Apple released iOS 27 on September 14, featuring Siri AI and other upgrades. Users may experience temporary battery drain after installation due to background indexing and setup processes, which Apple confirmed is normal. Heavy iPhone usage post-update can also contribute to battery depletion, though performance should stabilize once setup completes.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro ($1,199) introduces significant upgrades over the iPhone 14 Pro from four years prior, including a faster A20 Pro chip, improved cameras with variable aperture, brighter 6.3-inch display, USB-C connectivity, and extended battery life. While recent iPhone owners may not need to upgrade, iPhone 14 Pro users gain substantial improvements across performance, imaging, and hardware features.
Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 at its Surprise and Shine event, featuring the new S11 chip for more frequent health sensor readings and AI features, while maintaining the same $399 starting price and 24-hour battery life as the Series 11. The Series 12 is virtually identical in design to its predecessor but adds a ceramic case option and improved sensor placement; it begins shipping September 18.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max ($1,299) and Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra ($1,300) are premium flagship phones with comparable specs. Both feature large OLED displays, high-capacity batteries, and advanced camera systems, though the S26 Ultra is lighter and includes a unique Privacy Display feature. The iPhone 18 Pro Max offers a variable-aperture camera and Apple's new AI-powered Siri with Gemini integration.
The iPhone 18 Pro features a new variable aperture camera that adjusts like the human eye, allowing photographers to control light exposure and create starburst effects with bright light sources. While the phone also includes a slimmer Dynamic Island, larger battery, and new A20 Pro chip, the variable aperture is primarily valuable for professional photographers rather than casual social media users.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 features a redesigned sensor array with 32 electrodes and a new S11 processor that enable heart-rate readings every 5 seconds (versus every 5 minutes previously) and introduce new health features like Readiness scores and Daytime vitals tracking. The watch also gains AI-powered audio tools including Live Rewind and Siri Recap for conversation transcription and summarization. Battery life improves to approximately 50 hours, up from 42 hours on the Ultra 3.