Apple’s “Awe Dropping” Event: New Products, Same Market Reaction

Apple unveiled its much-anticipated product lineup at yesterday’s “Awe Dropping” event, but Wall Street wasn’t exactly impressed. Despite a slate of hardware upgrades — including a new iPhone model, refreshed Apple Watches, and AirPods with AI-powered translation — Apple stock (AAPL) fell 1.4% on the day.

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What Apple Announced

The company refreshed nearly every major product category, with an emphasis on thinner designs, health monitoring, and AI features.

iPhone 17 lineup: iPhone 17 ($799), iPhone 17 Pro ($1,099 with double the base storage), and iPhone 17 Pro Max ($1,199). Apple also introduced the iPhone Air at $999, a slimmer model with tougher glass and an upgraded processor.

Apple Watch Series 11, SE3, and Ultra 3: New features include 5G connectivity, satellite communication, longer battery life, and advanced health monitoring such as blood pressure detection.

AirPods Pro 3: AI-driven live language translation, better heart rate tracking, improved noise cancellation, and 8-hour battery life.

Market reaction: déjà vu Shares dipped after the event—another instance of the familiar “buy the rumor, sell the news.” Historically, Apple tends to be flat to slightly negative on iPhone announcement days (Dow Jones data put the average around -0.2%) and down on most launch days (~70% of the time since 2013). Early coverage around this event showed a modest red print as well.

This cycle’s twist In past cycles, Apple often rallied into launches (e.g., a ~15.6% median gain over the 90 days pre-event in one long-running study). This time the six-month setup has been far more muted, setting a lower bar for positive surprises from pre-orders, mix, and lead-time data.

A Tactical Play: Trading Apple’s Volatility

For those looking to trade Apple’s event-driven swings, ETFs like the GraniteShares 2x Long AAPL Daily ETF (AAPB) and Direxion Daily AAPL Bear 1X Shares (AAPD) offer leveraged exposure.

AAPB provides 2x daily leveraged bullish exposure to Apple, appealing to investors who expect the stock to bounce post-event as demand for the new iPhones kicks in.

AAPD provides the inverse, delivering 1x daily bearish exposure, useful for traders anticipating further weakness on supply chain risks, high pricing, or cooling consumer demand.

Both funds are short-term tactical trading tools rather than long-term holdings, but they highlight how Apple’s product cycle can create opportunities on both sides of the trade.

Bottom line Apple’s 2025 refresh is about thinness, durability, and upsell mechanics (Air at $999; Pro storage bump). The stock’s initial dip tracks history, leaving the pre-order tape to decide the next move. Traders who want a levered long swing can look at AAPB, while those fading the launch pop—or hedging—can consider AAPD. Manage risk tightly: both funds are daily-targeting tools, best paired with clear time frames and catalysts.