As part of today’s event, Apple unveiled a number of new accessories to complement the new iPhone Air, iPhone 17, and iPhone 17 Pro models, including a family of revamped cases and charging accessories.
Here’s a roundup of all the new accessories we were able to spot on the Apple Store today following the event.
TechWoven Case
Two years after Apple first unveiled — then partially discontinued — its FineWoven accessories, the company has completely revamped its line of iPhone cases with a new material named TechWoven.
According to Apple, not unlike FineWoven, the TechWoven case is made from a woven fabric composed of multiple colored yarns. It is coated with TPU and features aluminum buttons on each side. Just like all of Apple’s cases released today, the TechWoven case comes with built-in magnets for compatibility with MagSafe accessories and charging solutions, as well as an integrated Camera Control passthrough button.
The TechWoven case is available today for $59 in five colors: Blue, Purple, Sienna, Green, and Black.
While most of the focus going into today’s event was on the heavily boosted iPhone lineup, predictions were cool for new Apple Watches. When the new lineup was unveiled, the upgrades were mostly spec bumps for the Series 11, while the Apple Watch Ultra finally got a proper update, and the SE got a notable bump. Apple also announced a potentially groundbreaking new health tracking feature. Let’s take a look.
Apple Watch Series 11
Yes, the Series 11 looks identical to the Series 10. Source: Apple.
The updates to the flagship Apple Watch are simple but noticeable quality-of-life improvements. First, there’s battery life, which jumps from 18 hours on a single charge to a whopping 24 hours. Additionally, Low Power Mode adds an extra 2 hours over the Series 10 to reach 38 hours of battery life. Then, while the fast-charging capability remains at 0–80% in 30 minutes, you can now add 8 hours of charge in just 15 minutes.
Earlier today, Apple revealed the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. There are a lot of details to dig into, so let’s dive in.
iPhone 17
Source: Apple.
The new iPhone 17 is both colorful and a significant upgrade. There are a total of five colors – Lavender, Mist Blue, Black, White, and Sage – all of which look great.
As for the upgrades to the hardware, the most significant to my mind is that the iPhone 17 is finally getting ProMotion and a 6.3-inch Always-On display that can refresh adaptively between 1 and 120 Hz. The front screen is protected by Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says is three times more scratch-resistant than before, has a peak brightness of 3000 nits, and includes an improved seven-layer anti-reflective coating. From the specs, it appears that this is the same screen found in the iPhone Air, only slightly smaller.
During today’s Awe Dropping event, Apple announced AirPods Pro 3, the next generation of the company’s high-end wireless earbuds. Coming three years after the debut of their predecessors, AirPods Pro 3 feature a rethought design, increased battery life, improved Active Noise Cancellation, and a heart rate sensor, alongside several new software features.
Apple says they have re-engineered the shape of AirPods Pro to make them a better fit for more users. The buds themselves are smaller with a more center-aligned ear tip to improve stability. They now boast IP57 dust, sweat, and water resistance to better hold up to weather and workouts, and the tips now come in a new XXS size. They continue to support the same pressing and swiping gestures for playback control, as well as the new camera remote capabilities coming to AirPods this fall.
While AirPods Pro 3 feature a smaller form factor, their case has increased slightly in size over the previous generation, growing a bit taller and wider. The case offers up to 24 hours of battery life, with the buds capable of playing audio for up to eight hours on a single charge with ANC enabled and up to ten hours with Transparency mode enabled. The case also includes the updated U2 chip for improved Precision Finding in Find My.
Transparency mode is more personalized to make voices sound more natural. Meanwhile, ANC is vastly improved, with Apple saying AirPods Pro 3 are capable of cancelling twice as much noise as the previous generation and four times as much as the original AirPods Pro, thanks to a combination of ultra low-noise microphones, advanced computational audio, and a new foam infusion in the ear tips. In terms of sound quality, the buds incorporate a new multiport acoustic architecture for better airflow, bass response, and clarity, as well as a wider soundstage.
As expected, Apple revealed the iPhone Air today. The stats are impressive: the Air is just 5.6 mm thick and weighs 165 grams, with a 6.5-inch ProMotion screen and the A19 Pro chip.
The back of the device is protected with Ceramic Shield, while the front uses the new Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says is three times more scratch-resistant. In addition to the A19 Pro chip, the internals of the Air include a new Apple-designed N1 chip that controls Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread connectivity. Apple says the N1 will improve features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. The phone features Apple’s new C1X 5G modem, too.
Apple says the A19 Pro’s 6-core CPU improves both the performance and efficiency of the chip. It also includes a 5-core GPU with each core sporting a Neural Accelerator for a claimed 3× boost in performance.
Several things are ubiquitous with Apple Events. Tim Cook’s “Good Morning!”, Craig Federighi being, well, Craig Federighi, and the keynote bento boxes. Offering up a summary to each keynote section, these bento box slides provide a great way to recap a new product.
So, after today’s bumper announcements, let’s take a look at today’s bento box slides.
First, Last, Everything is a brand new MacStories podcast that explores people’s relationships with the technology that has shaped their lives. Each week, Jonathan Reed – who is a regular contributor to MacStories Weekly, our Club community manager on Discord, and the author of our annual watchOS reviews and other stories – gets to know a guest through three pieces of tech:
the one that first inspired them,
their latest obsession, and
the thing that’s meant everything to them.
From apps and computers to weird gadgets and more, Jonathan and listeners get to know someone from the unique perspective of the technology they love. Plus, in each episode, Jonathan shares an aside about a bit of technology you may have never heard of during the ‘Something’ segment.
Jonathan is a great interviewer and has a fantastic slate of guests lined up for season one of First, Last, Everything. You’ll hear new perspectives from familiar voices as well as brand new ones. Gadgets are fun, but it’s the people who use them that bring them to life through their stories. If you’re curious about technology, how others use it, and how new perspectives could inform your tech use, First, Last, Everything is your kind of show.
First, Last, Everything is a seasonal podcast, with new episodes releasing every Tuesday throughout the season. Season one includes eight episodes that will take the show well into the fall. Then, after a brief break, the podcast will be back with a new slate of interviews.
As someone who cares a lot about the human side of technology, I’m absolutely in love with this show. Federico and I dabbled with a similar concept years ago, so I’m really happy to see Jonathan putting his own spin on the idea and bringing together such a great lineup of guests that I’d love to spoil for everyone but will keep as a surprise.
You can listen to the first episode with YouTuber Tom Hitchins, whom, coincidentally, Federico and I hung out with a lot at WWDC this year, today. You can find Tom on his YouTube channel, Byte Review, or his website, Kiroku.co.uk, where he’s making calm, aesthetic videos about Apple products, creating wallpapers and Lightroom presets, and selling stickers and other great products. I think you’ll love the interview.
As we’re fond of saying, you can get First, Last, Everything wherever you get your podcasts. The show is still rolling out across the Internet, so it may show up in some places before others, but you can always visit macstories.net/podcasts/first-last-everything for links to the show on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, and good, old-fashioned RSS. Plus, you can follow the show on Mastodon and Bluesky.
We’re equally excited to bring you Cozy Zone, a members-only extension of Comfort Zone hosted by Matt Birchler, Niléane, and Chris Lawley. It was a no-brainer to add Comfort Zone to MacStories, and the reaction from listeners has been beyond our expectations. It’s the perfect blend of information and entertainment sprinkled with the hosts’ weird obsessions.
In each weekly bonus episode of Comfort Zone, Matt, Niléane, and Chris invite listeners to join them in the Cozy Zone, where they’ll cover extra topics, invent wilder challenges and games, and share all their great (and not-so-great) takes on tech. The show is an excellent way to get to know the hosts better and participate in the fun you already enjoy on Comfort Zone. Here’s the trailer.
The first episode of Cozy Zone is being released publicly so everyone can get a taste of it right now. You’ll find it today in the Comfort Zone feed and on YouTube. Going forward, Cozy Zone will be audio-only for now, but if we hear from enough listeners who want it, we’ll work on making video versions a regular option, too. The first episode is available to watch here:
Episode 1 of Cozy Zone is available in the Comfort Zone audio-only podcast feeds too.
You can get cozy with the Comfort Zone crew for just $5/month or $50/year, which not only makes the bonus episodes possible, but supports Comfort Zone, too. The gang has already recorded the first few episodes, and they’re great. We think you’ll love them as well. To keep up with Cozy Zone, be sure to follow the existing Comfort Zone accounts on Mastodon and Bluesky.
Finally, thanks to everyone who reads MacStories and listens to our shows. It means a lot to us. We have no shortage of ideas of ways we can make MacStories even better than it was yesterday or is today, but without you all reading, listening, and spreading the word about what we do to your friends and family, it wouldn’t be possible. The MacStories community is strong and the kind of foundation that has allowed us to weather fundamental shifts in the online media world. Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do for MacStories.
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Comfort Zone
Matt really thinks he’s cracked note taking, Niléane fixes every tech paper cut in her life she can find, and the whole gang pitches their new Apple product lines.
MacStories Unwind
This week, the weather has begun to change, coyotes are on the loose, and John shares his running tech. Plus, Federico has a TV comedy for listeners, and John has a superhero movie pick.
Magic Rays of Light
Sigmund and Devon attempt to predict what Apple will announce at next week’s Awe Dropping event.
