’s "optical quality" zoom maxed out at 25x digital, the iPhone 17 Pro models now stretch all the way to 40x. That’s still the digital zoom we talked about, so it’s cropping into the image rather than using the lens, but it’s been sharpened by computational photography tricks behind the scenes. It now also supports something Apple calls “optical-quality” zoom up to 8x — essentially a software-enhanced crop of the image using data from the 5x optical lens. It’s not true optical zoom, but it’s using enough detail from the hardware to maintain sharper results without the usual blur you’d get from digital zoom alone.

For context, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra offers a 5x periscope zoom and stretches that up to 100x digitally. But most users agree those long digital zoom shots are more novelty than usable. Apple’s 40x feels like a more realistic ceiling for regular use.

Low-light performance also gets a bump, mostly thanks to updates to the main sensor and image processing. Apple hasn’t released exact pixel size specs, but early hands-on testing suggests the sensor itself is slightly larger this year. Larger sensors mean more light captured, which helps reduce noise and preserve detail when you’re shooting at night or indoors. Add to that updates to Smart HDR and Deep Fusion processing to boost your image quality once a shot is taken, and you get more dynamic lighting range and texture in your low-light shots.

Apple has also made subtle improvements to macro photography and video stabilisation, but the biggest change is how the system feels overall. The camera smarts really are where Apple continues to lean: It’s not just about switching between lenses anymore. It’s about letting the camera choose the best data from across all three and blending them into a cleaner, more accurate final image. 

If you care about photography, that’s more useful than just throwing in more megapixels or longer zoom numbers.

Battery life is one of the biggest changes you’ll notice on the iPhone 17 Pro. Apple says it now lasts up to 29 hours of video playback, which is two hours longer than the iPhone 16 Pro. In day-to-day use, that means fewer moments of scrambling for a charger by mid-afternoon.

Charging also gets a boost. With the right 40-watt adapter, you can now charge up to 50 percent in around 20 minutes. That’s roughly 10 minutes faster than before. It’s not a huge number on paper, but when you’re heading out the door and only have a few minutes to top up, it matters.

Helping in the background is Apple’s new N1 wireless chip. It manages network and Bluetooth connections more efficiently, so your phone spends less energy staying connected. Apple first introduced this chip in the iPhone 16e, where it quietly improved battery performance in mixed-use conditions. Now that tech is baked into the Pro model too. Less battery drain from Wi-Fi, fewer connection dropouts, and a phone that just lasts longer without you noticing why.

A bunch of other smaller details

Apple always packs a few thoughtful extras into the Pro models that don’t make headlines but add up over time. The iPhone 17 Pro is no different.

The USB-C port now supports faster transfer speeds, which makes a real difference if you shoot lots of ProRes video or large RAW photos. You can get your footage off the phone and into your editing setup much faster, especially if you’re using external SSDs or pro-level workflows.

Wi-Fi 7 is also here. Most people won’t notice it right away, but it opens the door to faster, more stable wireless connections as newer routers become more common. Think less lag when streaming or gaming, and quicker file sharing with AirDrop.

The starting storage is still 256GB, but the higher tiers are more widely available now. If you want the 1TB model for serious media work, it’s less of a unicorn than it was last year.

There’s also a slightly improved microphone system. Apple hasn’t made a big deal out of it, but call quality and voice recording both sound a little cleaner and more natural than before, even in wind or busy backgrounds.

iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max: Pricing and release date for Australia

So when can you get your hands on all this?

Apple’s new iPhones open for preorders on Thursday, 12 September at 10pm, with devices landing in your hands a week later on Thursday, 19 September.

The base model iPhone 17 starts at $1399 for 256GB and goes up to $1799 for 512GB.

The new iPhone Air comes in at $1799 for 256GB, $2199 for 512GB and $2599 for the top-spec 1TB.

For those chasing Pro power, the iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1999 for 256GB, $2399 for 512GB and $2799 for 1TB.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max stretches even further with $2199 for 256GB, $2599 for 512GB, $2999 for 1TB and $3799 for a new maxed-out 2TB option.

No matter which model you’re after, they all follow the same timeline. Orders open on the 12th, deliveries and in-store pickups begin a week later.