Apple's iPhone 18 Pro, arriving three years after the iPhone 15 Pro, introduces a new A20 Pro chip, variable-aperture camera, smaller Dynamic Island, and significantly improved battery life, with prices starting at $1,199 for 256GB. The upgrade accumulates changes from three generations including larger displays, Camera Control, enhanced cameras, aluminum design, and vapor chamber cooling. For iPhone 15 Pro owners, the camera improvements, battery longevity, and faster charging make it a worthwhile upgrade, particularly for photography and video work.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max charges significantly faster than its predecessor, reaching full battery in 55 minutes compared to 81 minutes for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The device achieves a peak charging speed of 52W, up from 36W on last year's model, with 50% charge reached in just 15 minutes using a compatible 60W+ power adapter.
Bose announced updated Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) with improved bass, volume, and battery life (up to 9 hours), alongside a new cheaper Sport Open Earbuds model ($199) designed for secure fit during physical activities. Both models feature clip-on designs, wireless charging cases, and automatic volume adjustments, with the Ultra version launching September 19th for preorder at $299.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max offer internal refinements rather than dramatic external changes, featuring the new A20 Pro chip, improved cooling, and a smaller Dynamic Island, though the company's first foldable iPhone Duo may be more intriguing to consumers seeking novelty.
The Nothing Phone (4b) is an affordable entry-level smartphone with a distinctive design and impressive battery life, but it falls short in display brightness (1,160 cd/m² vs. advertised 2,000 nits), camera performance in low light, and storage capacity (128GB only, no microSD). Its main weakness is pricing; a price drop would make it more competitive against its own lineup.
Apple released a new Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger (model A3277) that delivers 10W of power, double the previous 5W limit, enabling faster charging for the new Series 12 and Ultra 4 models. The $29 charger can add 12 hours of battery life to the Series 12 or 18 hours to the Ultra 4 in just 15 minutes, but requires both the new watch hardware and new charger to achieve these speeds.
Valve's Steam Frame headset launched with praise for comfort and PC streaming capabilities, but early reviews criticize its $1,059 starting price and problematic battery life. The device runs SteamOS on ARM hardware, streams from PC via Wi-Fi 6E, and plays native titles from the Steam library.
HashNotch is a macOS menu bar app that displays system information in the MacBook notch, including music playback, network speed, CPU/memory usage, battery status, temperatures, and camera/microphone activity. Built in native Swift with no telemetry or account requirements, version 1.5.0 adds improved UI scrolling, better timer handling, AirPods battery display, and enhanced settings organization.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro, arriving two years after the iPhone 16 Pro, features over 50 upgrades including a new A20 Pro chip, variable-aperture camera, smaller Dynamic Island, and record battery life of 36 hours. The $1,199 starting price is $200 higher than the iPhone 16 Pro's launch, though base storage doubled to 256GB. For iPhone 16 Pro owners, the cumulative changes across two generations—including design, display, cameras, and charging speed improvements—make it a worthwhile upgrade.
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.
iOS 27 updates cause temporary battery drain and device heat due to background indexing processes, particularly for Siri AI re-indexing, which may last several days. Performance returns to normal once setup completes, potentially with improved battery efficiency.
Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold is the company's fourth-generation foldable phone, featuring a traditional closed shape with an almost-square open display, IP68 water resistance, and an excellent triple camera system. Priced from £1,799, it runs Android 17 with AI tools and offers extended support until 2033, though battery life is slightly shorter than rivals and the display crease is more visible than competitors.
Apple launched the AirPods 5 with Active Noise Cancellation now standard at the entry-level $129 price point, down from the $50 premium required on AirPods 4. The upgrade brings 50% more noise cancellation, improved durability (IP57), studio-quality audio recording, and extended battery life, though the core H2 chip and open-ear design remain unchanged from previous generations.
Samsung is preparing to launch the Galaxy S27 series in early 2027 with four models including the S27, S27 Plus, S27 Pro, and S27 Ultra, featuring major upgrades to display, processor, and battery. The S27 Ultra will introduce a new pill-shaped camera design, while Samsung will skip its Edge series lineup. The flagships will compete against Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and other premium smartphones.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max feature a new variable aperture camera, A20 Pro chip, and improved battery life, with prices starting at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively. Both models share most features including the same display technology and camera system, with key differences in size, weight, battery capacity, and modem options between regions. The Pro Max offers superior battery life and a larger 6.9-inch display but represents a significant size and weight increase over previous generations.
CNET compares the iPhone Duo foldable to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, noting they share similar passport-style designs and $100 price difference. The Duo offers superior dust protection and wireless charging, while the Fold 8 has slightly better wired charging and dual selfie cameras. Samsung's known durability issues may influence consumer choice between the $1999 Duo and $1900 Fold 8.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 improves upon the Ultra 3 with extended battery life (up to 50 hours vs. 42 hours), advanced health tracking with enhanced heart rate sensors and new metrics like readiness scores, and the S11 chip enabling AI features such as Siri recap and audio intelligence. The design remains largely unchanged with subtle refinements for comfort, while maintaining durability and premium aesthetics.
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 is now accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, featuring a new variable aperture camera, faster A20 Pro chip, improved cooling, and longer battery life, starting at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively. Pre-orders are available in over 65 countries through Apple's online store, carriers like Verizon and AT&T, and retailers including Best Buy and Walmart, with deliveries beginning September 18.
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.