Happy iPhone eve!

'Tis the night before Apple's biggest event of the year.

Author

Leander Kahney
September 08, 2025

It feels like we know everything about Apple’s big Awe Dropping event tomorrow, but as the various renders in today’s top post show — we actually don’t!

OK, yeah, we probably have a good handle on what products will most likely be unveiled.

To wit, the new iPhone 17 lineup and new Apple Watches. Apple updates these lineups every year, so they’re practically a lock. And the new super-slim iPhone Air is probably going to be Tim Cook’s “one last thing” non-surprise finale.

But what exactly will these new phones look like? Will they have glass cutouts on the back? Will the camera hump be a complementary color or a contrasting one? And what colors, exactly, has Apple landed on?

All these questions remain unanswered — although there’s been no shortage of rumors about them. The exact specs are still mostly a mystery, too, although a Chinese regulatory agency appears to have accidentally revealed the iPhone 17 lineup’s battery capacities. (The iPhone 17 Air’s looks pretty good.)

Also less certain are the raft of other products that Apple almost certainly has ready to launch but may, or may not, unveil on Tuesday. Those include upgraded AirPods Pro, HomePod mini and AirTags. Apple likely will save some of those for an October event.

Even Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who often spills the tea on what Apple will unveil at these events, is being wishy-washy about exactly what’s on Tuesday’s agenda.

I’m actually very glad — I love surprises.

Also in today’s newsletter:

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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7 Apple products that launch this week

Get ready for Apple's Awe Dropping September 9 event, which will feature a massively redesigned iPhone lineup and other exciting new products

eSIM-only iPhone 17 models might ship with bigger batteries

In a first, Apple could give iPhone 17 variants that lack physical SIM cards a battery boost.

Don’t expect these products at this week’s Apple event

September isn’t the end of new Apple 2025 products. Here’s what rumors tell us about a possible Apple October event.

A message from Aiarty

Aiarty's AI-powered video enhancement saves hours. Get a launch deal!

This Aiarty Video Enhancer launch deal makes getting the denoising, deblurring and upscaling software a no-brainer.

Expect HomePod mini 2 to get a lot smarter

Apple's small smart speaker should gain features like Apple Intelligence and come in new colors.

AirPods Pro 3 might arrive this year without a rumored upgrade

Apple's next-gen AirPods Pro will seemingly debut this year, albeit without the rumored IR-equipped cameras.

A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team

This deal makes Apple’s entry-level iPad even more irresistible

An iPad deal offers big discounts on Apple's most affordable tablet: the entry-level iPad 11 with 128GB storage.

How to watch Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ September iPhone event

You can stream Tuesday’s keynote on YouTube, on the Apple website or on your smart TV.

‘Foundation’ season 3 ratings confirm it’s a streaming powerhouse

The sci-fi drama is a ratings hit for Apple TV+. The sci-fi thriller “Invasion” remains popular, too.

New Bluetooth travel keyboard/stand works with any iPad

The Satechi OntheGo Bluetooth Keyboard with Stand is for those who don’t want to limit their travel keyboard to just one tablet.

Today in Apple history: iTunes Music Store hits 10 million downloads

On September 8, 2003, Apple revealed that it had sold its 10 millionth iTunes song download, Avril Lavigne's "Complicated."

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Tweets of the day

Wallpaper of the day

One more thing ...

❝

Good PR educates people; that's all it is. You can't con people in this business. The products speak for themselves.

— Steve Jobs, 1985.

Today’s poll

What are you most looking forward to from the Awe Dropping event?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Results from last Friday’s poll: Cost aside, are you interested in a touchscreen Mac monitor?

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