Apple CEO Tim Cook joined CNBC’s Jim Cramer at the company’s Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York on Friday, as the iPhone 17 officially went on sale worldwide, including in Canada. Cook described the launch as the biggest day of the year for Apple.
“Oh, it feels so exciting. It’s our Super Bowl. It’s the most important day of the year for us. Everybody comes out from the Apple community, and there’s no place I’d rather be than Fifth Avenue on this day,” said Cook.
Cook highlighted the differences between Apple’s latest lineup, which includes the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air. “The Pro is the most pro phone we’ve ever shipped. It’s a totally new design, incredible performance camera. Next level. I mean, if you think you’ve gotten good photos and videos off your iPhone before, this takes it to a new level,” he said.
As for the iPhone Air, Cook emphasized its lightweight design: “The air thin light feels like it’s going to fly away in your hand. It’s so wonderful. The design is unbelievable. You literally cannot feel it. But it’s profound. This is what’s so spectacular about it—pro performance in a thin package.”
Cramer pressed Cook on the issue of high prices, but the Apple CEO pointed to stronger trade-in values and carrier incentives, specifically in the U.S. “Trade in is great. There’s no increase for tariffs in the prices to be totally clear. And you can get a phone for free today with a plan from your favourite carrier,” Cook said.
According to Cook, early demand for the iPhone 17 has been strong in key international markets. Cramer said Dubai had the longest lines. “Dubai is incredible. China was incredible. We are so happy with what we see. It’s early going but we’re very happy,” said Cook.
Cook also discussed updates to other Apple products, including new AirPods with live translation features. “Live translation, four times ANC compared to the original AirPods Pro, you’ll see a dramatic change in the AirPods Pro if you’ve been using it, it’s to die for,” he said.
On Apple Watch’s new hypertension detection feature, Cook added: “We think we’re going to notify a million people that they have hypertension this year alone. Over a billion people have it around the world. So there’s a lot of people to notify.”
When asked about artificial intelligence, Cook insisted the technology is already part of Apple products. “We have AI everywhere in the phone, everywhere in the AirPods. Live translation is AI. We just don’t call it as such,” he said.
He also pointed to new iPhone features like Center Stage for selfies and picture-in-picture FaceTime. “These things are things that some people didn’t even know they wanted, but now they can’t imagine their life without,” Cook said.
Cook concluded the interview by emphasizing the scale of this year’s release. “The 17 family—it is a huge leap. You know, every year we move forward. This year is a huge step forward,” said the Apple CEO, delivering another masterclass in Apple-speak. Of course it is, Tim. It’s a huge leap forward for the hole in our wallets.
Cramer said he would buy all three new iPhones, and after he said that, Cook went bananas.
Check out the nearly 7-minute interview below:
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