Apple Event 2025: Last-minute iPhone 17 rumors tech nerds ought to know

Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ event is less than a day away, and while the big stars of the show are mostly set in stone with the iPhone 17 (including the iPhone 17 Air), Apple Watch Series 11, and the AirPods Pro 3, the rumor mill is still abound about what else we might see Apple announce. 

Based on the rumors we’ve seen, it won’t be anything major like a Mac release or new iPads. Those are generally reserved for later in the autumn or in the spring. However, there are quite a few products that surround the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods that are likely to make an appearance that we had only heard a little bit about before this week.

Here are some last-second rumors about other things that may come from the Apple event. 

iPhone 17 battery capacity (and the iPhone 17 Air)

A Chinese regulatory filing may have outed the battery capacity of the iPhone 17 lineup. These numbers mostly line up with what we knew already, such as the iPhone 17 Pro Max crossing the 5,000 mAh boundary for the first time in iPhone history, finally joining competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. 

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The listing also shows the iPhone 17 Air. In case you're curious, the filing says that the iPhone 17 Air will sport a 3,149 mAh battery, which will be the smallest battery in the iPhone 17 lineup.

A magnetic Crossbody Strap and more iPhone 17 accessories

Rumors started circulating over the weekend of some new iPhone 17 accessories that may make their debut at Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ event. One such accessory is the Crossbody Strap, which is designed to work with Apple’s TechWoven cases, which are set to replace the brand’s FineWoven cases.

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The idea here is pretty simple: there’s a loop on the TechWoven case that lets you attach the magnetic Crossbody Strap, which may also be compatible with AirPods. The rumor also says that the strap is magnetic across its entire length. This would allow you to carry your iPhone somewhere other than your pocket, which may be good if you’re wearing something without pockets. 

Apple Watch SE 3 details

The Apple Watch SE hasn’t been updated since 2022, and the tech world fully expects to see the SE 3 debut tomorrow.

According to rumors, the updated watch will sport the same S11 chip that’s being used in the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3, which would give it a similar set of features like on-device Siri processing that was missing from the SE 2. Other than that, rumors have been sparse. There was one that the SE 3 would get a plastic case instead of aluminum but Apple reportedly scrapped that one. It’ll also have fewer health features than the main watches to help reduce cost. 

The M5-powered iPad Pro

Apple usually saves its iPad announcements for different events, but a noted leaker on X said that there was a chance that the M5-powered iPad Pro could make a guest appearance during the iPhone announcement. Usually, Apple saves the iPad announcements for springtime, so this would be highly unusual. Thus, take this rumor with a giant grain of salt. 

However, there is something to this rumor. Apple announced the original iPad Pro on Sept. 9, 2015. That means the product is turning 10 years old, so Apple may use that as a reason to announce the latest iPad Pro earlier than normal. It also helps that iPadOS 26 is also slated to come out soon. This one is among the least believable rumors, but it’s still possible. 

The AirPods Pro 4

That's not a typo — we have a new last-minute rumor regarding the AirPods Pro 4.

Yes, as we've said before, we fully expect Apple to reveal the AirPods Pro 3 alongside the iPhone 17. However, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted a tweet on Sept. 6 that suggested the new AirPods Pro will get a fast sequel. Ming-Chi said the AirPods Pro 4 could arrive in 2026, way ahead of schedule.

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The AirPods Pro 3 are expected to arrive with a bunch of improvements, including Apple’s new H3 chip, which should bring better sound quality and improved active noise cancelling. In addition, they’re slated for a new design, heart rate monitoring, temperature monitoring, and more.

Apple has a habit of announcing all sorts of stuff at these events, and there is always a chance that Apple pulls a fast one and surprises everyone. According to Bloomberg, there’s a chance the new AirTag 2 makes an appearance along with the rumored Vision Pro hardware refresh and potentially even a new Apple TV device, along with a HomePod mini. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.

For more Apple event coverage, follow Mashable's live blog and get real-time updates on the iPhone 17, Apple Watch Series 11, and AirPods Pro 3 launch.