Quick thoughts on Apple's September 2025 event
September 10, 2025
Before too much time passes, I wanted to jot down some quick thoughts about Apple’s iPhone event yesterday.
Things opened with a quote from Steve Jobs: “Design is not just what it looks and feels like. Design is how it works.” It’s a small thing, but I found this annoying.
The video that followed the quote showed off pieces of Apple’s hardware and software design that matched up well. It showed many cases where shapes were reused and minor details rhymed. At any other point in Apple’s history, this wouldn’t bother me. The video was well done, and I do value this attention to detail from Apple. However, the video only showed off designs and shapes. The “how it looks” part.
Maybe it’s a coincidence that this intro was used before the release of the new Liquid Glass redesign. I’d bet that it was on purpose. As I’ve written before, I think that the redesign looks great when it’s at its best. My issue with the design is that it often makes things harder to read, hides functionality behind additional taps/clicks, muddles decades of UI standards, and just does weird things. This is all “how it works”, and I think Apple is currently doing a bad job of that on the software side. Some of these things are minor oversights, but many are more fundamental. They all show a lack of attention to detail.
Update: I was happy to hear this issue brought up on the latest episode of the Accidental Tech Podcast (starting at 6:00 in). They shared the same concerns and annoyance, which makes me feel slightly less crazy about this.
Anyway, short rant aside, I enjoyed the event after this intro. Here are some main points that caught my attention.
The new AirPods Pro 3 look amazing, and I will definitely be getting some of these to replace my day one AirPods Pro 2. The translation feature seems really useful, though I’m looking forward to hearing how this works in the real world. Better noise cancellation and longer battery life are both very welcome, as is the improved water/dust resistance. I’m very curious how the new ear fit design will work, as I currently find the AirPods Pro 2 to be quite comfortable.
The Apple Watch family got mostly iterative designs this year. I think the new Apple Watch SE 3 is a great improvement for those looking to get their first Apple Watch. It now has an always-on screen, which was my biggest knock against the previous versions. The Apple Watch Series 11 looks like a solid iteration, as does the Apple Watch Ultra 3. I’m still quite happy with my Ultra 1, though, and I’m not sure I need to update yet.
On the phone side, the iPhone 17 should be a great update for those a few versions behind. The new front-facing camera allows for much better selfie options. This might seem like a small thing, but I’d bet this will sell phones. The back cameras are also much improved. The colours are very meh to me.
The iPhone Air is interesting, but I don’t really get it. It feels like a stepping stone on its way to another product. Maybe this is an aspirational product, like the first MacBook Air — a way to pioneer ultra-thin technology for the future. Maybe, as has been rumoured, this is effectively one half of a future folding phone. Either way, it feels like there are too many trade-offs. That said, I will definitely head to an Apple Store to try holding one in the near future.
As much as I liked the new AirPods, the iPhone 17 Pro was the star of the show for me. First off, there are three colours, and they all actually look like colours! I’m excited to see the “Cosmic Orange” version. It looks amazing in all the product shots, and if it looks even half as good in person I’ll be very happy. All the back cameras in the Pro now have 48 MP sensors, and every phone in the lineup got the front-facing camera improvements. The Pros also get larger batteries, faster charging, and more base storage. I’m sold!
Overall, a mostly good event with two standout products for me. Next, hopefully Apple can get their software ducks in a row.