There are regrets as well as surprises.

At 1:00 AM on September 10th, Apple's special event, known as the "Tech Spring Festival Gala," commenced as scheduled. The Leitech editorial team worked through the night to provide dedicated coverage.

Indeed, this year's Apple event has drawn significant attention, primarily due to the more compelling iPhone 17 series, which features a comprehensive refresh in both design and specifications, along with the introduction of the iPhone Air lineup for the first time. In terms of pricing and upgrade magnitude, there are actually quite a few surprises. The entire series comes standard with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the imaging system and processor maintain consistently high standards. Moreover, Apple has managed to offer more features without increasing prices.

Leitech promptly covered the 2025 special event. We have dedicated articles interpreting the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air, which you can search for across the internet. This article focuses on two ecosystem product lines: the Apple Watch and AirPods.

Following Apple's release rhythm, let's explore the updates to the Apple Watch and AirPods Pro ahead of the iPhone.

AirPods Pro 3: More features without a price hike, but real-time translation absent in China

To Leitech's surprise, Apple's peripheral ecosystem devices are leading the way, with the latest generation AirPods Pro (AirPods Pro 3) officially unveiled.

First, let's talk about the price. The AirPods Pro 3 follows the classic approach of offering more features without a price increase, priced at $249 (approximately 1773.3 yuan). According to Apple's Chinese website, the price is 1899 yuan, consistent with the previous generation.

For the new model, Apple has designed a custom multi-port acoustic architecture to optimize the internal structure and enhance sound quality, such as providing a wider soundstage and clearer vocals. To better match users' ear structures, Apple has redesigned the appearance of the AirPods Pro 3, reducing the overall size and incorporating new foam-filled ear tips for better sound isolation and ear fit.

(Image from Apple)

Oh, and Apple has prepared five ear tip sizes for the AirPods Pro 3 this time, offering better ear canal adaptability. Moreover, it is the first AirPods Pro model to support IP57 certification.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) has always been a strong suit of the AirPods Pro. Many of our Leitech team members have purchased AirPods Pro for their noise-canceling capabilities, which help them focus better on their work.

The good news is that the AirPods Pro 3's active noise cancellation has been enhanced compared to the previous generation. Equipped with ultra-low-noise microphones and combined with computational audio technology and new foam ear tips, the new model offers twice the noise-canceling effect of its predecessor. It is expected to remain a benchmark in this regard.

(Image from Apple)

The functional upgrades are even more significant. The AirPods Pro 3 supports two new core features: real-time translation and heart rate monitoring.

First, let's talk about real-time translation. The AirPods Pro 3 can translate what the other person is saying in real-time, similar to AI conference earphones. During the translation process, it uses computational audio algorithms to lower the volume of the other person's voice, allowing you to hear the translated content more clearly from the AirPods Pro 3.

According to the official introduction, the AirPods Pro 3 does not use a traditional word-for-word translation method but instead relies on AI large models to process and optimize entire sentences before outputting them. You can also display the information you want the other person to know (after translation) on your iPhone's screen, enabling two-way communication.

(Image from Apple)

However, since the real-time translation feature of the AirPods Pro 3 relies on Apple Intelligence, it is almost negligible if Apple's AI is not available in China.

Heart rate monitoring does not rely on Apple's AI. It is achieved through sensors on the AirPods Pro 3. In addition to the heart rate sensor, there is also an AI model for activity and calorie tracking. However, the computation does not rely on the earphones but on the iPhone.

According to the introduction, with just the AirPods Pro 3, you can monitor over 50 types of workouts.

(Image from Apple)

In terms of basic battery life, the new model has also been upgraded. With active noise cancellation enabled, a single full charge can last up to 8 hours, an increase of 2 hours compared to the previous generation. In transparency mode, a single full charge can last up to 10 hours, an increase of 4 hours compared to the previous generation.

In summary, the AirPods Pro 3 remains the familiar "more features without a price hike" option. Its functions and battery life have significantly improved compared to the previous generation. Regardless, for iPhone users, this is arguably the best TWS earphone you can buy, with few exceptions.

(Image from Apple)

The only regret is that due to the absence of Apple's AI in the Chinese version, the real-time translation feature of the AirPods Pro 3 cannot be used normally. However, for those of us who frequently travel abroad to cover exhibitions and report, real-time translation is indeed a highly demanded feature for AI earphones. The Leitech reporting team members who just returned from the IFA and IAA events also noted that more and more AI earphones are now including real-time translation as a standard feature, and there are even professional AI translation earphone brands like Timekettle emerging in the industry.

Apple Watch Triple Release: Healthier, Longer Battery Life

Following the AirPods Pro 3, Apple has updated all product lines in the Apple Watch family, including the Apple Watch, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra.

Let's start with the prices. This time, there are three new Apple Watch models, and Apple's Chinese website has also updated the prices:

Apple Watch Series 11: Starting at 2999 yuan

Apple Watch SE 3: Starting at 1999 yuan

Apple Watch Ultra 3: Starting at 6499 yuan

There are quite a few products, so let's go through them one by one.

First is the Apple Watch Series 11. Officially claimed to be Apple's thinnest Apple Watch yet, although specific data has not been released, visually, the thickness of the case and back seems to have been reduced to some extent, theoretically improving the wearing experience.

Additionally, the Apple Watch Series 11 is equipped with more durable Ion-X glass, offering twice the scratch resistance of the previous generation.

(Image from Apple)

This generation does not feature a processor upgrade but instead incorporates a brand-new set of detection sensors, including two types of heart rate sensors and a wrist temperature sensor. It also supports high blood pressure risk detection, alerting you to potential high blood pressure risks.

Apple states that while it cannot "accurately predict all high blood pressure risks," it is sufficient to help many people detect and treat the condition early.

Furthermore, the Apple Watch Series 11 introduces a sleep scoring mechanism, which evaluates users based on their total sleep duration, the proportion of deep and light sleep, and wake-up times. Similar features are quite common in domestic smartwatches, and even some smart bracelets priced at a few hundred yuan offer them. It's nothing out of the ordinary.

(Image from Apple)

It is equipped with a new battery pack, extending the battery life to 24 hours and supporting fast charging. Officially claimed to support all-day use, it still falls short compared to domestic smartwatches.

The Apple Watch SE 3 finally supports the always-on display feature previously exclusive to the Digital and Ultra series. It also upgrades to the S10 chip and supports gesture control first introduced with the Series 10. Officials also stated that when you don't have your AirPods, you can use the watch's speaker to listen to media music, which is not particularly useful.

(Image from Apple)

On a positive note, the Apple Watch SE now includes the always-on display feature, allowing budget-conscious consumers to access more Series features at an entry-level price, which is a good thing. The Apple Watch SE 3 has a battery life of 18 hours (with always-on display enabled) and supports fast charging for the first time, doubling the charging speed compared to the previous generation. A 15-minute charge can provide up to 8 hours of normal use.

The Apple Watch Ultra also receives its third-generation update, with the most prominent upgrade being the screen. It features Apple's most advanced wide-view OLED and LTPO3 technology, maintaining excellent brightness even when viewed at sharp angles.

The screen bezels are narrower, achieving a larger screen size without adjusting the body dimensions. In always-on display mode, it can achieve higher screen refresh rates, allowing users to observe animated details on the watch face even without activating the screen.

(Image from Apple)

The satellite communication feature has been upgraded in this generation. Apple has redesigned the antennas and radio of the Apple Watch Ultra 3, doubling the signal strength and enabling connections to more distant satellites. It supports sending distress signals via satellite or using the Find function to send messages and share locations. Obviously, this feature is likely unavailable in China.

In terms of battery life, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 still offers the longest duration in the entire Apple Watch family, lasting up to 42 hours. Often, the extra cost is justified by the longer battery life.

Finally, all three new Apple Watch models support 5G cellular data connectivity, sleep scoring, and wrist temperature detection. Apple has at least aligned several core selling points of the Apple Watch.

(Image from Apple)

Regarding materials and craftsmanship, Apple primarily focuses on environmental protection, such as redesigning the internal structure to reduce raw material usage. We won't go into detail here. Combined with the latest WatchOS 26, new watch faces and animations are readily available, with a design style aligned with iPhone's iOS 26.

Apple's AI Absence in China: A Regret, More Features Without a Price Hike: A Surprise

After reviewing these new ecosystem devices, Leitech believes there are both regrets and surprises.

On one hand, there is still no news of the domestic launch of Apple's AI, and Apple hastily ended the live stream after releasing the iPhone 17 series, leaving no more surprises or information. On the other hand, the binding between hardware and AI is becoming stronger. For example, the AirPods Pro 3 now extends features like real-time translation based on Apple's AI. It's quite disappointing that these features are not available in China.

However, recent news indicates that Apple's AI team has been experiencing significant upheaval, with key personnel leaving and self-developed AI business stalling. The Chinese version of Apple Intelligence seems far from realization, while overseas AI features continue to grow, making the domestic version seem like it's going backward.

Frankly speaking, the biggest surprise of this event for Leitech is the approach of offering more features without a price hike.

Apple has made relatively substantial upgrades to its existing products. Although some may dismiss it as "incremental," at least this time, the increments are larger. The entire Apple Watch lineup now features always-on displays and 5G cellular data connectivity, while all iPhones come with 120Hz ProMotion displays... These tangible updates suggest that the market performance in the coming period should be quite promising.

It indicates that in today's competitive environment, relying solely on traditional tiering is no longer sufficient to create significant appeal. Coupled with the lack of AI functionality and minimal software experience improvements, price reductions are not a sustainable strategy. The only way forward is to enhance core configurations and experiences with sincerity.