Apple 26.0 - September Updates

We knew what to expect. And yet, we reconnected, like every time. Apple Park under a perfectly tuned sun, Tim Cook with a big smile, and the repeated mantra: design is how it works.

At Apple, every keynote feels like the worship of a single word. This year, the new magic phrase was liquid glass: a fluid, living interface that bends to our gestures. A bit hollow, a bit seductive—exactly what we expect.

And then the promises: a major AirPods update, a new generation of Apple Watch, and the biggest leap ever for the iPhone. No less.

AirPods Pro 3 — the ear as a personal hub

Apple starts with what has become their most intimate object: the AirPods. Earbuds you slip on without thinking, forget… until they change a detail of your daily life.

The AirPods Pro 3 overhaul the entire audio system. New multi-port architecture, wider soundstage, cleaner bass, clearer voices. Active noise cancellation is said to be twice as effective as the previous generation, four times compared to the very first. And for transparency, you can now hear your own voice. No more shouting in cafés.

The real showstopper is live translation. One gesture, and the AirPods become an interpreter. ANC lowers just enough, the iPhone displays the words in your language, and can even read them aloud. Suddenly you’re at a market in Barcelona, an invisible headset bridging two worlds. Science fiction yesterday, system feature today.

Comfort has been redesigned after more than 10,000 3D ear scans and 100,000 hours of testing. Smaller, five ear tip sizes, and the first IP57 certification to resist sweat and sudden rain. Apple wants it to hold up everywhere, even during workouts.

Speaking of which, the AirPods are now also a fitness sensor. They embed a miniature heart-rate monitor and algorithms capable of tracking up to 50 types of workouts. An on-device AI model, trained on more than 50 million hours of data, calculates calories and activity. And a generative voice, Workout Buddy, whispers your records in your ear. It won’t make you a better runner, but you’ll still speed up.

Battery life climbs to eight hours with ANC, ten in transparency mode—enough for a transatlantic flight. Price unchanged: $249. Preorders open now, available September 19.

These are no longer just earbuds. They’re an extension—Apple aims for sport and health right into your ears. A choice to be confirmed over time.

Apple Watch — from gadget wrist to vital wrist

Apple has always loved telling stories where a Watch saves a life. A heart rate too high, a detected fall, an SOS call. It borders on emotional advertising.

Watch Series 11

The new Series 11 is thinner, more comfortable, more durable. Ion-X glass coated with ceramic, twice as strong. Built-in 5G with antennas optimized for lower power use. Battery life finally reaches 24 hours (38 in low-power mode). And thanks to fast charging, 15 minutes gives you eight hours.

Health features stand out. The watch can now detect hypertension signals over 30 days and alert the wearer. Apple cites a million undiagnosed cases found in the first year. Sleep Score turns your nights into numbers: duration, regularity, sleep stages. No longer just “you slept 7 hours,” but “you slept 7 mediocre hours.” It stings, but it motivates.

watchOS 26 also brings new faces, including the Exactograph—a modern take on a precision clock—and a hypnotic liquid glass face. New band colors arrive too: forest, neon yellow, purple fog, and Hermès editions. As usual, function and fashion move hand in hand.

Watch SE 3

The Apple Watch SE 3 finally gains an always-on display, an S10 chip and new gestures (double tap, wrist flick). It measures wrist temperature, can offer retrospective ovulation estimates, and detects sleep apnea. Battery life stays at 18 hours (32 in low-power), but fast charge recovers eight hours in 15 minutes. For the first time, it plays the family card with a For Your Kids mode: Schooltime, parental tracking, tailored calls.

Still $249, with a 100% recycled aluminum case and recycled-cobalt battery. Apple highlights sustainability even in the fiber-only packaging.

Watch Ultra 3

Finally, the Ultra 3 embodies adventure. More readable LTPO3 display, slimmer edges, Waypoint face for spatial orientation. Record battery: 42 hours normal use, up to 72 in low-power, or 20 with GPS + heart tracking. And satellite connectivity: messages, SOS, off-grid location, free for two years.

It also includes dual-frequency GPS (L1+L5) for higher precision, advanced sports apps like Oceanic+ for diving and Golfshot for courses, plus a Workout Buddy voice coach. Design-wise, it uses 3D-printed titanium and new bands like the reflective Trail Loop and Hermès Scub’H Diving editions.

iPhone 17 — the default smartphone

Then comes the iPhone, always presented as a revolution, always awaited as the smartphone.

The iPhone 17 inherits from the Pro. 6.3-inch display, record brightness of 3000 nits, ProMotion 120 Hz for everyone, always-on down to 1 Hz. All protected by Ceramic Shield 2, three times more scratch-resistant with seven anti-glare layers.

Inside, the A19 chip built on 3 nm, with a Neural Engine tailored for Apple Intelligence. AI is onboard, local, private. Generative models run directly on the phone. It’s 2025: the new key selling point.

Camera: 48 MP main sensor, 48 MP ultra-wide, and 2× optical telephoto. In front, the new Center Stage camera changes the game: square sensor, four compositions, auto-rotation, smart framing, better stabilization. Selfies, video calls, stories—all auto-reframed.

Battery adds eight hours of video compared to the 16. Fast charge reaches 50% in 20 minutes (or eight hours of video in 10). Storage starts at 256 GB, with a 512 GB option. Five colors: black, lavender, mist blue, sage, white.

Price stays $799, preorders September 12, available September 19.

The iPhone 17 is the one everyone will buy. Not the craziest, the safest.

iPhone Air — the future that evaporates

Then Apple drops a surprise: iPhone Air. More than a product, a statement.

5.6 mm thick. The thinnest iPhone ever. Polished titanium body, Ceramic Shield 2 front and back. The 6.5-inch screen keeps ProMotion 120 Hz and 3000 nits. Thinness hasn’t sacrificed brightness.

The A19 Pro chip pushes limits: improved GPU, dynamic cache architecture, AI accelerators in every graphics core. Apple promises MacBook Pro–level performance in a device thinner than a pencil.

Connectivity evolves too: C1x modem twice as fast, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread. And worldwide, the iPhone Air is eSIM only. No more plastic, no SIM tray.

Photography hides behind a single 48 MP Fusion block capable of simulating multiple lenses: ultra-wide, 2× optical, revamped photonic engine. Front Center Stage returns, with dual capture filming front and back simultaneously.

Battery lasts a full day, optimized by iOS 26’s new adaptive mode. An ultra-thin MagSafe battery can extend to 40 hours of video. To match the design, Apple offers two new cases (1 mm translucent and polycarbonate bumper) and a magnetic crossbody strap.

Four colors: space black, cloud white, light gold, sky blue. Price: $999.

The iPhone Air isn’t for everyone, but it makes the future believable.

iPhone 17 Pro — pocket cinema

And then the peak: iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

And then the peak: iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
Apple rethought everything. Forged aluminum unibody, vapor chamber cooling, 40% sustained performance boost over the 16 Pro. Battery reaches a record 39 hours of video.

All cameras are now 48 MP Fusion: ultra-wide, wide, and a new 8× 200 mm telephoto, the longest ever on an iPhone. 3D stabilization redesigned, deep-learning pipeline, digital zoom up to 40×. Eight pro lenses in a pocket.

For video, the iPhone 17 Pro becomes a cinema tool: 4K 120 fps, Dolby Vision, ProRes RAW, Gen Lock. Apple now films its own keynotes with it. Final Cut Camera 2.0 arrives with Open Gate, multicam on iPad, native ProRes RAW. Closer to a film set than a smartphone.

Three colors: silver, deep blue, cosmic orange. Storage from 256 GB to 2 TB. Base price: $1,099. As always, a few free months of Apple Music, TV+, Arcade, and Fitness+.

The Pro is no longer just a phone. It’s a cinema camera that also makes calls.

Apple, the future of extensions

The keynote fades. We close the tab. A feeling of emptiness, especially knowing that in Europe 40% of software features aren’t available because of the Artificial Intelligence Act, which blocks AI rollout.
We’ll never use it all. But that’s not the point. Apple sells a story. A continuity: ear, wrist, pocket. All connected, all woven together.