Farewell to "squeezing toothpaste"? Can tonight's Apple launch event, featuring the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, reignite user enthusiasm?

As Apple falls behind Google and Samsung in the artificial intelligence competition, it will hold its fall launch event, where the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air may become the biggest highlight to stimulate user upgrades.

At 1:00 AM Beijing time on September 10, Apple will begin the event, with the Chinese theme: "Ahead is super exciting."

It is worth mentioning that the iPhone 17 series will be the absolute star of this event. Among them, the long-rumored ultra-thin model iPhone 17 Air is expected to make its debut, with a thickness of 5.5 millimeters, setting a record for the thinnest iPhone in history.

Analysts generally believe that the launch of the iPhone 17 Air may stimulate users to upgrade. Dipanjan Chatterjee, Vice President and Chief Analyst at Forrester, stated, "We haven't seen any substantial updates in the design of the iPhone for a long time, and the novelty of the Air may attract many iPhone 14, 15, and even 16 users to upgrade."

In terms of pricing strategy, Apple may implement its first "moderate price increase" in seven years. Morgan Stanley predicts that Apple will not directly raise the prices of existing models but will achieve an overall price increase by eliminating the 128GB version of the iPhone 17 Pro and raising the starting storage to 256GB.

Faced with pressure from competitors like Google and Samsung in the field of artificial intelligence, Apple still appears to lag in AI feature integration. The Apple Intelligence suite is expected to not launch simultaneously with the new devices in the Chinese market, which may affect its competitiveness in the world's largest smartphone market.

Ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air Leads Product Line Innovation

The iPhone 17 Air will be the biggest highlight of this launch event, with a thickness of only 5.5 millimeters, significantly thinner than the iPhone 16's 7.8 millimeters and the iPhone 16 Pro's 8.3 millimeters. This model will feature a 6.6-inch display and weigh approximately 145 grams, almost equivalent to the iPhone 13 Mini.

However, the ultra-thin design also comes with compromises. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the iPhone 17 Air may only be equipped with a single wide-angle camera, rather than the dual-camera system of the standard version or the triple-camera system of the Pro version. Additionally, to achieve a slim body, the battery capacity of this model is expected to be 2800 mAh, significantly lower than other models, which may affect battery life performance.

Gene Munster, Managing Partner at Deepwater Asset Management, pointed out that nearly a quarter of Apple's historical sales have come from mid-range priced iPhones. The pricing of the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be in the range of $899 to $949, replacing the poorly performing Plus modelAnalysts believe that the iPhone 17 Air may also pave the way for Apple's foldable iPhone set to launch in 2026. Samsung adopted a similar strategy, first launching the ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge, followed by the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which saw a 50% increase in sales compared to its predecessor.

Major Updates Across the Entire Product Line

In addition to the iPhone 17 Air, Apple will also launch the standard iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The standard iPhone 17 will feature a larger 6.3-inch screen and will be the first base model to adopt a 120Hz refresh rate.

In terms of processors, the iPhone 17 Air and standard version will be equipped with the new A19 chip, while the Pro series will feature the A19 Pro processor. According to a report by analyst Jeff Pu cited by MacRumors, the iPhone 17 Pro series will receive an upgraded telephoto lens and a redesigned camera module.

The Apple Watch product line will also see a comprehensive update, marking the first time in three years that all models are updated simultaneously. New products include the Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE 3. The Ultra 3 is expected to feature a larger screen, satellite communication capabilities, and faster charging support.

AirPods Pro 3 may also make an appearance at the launch event, marking the first update to the Pro version in three years. The new headphones are expected to adopt a more compact design and feature a new chip for improved noise cancellation and audio processing capabilities.

Mild Price Increase Strategy for the First Time in Seven Years

Morgan Stanley analyst Erik W. Woodring predicts that Apple will achieve its first iPhone price increase in seven years through clever product line adjustments. The core of this strategy is to avoid directly raising the prices of existing configurations, instead achieving an overall price increase through adjustments in storage capacity.

Specifically, the iPhone 17 Pro will eliminate the 128GB entry-level version, increasing the starting storage to 256GB, with the starting price raised from $999 to $1,099. The starting price of the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be $999 (256GB), which is $100 higher than the iPhone 16 Plus it replacesThe starting price of the iPhone 17 standard version is expected to remain unchanged at $799, while the starting price of the Pro Max version will also stay at $1,199. Analysts believe that this pricing strategy can enhance overall profit margins while avoiding consumer backlash against direct price increases.

Apple may also further increase the average selling price by offering larger storage capacity options. The iPhone 17 Air will introduce a 1TB version priced at $1,399, providing more choices for users seeking high-capacity storage.

Challenges in Catching Up Under AI Competitive Pressure

In the field of artificial intelligence, Apple faces fierce competition from rivals such as Google and Samsung. Google's latest flagship phone is primarily used to showcase its Gemini AI model capabilities, while Apple appears relatively lagging in AI integration.

Apple originally planned to launch improved Siri features last spring, but this was delayed due to engineering setbacks. Currently, Apple mainly relies on its partnership with OpenAI to support AI features on its devices. According to media reports, Apple is also in early negotiations with Google to use Gemini AI to enhance Siri.

Ben Bajarin, CEO of Creative Strategies, stated that Apple may focus on showcasing the AI processing capabilities of the next-generation Apple Silicon chips, preparing for the future launch of a "smart agent" version of Siri that can handle tasks in the background.

Bob O'Donnell, president of TECHnalysis Research, warned:

Apple's window of opportunity to catch up with AI competitors is narrowing. If Siri still performs poorly by this time next year and the foldable iPhone has not been launched, user satisfaction may be difficult to maintain.

Dual Challenges in the Chinese Market

Apple may also face unique challenges in the Chinese market. According to Mark Gurman, the Apple Intelligence suite is expected to be unable to launch simultaneously with the iPhone 17 in China, with the earliest launch time being at the end of the year, which will leave the new device lacking key selling points in the initial sales phase.

The iPhone 17 Air may also encounter technical access issues in the Chinese market. Since this model may only support eSIM cards, its release in China could be "restricted or delayed" until Apple finds a solution with carriers.

Analysts point out that foldable phones are particularly important for Apple to attract Chinese consumers, as Chinese consumers prefer foldable designs, and Apple's market share in this segment is declining. Currently, Samsung has launched its seventh-generation foldable phone, and Google has also released its third-generation product, but Chatterjee estimates that foldable phones account for less than 2% of global smartphone sales and will not exceed 5% in the short term.

Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC, noted that Samsung's own ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge did not perform well when launched earlier this year, adding uncertainty to the market prospects for the iPhone 17 Air