Apple has officially confirmed its 'Welcome Home' event for Tuesday 13th October, and it suggests the company's long-awaited smart home devices are coming. We expected this to happen following reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman a few days ago, but now that the event has been confirmed, it looks like we won't have to wait much longer.

Apple's SVP of Worldwide Marketing, Greg Joswiak, has also shared a teaser video showing embroidery taking place. This could hint at a range of colourways for the new devices, although that's purely speculation for now.

As for what we can expect, Apple's rumoured Home Hub is high on the list, alongside a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2. We're also expecting to see the smart home devices reportedly developed in collaboration with LG, including products such as a doorbell, smart lock and thermostat.

It's not yet clear whether Apple will share a launch video online at 9am ET (2pm UK time), but we'll be keeping a close eye on developments and will update when we know more.

Just days ahead of a wider smart home launch, Apple has added another brand of smart home devices to its range, and this time it's from one of the most affordable smart home brands around.

Apple has added seven Aqara products to its lineup, including the Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 and Aqara Climate Sensor W100, both of which were announced at CES earlier this year. It's believed the two products have been selected because they support Apple's Adaptive Temperature feature and Clean Energy Guidance through the Apple Home app.

As of the time of writing, all seven devices are available to buy in the US, whilst five are available in the UK. You can see the full range below, with prices remaining almost identical to their respective RRPs on Aqara's website.

As mentioned, Apple is preparing to launch its own smart home lineup, reportedly releasing a range of products developed in collaboration with LG. That said, the products are expected to carry the LG name, so it looks like Apple could soon have multiple brands within its smart home category.

The full lineup includes the Thermostat Hub W200 ($169.95), Smart Lock U400 Deluxe Kit ($299.95), Climate Sensor W100 (£39.95/$39.95), G5 Pro Outdoor Camera Hub (£199.95/$199.95), G410 Doorbell Camera Hub (£144.95/$144.95), G100 Indoor Camera (£34.95/$39.95) and Presence Multi-Sensor FP300 (£49.95/$49.95).

It's been reported that Apple is set to launch a much bigger smart home range than anticipated, including a video doorbell, thermostat and other accessories developed in collaboration with LG. The products will form part of an ecosystem of devices designed to work with Apple's new smart home hub, which has been rumoured to launch since last year.

The news was first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who said he had been told the information by "people with knowledge of the matter" who "asked not to be identified because the undertaking is private".

The good news is that we apparently won't have to wait long to find out, with the entire lineup reportedly set to launch next week on 13th October. The range is also expected to include an upgraded HomePod mini and a new Apple TV set-top box, and we'll keep you updated when Apple makes an official announcement.

Gurman also stated that, although the two companies have worked together to develop the accessories, the products will carry the LG brand. That's not entirely surprising, given Apple has collaborated with other brands on products before.

In recent weeks, LG has reportedly sought regulatory approval for the devices, including from the FCC. Whilst the filings don't mention Apple's involvement, the listings include products called the LG Video Doorbell Wired, LG Floodlight Cam, LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In, LG Indoor Cam Plug-In, LG Smart Deadbolt Lock, LG Smart Thermostat and LG Temperature Sensor.

Gurman also noted that the launch would put Apple in closer competition with Amazon and Google, who are already firmly established in the smart home market. With two major names behind the new range, it will certainly be interesting to see how well these products are received.

Apple has already had a bumper launch season, introducing the iPhone Duo alongside the iPhone 18 Pro – but still has a lot more to come. First, there's an event said to be scheduled for 13 October where we're expecting to see an Echo Show rival launched.

That same event is expected to give us an updated HomePod mini and an Apple TV 4K, all with the proviso of strengthening Apple's smart home offering.

However, according to MacRumors, there's a second launch later in the final week of the month too. That's likely to be back on the computing side, with the launch of the MacBook Ultra – the touchscreen OLED model – as well as the new iPad mini.

Sandwiched between the two is the availability of the £2,000 iPhone Duo, which neatly bridges two launches and will see Apple dominate the next month of tech headlines.

The flurry of launches neatly aligns with the arrival of Apple's new CEO, John Ternus, although clearly the new devices were in development long before he took the helm.

With a wide selection of new launches, we see Apple making a move into the smart home that's been missing so far: Apple HomeKit struggled to get going while Alexa and Google Home raced away. But with dedicated home hardware – as well as Siri AI – Apple stands a better chance of making its mark on this segment of the market.

While a display-equipped HomePod has been rumoured for a long time, the most interesting thing will be how it interfaces with existing devices. Apple is a member of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the organisation that manages Matter, which is expected to be core to the Apple's smart home experience.

But it's really the advent of Siri AI that's going to drive the segment along. Just as Alexa became a core component of smart home control over the past decade, Apple is likely looking to Siri to provide a seamless and intelligent smart home experience.

That's not the only change of direction that we're expecting from Apple. The subsequent launch of the MacBook Ultra will see the first touchscreen Mac, something that Apple had previously avoided.

While there will be a lot of new products to get excited about, the current component crisis is expected to push prices higher – especially for the new MacBook and iPad – meaning that some might have to temper their excitement this Christmas and decide exactly which new Apple device to buy.

Apple is exceptionally good at directing your attention. With the Apple Watch Series 12, it wants you to look at the completely redesigned Health Sensing System, or how heart rate is now measured every five seconds throughout the day.

Then there's the more frequent HRV sampling rate, and all the extra data that feeds into new features such as Readiness and enhanced Vitals.

After several weeks with the Series 12, there’s little doubt that it’s the best Apple Watch yet. Heart-rate tracking is excellent, Readiness is a useful addition, fast charging is genuinely impressive, and the broader Apple Watch experience remains difficult to beat if you own an iPhone.

The problem is that Apple's smartwatch was already very good at most of these things. Heart-rate accuracy was hardly a glaring weakness before, and I don't think anyone was upset about the charging speed of their new Apple Watch.

The Series 12 improved upon features that were already good while leaving some of the key issues with Apple's wearable untouched. For example, the physical design barely changes, and battery life remains conspicuously short.

Worth a look, though? Read my full Apple Watch Series 12 review below to find out.

Apple Watch Series 12 review

Price and availability

The Apple Watch Series 12 went on sale on 18 September 2026 and starts at £369 / $399 / €449 / A$649 for the 42mm aluminium model. The larger 46mm aluminium version starts at £419 / $449 / €499 / A$739. Both can be purchased at Apple and third-party retailers.

I tested the 46mm Dark Bronze aluminium model with the M/L Sport Band supplied in the box. Titanium and ceramic versions are also available for higher prices (of course). Apple’s UK aluminium range starts at £369, compared with £649 for titanium and £849 for ceramic.

Design and build quality

Externally, the Series 12 looks very similar to recent generations, which, sadly, shouldn’t come as a surprise. Apple’s rounded rectangular design remains slim, lightweight and exceptionally comfortable, including overnight.

Aluminium models now use Ceramic Shield 2 in place of Ion-X, which Apple says is 60% tougher, while titanium and ceramic models retain sapphire crystal. Aluminium and titanium cases are 9.7mm thick.

I like the new Dark Bronze finish with its warmer and subtler tones, as it looks a lot friendlier in person than its name suggests. The colour gives the familiar case just enough character to distinguish it from older models.

Features

Health and recovery

Series 12 introduces Apple’s new Health Sensing System, which combines the redesigned optical and electrical sensors with the S11 chip. The headline feature is the updated HR-sampling process, with the new Series 12 producing a reading every five seconds throughout the day, including when you’re moving. In comparison, the Series 11 attempted a reading roughly every five minutes and generally required you to remain relatively stationary.

Similarly, heart rate variability (HRV) measurements can now be taken as frequently as every five minutes at rest compared to roughly every two hours on previous models. Apple also separates Recovery HRV, using RMSSD, which looks at the beat-to-beat variation between successive heartbeats over a relatively short period, from its existing SDNN-based overall HRV measurement. Recovery HRV feeds into Vitals and Readiness.

Cleaner, denser data is welcome, even if it’s mostly estimation and not actual electrical pulses measured. The Series 12 takes more samples, and even if single measurements aren’t noise-free, more data enables the algorithm to provide a better overall trend.

The biggest beneficiary is Readiness, Apple’s new 0–10 recovery score based on recent activity, sleep and Vitals. It can even change throughout the day following exercise, naps and daytime heart-rate changes.

It took around two weeks before Readiness populated for me. My first score was 2, or “Pace Yourself”, after a 17km run and plenty of walking the previous day. After subsequently completing a 40km bike ride, it increased to 4 but retained the same recommendation.

Apple does a good job of explaining what pushes the score up or down. In my case, high activity reduced Readiness, and good sleep and normal overnight Vitals helped compensate for it.

It’s nicely executed. It also feels overdue. Garmin, Oura and other wearable brands have spent years developing their own recovery and readiness metrics. Apple gave us Sleep Score last time; now it’s Readiness. The slow drip-feed of these features makes Apple’s health gamification feel surprisingly incremental.

Sleep Score itself performed well when measured against the Oura Ring 5 and Garmin Fenix 9 Pro. All three devices generally agreed on whether I’d slept well or poorly.

Apple tended to be the most conservative numerically, often scoring a night in the high 80s when Oura went beyond 90. None of these numbers represents an objective measurement of “sleep quality”, though. What mattered to me was that their conclusions generally moved in the same direction.

Fitness and activity

Apple Watch remains a very capable workout companion – no wonder it's the most popular wearable on Strava. Running, cycling and walking tracking are easy to start, the interface is clear, and the Series 12 now benefits from a much denser heart-rate dataset throughout the rest of the day too.

Apple has also introduced a redesigned pedometer model using machine learning on the S11 chip, claiming improved step accuracy when your arms aren’t swinging normally, such as when carrying something or pushing a buggy.

One thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is Apple Watch’s continued popularity among runners. Plenty of people are still training with considerably older Series 5, 6 and 7 devices. For them, the Series 12 represents a far more meaningful jump than it does for somebody wearing last year’s model.

Smart features and software

The Apple ecosystem is excellent when everything behaves exactly as Apple expects. Communication between iPhone and Watch is seamless, but that integration can also make seemingly simple settings unnecessarily rigid.

After removing Sleep Focus from my iPhone, I could no longer put the Watch into its normal sleep state. To prevent the screen from lighting up in bed, I resorted to Theatre Mode and then manually switched it off in the morning.

WhatsApp messages also annoyed me, as despite putting on Do Not Disturb mode, the incoming messages set off the vibration motor. Turning off haptics solved that problem but also disabled haptic feedback for things I actually wanted, including workouts and alarms.

Then there’s the app situation. Apple Health has become astonishingly comprehensive. Dig deeply enough, and you’ll find metrics including walking asymmetry, stair-climbing speed, double-support time, walking steadiness and cardio recovery.

I not only wonder why so much of it feels hidden, but also why, in 2026, am I still jumping between Health, Fitness and Watch to manage one wearable? Garmin and Oura put enormous quantities of information into one primary app. Apple’s approach increasingly feels fragmented.

I’m not sure what happened to Gesture control, either. Double Tap and Wrist Flick remain useful in specific situations, but Apple still restricts them to a surprisingly small set of interactions. A couple of generations after gestures were presented as a major new way to interact with Apple Watch, they feel strangely neglected.

I couldn’t properly test several of the new Audio Intelligence features. Series 12 introduces functions including Live Rewind and Siri Recap, powered by the S11 chip, but some are rolling out later. I’m on the fence about their usefulness anyway, so I’ll reserve judgement until the whole system is available.

Performance and accuracy

Apple makes a bold claim that Series 12 has the most accurate heart-rate sensing of any wearable.

Its own study involved more than 1,000 participants, with a Polar H10 ECG chest strap used as the reference and devices from Garmin, Google, Samsung, Huawei, Oura and Whoop included for comparison. Participants performed everything from running and HIIT to walking, desk work and meal preparation.

Indeed, in my real-world testing, Series 12 performed exceptionally well. I wore it alongside the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro during runs, walks and cycling. During a long run, the two watches averaged 138 and 137bpm, and their traces followed each other remarkably closely.

During walking, both averaged 93 bpm; on a bike ride, the Series 12 averaged 124 bpm, compared with 122 bpm on the Garmin, which is excellent. But it also illustrates why I struggle to view heart-rate accuracy as the game-changing upgrade Apple wants it to be.

Modern mid-range and premium wearables are already extremely competent. Series 12 may genuinely be better, but the real-world improvement is often marginal when its rivals are already this accurate.

The same applies to HRV. More frequent sampling gives Apple cleaner, richer data and more opportunities to establish trends. That doesn’t make HRV itself suddenly definitive, nor does it automatically make proprietary Readiness scores objectively “correct”.

Series 12 gives Apple’s algorithms considerably better ingredients. Whether every conclusion produced from those ingredients is correspondingly better is harder to prove. I didn’t separately benchmark GPS accuracy, although it caused no obvious problems during testing, so I wouldn’t make stronger claims about it.

Battery life and charging

And then we arrive at Apple Watch’s oldest problem. Apple quotes up to 24 hours of normal use and 38 hours in Low Power Mode, with outdoor workout tracking extended to ten hours.

My Low Power Mode test actually comfortably exceeded Apple’s quoted figure. I took the watch off charge at 100% at 9:08am on 20 September, and at 7am on 22 September it still had 20% remaining. That’s almost 46 hours while using 80% of the battery.

Running wasn’t particularly punishing either. One 55-minute outdoor run reduced the battery from 35% to 29%, and I generally saw around 7% battery consumption per hour of running.

Charging is where Apple has made genuinely useful progress. Five minutes took my watch from 20% to 35%. On another occasion, it went from 7% at 7:52pm to 60% at 8:10pm, then reached 94% by 8:30pm. Apple officially claims 15 minutes provides up to 12 additional hours of normal use, and around 30 minutes gets the watch to 80%.

Fast charging makes Series 12 dramatically easier to live with, but it doesn’t solve the fundamental problem, though. In an era of sophisticated health sensing, powerful silicon and AI, I can still only expect roughly a day and a half of unrestricted everyday use before thinking about a charger. Garmin, Huawei and plenty of other competitors have normalised multi-day battery life. Apple hasn’t. Why?

Verdict

The Apple Watch Series 12 is undoubtedly the best mainline Apple Watch yet. Heart rate tracking is superb, and its higher-frequency sensing provides Apple with more useful data to work with.

Readiness is a welcome addition, sleep feedback proved consistent with Garmin and Oura in my testing, and rapid charging significantly reduces the inconvenience of its short battery life.

But almost every compliment comes with a qualification. Heart rate was already excellent. Readiness and Sleep Score have existed elsewhere for years. Gesture controls still feel underdeveloped. Health data is scattered across too many places. Battery endurance remains comparatively poor. And externally, very little has changed.

That’s why Series 12 feels like another Apple magic trick. The company asks you to focus on the impressive new Health Sensing System in one hand, while the other quietly holds many of the compromises we’ve been discussing for years.

As always, for owners of recent Apple Watches, there’s little reason to rush out and upgrade, which I hope doesn’t come as a surprise. I doubt even Apple thinks that people will upgrade to a new Apple Watch every year.

However, for somebody still wearing a Series 5, 6 or 7, this could be exactly the Apple Watch they’ve been waiting for. Especially for those who use their watch for running or cycling training.

Apple's anticipated MacBook Pro update could happen in the next couple of weeks, with new details pointing to a significant change in design.

According to Mark Gurman on Bloomberg, the new MacBook Pro – also dubbed the "MacBook Ultra" by many – will be "significantly lighter". This is said to have been achieved by reengineering the laptop's interior and miniaturising parts.

The current 16-inch MacBook Pro weighs 2.14 kg, while the MacBook Air is 1.51 kg for the 15-inch version, so there's plenty of weight to be lost here.

That's as far as the news goes for the future MacBook Pro, although we're previously heard that it's ushering a controversial new feature too – a touchscreen OLED display.

It might come as a surprise that Apple hasn't yet offered the MacBook Pro with an OLED screen, but a shift to the tech should give a richer and higher quality result, albeit paired with a higher price.

But, it's the addition of a touchscreen that's more controversial. Back in 2010, Steve Jobs specifically said that touch didn't work on a laptop, because of the ergonomics. In the meantime, both Windows and Chromebook has offered touchscreen models at a full range of prices.

Subsequently, Craig Federighi doubled down on the position of not offering touch, saying that touching the screen was fatiguing. Adjacent to Apple's anti-touch position, the iPad Pro has repeatedly be positioned as a laptop alternative.

We could be in for a significant shift in position for the MacBook however, with macOS 27 expected to have a number of adaptations to support touch when the new model appears.

It's also thought that the MacBook Ultra will be offered with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, rather than expanding the M6 – with a move in early 2027 to the M7 family instead.

That could see the launch of the new MacBook Ultra as a watershed moment ushering in a new design that's lighter, a new screen technology and a new method of interaction. Over time, it's expected that some trickle down will occur, but given the high price of components, the biggest surprise could be the price.

Currently, it's predicted that there will be a 20% price hike over the existing MacBook Pro model, with prices according to Forbes expected to land in the $3,000 / £3,000 price range.

The iPhone 18 Pro is another step forward for Apple in terms of performance, with a new A20 Pro chip and upgrades to its battery, thermal management and camera system. It sits as the pinnacle of the company’s phone technology, though this year it has a shiny new stablemate that is in danger of stealing the limelight.

It’s perhaps no accident that there is a month between the on-sale dates of the iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max and the new foldable iPhone Duo. That time gives those looking for a replacement a chance to properly consider the Pro models, as on paper at least, it’s the better phone.

While the Duo offers the spectacle of a folding screen, revealing a 7.6-inch display from its passport-sized form, the iPhone 18 Pro and larger 18 Pro Max offer better battery life and a better camera system – complete with full Pro camera features.

This year, more than ever, the 18 Pro and Pro Max feel like professional tools, with their ProRAW, Spatial video, ProRes RAW and variable aperture on the main 48MP camera. With the Pro Max, you get a generous 6.9-inch display for that big-screen playback, while the smaller iPhone 18 Pro still offers a 6.3-inch display and sits easily in your pocket, weighing less and being both thinner and narrower than the Duo.

I upgraded from the cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro to the classier burgundy iPhone 18 Pro to see how the new model performs and to see how much of an improvement it is for those annual upgraders.

How much is the iPhone 18 Pro?

The iPhone 18 Pro was first announced on 9 September 2026 and went on sale on 18 September. Prices start from £1199 / $1199 in the UK and US, respectively. In Europe, it starts from €1449 and in Australia from A$2099. Alternatively, the larger iPhone 18 Pro Max starts from £1299 / $1299 / €1599 / A$2299.

This year, there are four colours to choose from, including Glacier Blue and Burgundy in addition to silver and black options. Capacities start from 256GB for the base model and go up to 2TB for both the Pro and Pro Max, which takes the price up to £2399 / $2399 for the Pro or £2499 / $2499 for the Pro Max.

Design and build

From the outside, very little has changed with the iPhone 18 Pro, compared to the 17 Pro. The dimensions are identical, as are the button placements and camera bump, meaning that cases for the 17 Pro will fit the 18 Pro, and the same for the Max models.

The only real difference is the weight, with the new Pro model being 7 grams (0.24 oz) heavier, or 18g (0.63 oz) in the case of the Pro Max. It’s not enough of a difference to feel in the hand, but it is at least a distinction.

The iPhone 17 Pro was defined by its bold Cosmic Orange colour, which divided opinion among buyers. This year, Burgundy is the main marketed colour, and projects a calmer, classier feel. It’s a deep colour with all elements of the phone perfectly colour-matched, including the camera bump.

Notably, there was no black option in last year’s 17 Pro and Pro Max, so it’s nice to see that return here. The black also feels much darker than previous black iPhones, thanks to the paintwork's matte effect. It reminds me much more of the midnight black used on MacBook Pro models.

New Features

The real change comes inside the 18 Pro. It features a brand new A20 Pro chip, with huge performance upgrades over the previous A19 Pro, including a new CPU and a GPU with an additional core.

To keep the phone, and specifically the chip, cool, the 18 Pro has a larger vapour chamber, with three times the surface area. With this thermal management, the A20 Pro chip is able to sustain high performance for longer.

Then there’s the battery. Not only is this a new integrated design, but it’s also larger in capacity. According to energy labels required for European sales, the Pro and Pro Max models sold here feature a 4,056 mAh and 5,391 mAh capacity, respectively, which is 1.45% and 11.8% greater than the 17 Pro models. The US model, which doesn’t feature a physical SIM slot, has a larger battery, still.

On the display, there’s a redesigned Dynamic Island, which is 25% smaller than the previous version. This has been achieved by placing the IR camera, used for Face ID, under the screen.

There’s improvement on the camera side too, with a new variable aperture on the main camera, giving real depth-of-field control to the iPhone for the first time – more on that shortly.

Display

The Super Retina XDR Display on the iPhone 18 Pro is a 6.3-inch OLED display with 2622 x 1206 pixel resolution. The Pro Max has the larger 6.9-inch display with 2868 x 1320 pixels. Both feature ProMotion technology, which provides an adaptive refresh rate, going up to 120Hz and as low as 1Hz for that lock screen.

With a typical peak brightness of 1,000 nits, it also offers a peak HDR brightness of 1,600 nits and an outdoor mode that pushes it up to 3,000 nits. For nighttime use, it will also go as low as 1 nit minimum, should you need it.

While these are the same specs as last year’s models, it’s a fantastic screen. It delivers great detail and colour, whether you’re watching movies, browsing images, gaming or just browsing the web.

On a bright sunny day, the auto setting turns the brightness to full while outside, and the screen is just as clear as when inside at 50% brightness. I also really like the low brightness settings when looking at your phone first thing in the morning or last thing at night, without flooding the whole room with light.

The smaller Dynamic Island on the 18 Pro is a notable improvement here. Though still more than just a punch hole, when not showing extra information, it takes up a lot less of that top bar. As this space doesn’t sit under videos or most games, you wouldn’t notice otherwise, but it gives the top bar more breathing room.

It also provides more space for the Dynamic Island to show information, adding small symbols and numbers for anything from music playback to sports scores and Uber pick ups. It can then expand for those full live activities.

I watched a range of different content on the iPhone 18 Pro, from The Last First: Winter K2 documentary and the latest series of Slow Horses on Apple TV, through to Taylor Swift music videos on the YouTube app. The one thing that hit me, besides the image quality, was the sound, especially in landscape mode.

Like the 17 Pro models, the 18 Pro supports Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos playback from its stereo speakers, with vents on the bottom and top of the phone. So while it sounds good while holding the phone in portrait mode, moving to a landscape position gives you that full separation.

Rear cameras

Principally, the camera system on the iPhone 18 Pro (and Pro Max) remains unchanged from the 17 Pro series, with one exception. The 48 million-pixel main camera now features a variable aperture.

This is a first for the iPhone, though other brands have tried it before, as far back as 2018, when the Samsung Galaxy S9 offered a dual aperture option on its camera. The iPhone aperture is a six blade design with four aperture settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4. These can be selected manually from the new pro controls menu in the camera, or set to auto.

Advantages of a variable aperture are three-fold. In bright conditions, it allows you to reduce the light intake for creative control, while in low-light conditions you can increase the amount of light for better results. The most visual result though is in the depth of field.

Typically, with a fixed aperture, smart phones are designed to let in the maximum amount of light while maintaining a large depth of field – meaning that everything in the image stays in focus. In recent generations, Apple has offered a digital blurring effect in its portrait mode and cinematic video, to replicate a shallow depth of field, but it always looked a bit processed.

The main camera on the iPhone 17 Pro had a maximum aperture of f/1.78, so the f/1.48 option on the 18 Pro is two thirds of a stop wider, with 2.3 stops the other way to give greater depth of field. These changes are small compared to a DSLR lens, which may offer as much as a six-stop range from f/2.8 to f/22, but with a phone camera sensor being that much smaller, the changes appear as large.

The variable aperture works with all the zoom settings that the main camera offers, which is 1x (24mm equivalent), 2x (48mm equivalent) as well as the 1.2x (28mm) and 1.5x (35mm) settings. It’s also worth noting that you are only getting a full 48-million-pixel image at the 1x setting, with a standard 4:3 aspect ratio. All other ratios and zoom lengths will give you a cropped in image with less pixels.

By default, the iPhone uses a 24MP setting anyway, which uses two pixels for everyone to optimise the image. However, this is reduced to 12MP for a 2x crop, or if you use the studio lighting effects or portrait mode to create the fake depth of field. This isn’t always clear unless you check the image information after.

The longer telephoto camera works much the same way, but with a fixed f/2.8 aperture rather than a variable one. It provides a 4x zoom (100m equivalent) at 48 million pixels or 24 million pixels, as well as an 8x (200mm equivalent) at 12 million pixels.

The third camera is the ultra-wide, which provides a fixed f/2.2 aperture and a 0.5x zoom (13mm equivalent) for 120-degree images at either 24MP or 48MP. This is reduced to 12MP though for Macro shooting.

Front camera

The front camera saw a massive upgrade on the iPhone 17 Pro models and is the same here on the 18 Pros. It uses a square format sensor which can deliver 18-million-pixel images in either portrait or landscape format without having to turn the phone on its side.

This camera also includes Apple’s Centre Stage technology for photos and for video calls, allowing it to zoom in and out to keep either you centred or expand to include a group of people. This means that by default, it will take a cropped 7MP image, but you can zoom out to use the full sensor.

The results are so much sharper than the old 12MP front cameras that feature in the iPhone 16 and older, so if you’re upgrading from a phone more than a year old, you’ll notice a significant difference.

Video

It’s not just still images where the iPhone 18 offers professional level specs. For video, you can shoot in 4K at up to 120fps using the main rear camera, or 60fps using the ultra-wide or telephoto cameras. The front camera also provides 4K at up to 60fps.

For professionals, you can record using the ProRes format in 4K 120fps, and record straight to an external hard drive. There’s also Apple Log 2 and Academy Colour Encoding, to get the most colour information out of your video, and ensure consistency across your cameras.

For on-camera effects, there’s also Apple’s Cinematic mode, which creates a pro-looking shallow focus effect and can still record in 4K at up to 60fps. The beauty of this is that you can actually adjust the focus point after shooting. The variable aperture also works for video, so you can make use of the real aperture effects here too.

There’s also dual capture mode, which uses both the front and rear camera to create a picture-in-picture effect, action mode for ultra-steady shooting in 2.8K at 60fps, slow motion at up to 240fps (1080p) or 120fps in 4K, timelapse recording in 4K and Spatial video recording in 1080p at 60fps for immersive 3D.

Video also benefits from the iPhone 18 Pro’s four-mic array, allowing you to capture Spatial Audio sound or stereo recording. Apple’s new audio mix tool then allows you to edit the recorded sound to separate voice and music from background noise.

Image quality

What I think impressed me most about the image quality on the iPhone 18 Pro, is how much more photographic the results feel. One of my favourite images was during my aperture test, placing a thistle in the foreground and a house in the background to see how the variable aperture changes the image.

I underexposed the original shot and pulled it back using Adobe Lightroom. Though the aperture was set to f/1.8, which is achievable on the iPhone 17 Pro, the slight stop-down of the aperture ring gives the out-of-focus areas a natural bokeh while the main thistle really stands out.

You can see the change in depth of field quite clearly between the f/1.4 and the f/4 settings, though the effect isn’t quite as extreme as on a DSLR or mirrorless camera. The one interesting feature is the way the aperture reacts to having the sun in the shot. With the aperture even slightly closed, you get a real starburst effect on the highlight, which looks quite impressive – and goes away when the aperture is fully open.

Apple has clearly focused its imaging efforts on colour and exposure over detail, with results straight from the camera looking absolutely stunning. To opt for the most detail, you often have to override the camera, picking the RAW capture and the 48MP mode. This is sensible, as most don’t need an image that large, and the option is still there if you need it.

Many were hoping that we might see the iPhone 18 Pro go beyond the 48MP sensor resolution, to match the 200MP sensors now offered by Samsung and Oppo. Personally, I would rather have seen a larger sensor on the main camera, which in turn would have made the aperture changes more prominent. The current main sensor is 1/1.128 inches, which is the same as the iPhone 17 Pro.

Oppo, Xiaomi and Huawei have all offered 1-inch sensors for some time on their phones, which has a significant advantage over a smaller sensor. However, this would require bigger lenses to cover it. The perfect set up would be where smartphones can use a single sensor for all of its rear cameras and simply have a variable optic, but it seems we’re still some way off that.

Battery and performance

Apple’s new system-on-a-chip (SoC) is the A20 Pro, and it’s used on the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and the upcoming iPhone Duo. It has a 6-core CPU, which is 20% faster than the A19 Pro, and a 7-core GPU, which is 40% faster. It also offers a new dual 16-core neural engine for those on-device Apple Intelligence features.

The vapour chamber, which was first introduced to the iPhone last year, has been tripled in size to keep that new chip running cooler. This results in a 40% gain in sustained performance, so you can game and run those AI features for longer without any impact on performance.

To see exactly how that performance stacks up, I ran the Geekbench 6 benchmarking app on the iPhone 18 Pro. The CPU test delivered a multi-core score of 12,543 (4678 single core), which is a marked increase on the iPhone 17 Pro’s 9014. Meanwhile, on the graphics (GPU) test, it scored 63,551, which is also an increase over the 44950 from the 17 Pro.

What’s also interesting is how this compares to the M-series chips used in iPad and Mac devices. The CPU multi-core score is higher than the M3 results and closing in on the M4, while on the GPU it beats all but the latest M5 iPad Pro models.

Considering the MacBook Neo runs on an older A18 Pro, the potential for future MacBooks and iPads to run on the A20 Pro chip are huge, and offer potential space saving and battery efficiency improvements.

On the battery side, the iPhone 18 Pro now offers up to 34 hours of video playback compared to 31 hours on the 17 Pro. The 18 Pro Max is even better with up to 43 hours, compared to 37 hours on the 17 Pro Max. Apple also now quotes a typical usage figure, which is meant to give a more realistic estimation of overall battery life. For this it gives the 18 Pro 24 hours per charge and the Pro Max 30 hours per charge.

Those typical numbers certainly feel close to what I have been getting from the 18 Pro. Once all of my data had fully migrated over from my old phone and things were running normally, I would typically end my day with between 20% and 30% battery left.

The only caveat was that when shooting video, the battery still drains much faster, and with heavier use, you are likely to need a charge before the day is done.

Should I buy the iPhone 18 Pro?

The iPhone 18 Pro is without doubt the most powerful and best-performing iPhone to date. While the 18 Pro Max has the bigger screen and better battery life, both provide the same upgrade in power and performance, as well as the new camera system.

Aside from the battery improvements, which feel negligible in real terms, the biggest change for me is the camera system. This is a big step forward for the iPhone, and while the effects can seem subtle at times compared to the digital depth-of-field options, it feels a lot more real.

If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 16 Pro or older, you’ll notice significant upgrades across the board with the iPhone 18 Pro. If camera performance really matters to you, this is the iPhone to go for this year.

Apple will reportedly host its next big launch event in just a couple of weeks time, with smart home said to be the focus. And it's claimed that an all-new device will be unveiled.

Even before the iPhone Duo goes on sale, it is said that new CEO John Ternus will announce the much-rumoured but elusive Apple HomePod hub – a HomePod with a display. It is also thought we'll get a new HomePod mini for the first time in six years and the long-awaited new version of the Apple TV 4K.

The devices have been tipped in recent times, but the date of the event is new. Bloomberg's resident Apple expert, Mark Gurman, wrote that it will take place on 13 October 2026.

He also followed his piece on the event with an X post.

If right, we'll likely see invites sent out by Apple in the coming days. It's not likely to be as big a song and dance as the iPhone event in September, but you'll still be able to stream it online, we expect.

As for the products, Apple has long thought to be developing a rival to the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Home Hub. However, it is said to have waited until Siri AI was ready before it could progress with its release plans.

According to Gurman, the Apple hub will feature a 6-inch display with a 1:1 square aspect ratio. And there might be more than one version – to be mounted on a wall or sat on a desktop.

The new HomePod mini will look very similar to the 2020 version currently on sale, but with an improved processor to work better with Siri AI.

The same is true with the new Apple TV 4K. The last version was released in 2022 and is still amongst the best streaming devices you can buy today. However, it's aging CPU is not capable of running Siri AI – at least in the form Apple would most like.

It is expected, therefore, that it will adopt the A19 or A19 Pro chip found in last year's iPhones.

We'll find out for sure in a fortnight, according to Bloomberg. Until then, you can check out which devices we're still expecting Apple to launch before the end of 2026 in our round-up here.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the AirPods Pro series, thanks in no small part to their volume slider feature, which has made countless rival earbuds feel unnecessarily awkward ever since.

Being able to swipe up or down on the stem to adjust the volume sounds like a small addition, but compared to the various button-and-touch implementations from brands like Bose, Sony, and Huawei, Apple’s approach remains the gold standard for me in on-bud control.

Bringing this feature to the more affordable AirPods 5 is therefore a huge deal for fans of Apple sound tuning on a budget. It is a huge deal for me, in particular, as I wasn’t the biggest fan of the new shape of the AirPods Pro 3. It felt bulkier in my ears than my beloved AirPods Pro 2, which made me appreciate all the improvements less.

In addition to adding volume control to the buds, Apple has redesigned the internal acoustic architecture, improved Adaptive EQ, strengthened ANC and increased water resistance to IP57. Battery life has also improved slightly, but not to the level I would like to see it in 2026.

To clarify, this review is of the model that Apple confusingly calls “Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case.” This is the version with the volume slider and slightly longer battery life. The cheaper version also offers ANC but lacks the volume slider and the wireless charging case.

Apple AirPods 5 review

Price and availability

Apple announced the AirPods 5 in early September 2026, with the earbuds going on sale on 18 September. They are available directly from Apple UK, Apple US, Apple EU, Apple AU and third-party retailers now.

There are two versions. The standard AirPods 5 cost £119 / $129 / €149 / AU$219 and, unlike the base AirPods 4, include Active Noise Cancellation. The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case reviewed here cost £139 / $149 / €169 / AU$249 and add on-stem volume control, wireless charging and slightly longer battery life.

The £139 model is £40 cheaper than the AirPods 4 with ANC was at launch, despite adding the excellent volume slider and improving sound and noise cancellation. Considering the relatively small £20 premium over the standard AirPods 5, I think the Wireless Charging Case version is comfortably the better buy.

Design and comfort

Before trying the AirPods 5, I wasn’t entirely convinced that Apple’s volume slider would translate particularly well to this form factor. In my head, the AirPods 4 had a noticeably shorter stem than AirPods Pro 3. Putting the AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3 side by side quickly corrected that assumption.

The stems are almost the same length, and the volume groove is essentially the same, which gives you plenty of room for the swipe gesture. Sliding a finger up or down adjusts the volume smoothly, while squeezing the stem handles playback and other functions. To my delight, it works just as well here as it does on AirPods Pro.

That’s a huge win because the volume slider remains one of my favourite design innovations on any pair of in-ear headphones. Nothing irks me more than trying to control button-sized earphones by pressing them further into my ear canal. Stem-based control lets you access all the important control functions without straining your ears.

The bigger physical difference between AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro is the earpiece itself. The AirPods 5 head is considerably smaller, and because there are no silicone tips, there is no passive seal in the ear. This makes the buds more comfortable to wear for longer periods (if only battery life would support this feature).

I wasn’t particularly keen on the larger shape of the AirPods Pro 3, whereas the AirPods 5 are reminiscent of the AirPods Pro 2 and almost disappear once they’re in. If you dislike the plugged-up feeling of silicone-tipped earbuds, that remains one of the biggest advantages of standard AirPods.

Apple has also improved water resistance, giving the AirPods 5 an IP57 rating. That’s a significant upgrade for anyone planning to use them as running headphones, as they should be considerably more resistant to sweat, rain and other wet conditions.

I didn’t intentionally dunk the earbuds to test that claim, but the increased protection should make them a more reassuring option for running, gym sessions and generally wet conditions.

Sound performance

Noise cancellation

Apple says the AirPods 5 offer 50% more noise reduction than the previous generation, and by the sound of things, there is definitely an improvement. However, the open-fit design places a hard limit on what ANC can achieve.

Without an ear tip creating a passive seal, ambient noise will always find its way in. Sitting on a train, for example, announcements over the tannoy found their way to my ears without an issue, even with ANC switched on.

That’s not to say ANC is poor, though, especially compared to the AirPods 4. Low-level background noise and general rumble are suppressed impressively well, and the AirPods 5 do a very good job by open-fit standards.

Of course, “open-ear” covers several very different designs. AirPods 5 sit much closer to the ear canal than something like the Shokz OpenDots 2, so they naturally block more external sound even before ANC gets involved.

The point is that they still don’t create the passive seal you get from silicone-tipped earbuds. That said, anyone expecting the isolated, cocoon-like effect of AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 or AirPods Max 2 will be disappointed by the noise cancellation prowess of the AirPods 5. In practice, the effect often feels closer to active noise reduction than complete isolation.

Transparency mode

Transparency mode, on the other hand, is exceptional. Apple has been excellent at Transparency for years, and the AirPods 5 might be one of the best showcases for it. Voices and environmental sounds come through clearly and naturally, without the processed or amplified quality you sometimes hear from rival earbuds.

Combine that with the lightweight open-ear design, and the result is a barely-there sensation that sealed earbuds struggle to replicate. You can hear what's happening around you almost as though you weren't wearing headphones at all, while your music or podcast continues playing in the background. I love it.

Sound quality

Sound quality has taken another noticeable step forward. Apple says it has redesigned the AirPods 5 internally with a new acoustic architecture informed by lessons learned from developing the AirPods Pro 3, along with a newer generation of Adaptive EQ.

I liked what Apple did sonically with AirPods Pro 3, but I wasn’t particularly fond of their larger physical shape, which made me enjoy everything else a lot less. The AirPods 5 let me enjoy some of that improved acoustic performance in a much smaller and more comfortable package.

They sound full-bodied and surprisingly substantial for such small open-fit earbuds. Bass has plenty of weight without becoming overwhelming, while the midrange is rich and treble has enough presence to keep things lively and detailed. There is also an impressive sense of space.

Open-fit earbuds naturally have some advantages here, but the AirPods 5 create a surprisingly broad sonic landscape given their compact size. The AirPods Pro still have the edge for outright clarity, separation and finer detail, but the gap has certainly narrowed.

They sound full-bodied and surprisingly substantial for such small open-fit earbuds. Bass has plenty of weight without becoming overwhelming, while the midrange is rich and the treble has enough presence to keep things lively and detailed. There is also an impressive sense of space.

Open-fit earbuds naturally have some advantages here, but the AirPods 5 create a surprisingly broad sonic landscape given their compact size. The AirPods Pro still have the edge for outright clarity, separation and finer detail, but the gap has certainly narrowed.

Custom EQ

After years of begging the company, Apple has finally given one of the most requested features to AirPods users. With iOS 27, compatible AirPods – including not just the new AirPods 5, but also the AirPods 4 and certain Pro and Max models – now get Custom EQ.

Apple hasn’t gone overboard by offering a massive library of genre presets or a complicated multi-band equaliser, but you get Apple's standard tuning or a Custom option with three simple controls that let you adjust the frequency response while previewing the changes live

The tuning is stored on the AirPods themselves and the settings follow them across compatible apps and devices, which is nice.

Personally, I haven’t felt much need to use it, as I’m generally happy with Apple's default tuning on the AirPods 5. After some experimenting with Custom EQ, I quickly returned to the standard setting, but I appreciate that Apple has listened to its customers for once.

Battery life and charging

Battery life is easily my biggest frustration with the AirPods 5. Apple promises up to five hours of listening with ANC enabled (on the £139 model), and my testing broadly backed that up.

After around four and a half hours of continuous listening with noise cancellation switched on, my AirPods battery was down to 12%.

Apple partly offsets the short runtime with fast charging, with five minutes in the case providing roughly another hour of listening. My pair went from 12% to 80% after around 30 minutes in the case.

That sounds reassuring, but I think it misses the real problem. Quick top-ups only work properly when the battery already lasts long enough to fit naturally around your day.

The AirPods Pro 3 are a good example. Their eight-hour ANC battery life is enough to cover a morning commute and several hours at work. You can then put them back in the case over lunch for a quick top-up, and comfortably get through the afternoon and journey home.

The AirPods 5’s five hours means you can already be approaching empty before lunch, forcing you to think about charging during normal use, which makes the battery life feel limiting.

The £139 model at least supports USB-C, Qi, and Apple Watch wireless charging, so putting power back in is easy. But fast charging only makes things less inconvenient, as it doesn’t offer a like-for-like substitution for decent battery life.

Verdict

Apple is the granddaddy of iterative design, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the AirPods 5 look almost identical to their predecessors. In use, though, the improvements add up to something considerably more substantial.

Sound is fuller and more spacious, noise reduction is stronger, Transparency mode is outstanding, and the open-fit design remains exceptionally comfortable. Most importantly for me, the £139 version finally gets the AirPods Pro's excellent volume slider.

The AirPods 5 don't turn standard AirPods into cheaper AirPods Pro, nor should they. They're arguably better at simply being AirPods; as in, a lightweight, comfortable and almost invisible pair of headphones that sound considerably better than before.

The biggest compromise remains battery life. Five hours with ANC isn't unusable, and Apple makes charging quick and easy, but it isn't long enough to disappear into the background of a normal workday in the way the eight-hour AirPods Pro 3 can. Fix that, and Apple would have an exceptionally difficult pair of open-fit earbuds to fault.

Apple might recently have launched one of its most significant new products in years, the iPhone Duo, but it's not finished there. We're fully expecting a series of other devices to arrive before the end of the year, and we should see them unveiled in the next few weeks.

There's the elusive new Apple TV 4K, for starters – a refresh that is long overdue. And a new Siri-powered HomePod should be wending its way to Apple Stores shortly. Oh, and let's not forget the much-rumoured MacBook Ultra.

Here then are four Apple products we think will be launched in October or November, just in time to nestle under the tree for particularly good boys and girls this holiday season.

Some of them have been on the cards for years.

Apple TV 4K (2026)

Considering the current Apple TV 4K is arguably still the best streaming device available today, even though it's four years-old, a new model will undoubtedly be welcomed by most.

We don't think it'll look much different and the software experience will be mostly the same, but the main enhancements will be a faster chipset – possibly the A19 Pro – so it can support Siri AI.

The new chip should also make it more capable for gaming.

Apple HomePod with a screen

Apple has long been rumoured to be introducing a rival to the Amazon Echo Show, with industry experts often referring to an Apple HomePad – a HomePod with an iPad-like display. However, like a new Apple TV 4K, it has remained elusive to date.

Still, we can but hope that it is imminent, considering Siri AI is finally here in full. That was the missing element, surely?

It is also expected to arrive with an all-new operating system, often dubbed homeOS, that will revitalise Apple's smart home ambitions.

Other than that, it has also recently been discovered in code that Siri AI is coming to existing HomePod speakers soon, too.

iPad mini OLED

The current iPad mini (7th gen) came out in 2024 so we're due a refresh, and the next model could bring with it a major upgrade.

It is claimed that the 8th gen device will adopt an OLED display – as found on the likes of the iPad Pro – which greatly improves the colour saturation, contrast and black levels.

It should also come with an improved processor – possible the A19 Pro chip – so it will be faster and more capable with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI functionality. We don't expect the overall design to change, with an 8.3-inch screen size to remain, but it could also feature improved water resistance.

MacBook Ultra

There will undoubtedly be at least one new MacBook launched in October – this is a tradition for Apple. But what MacBook(s)?

The most exciting rumour is that a MacBook Ultra could be on the cards, with an OLED display and possibly even touchscreen support. This would represent a massive shift for Apple considering the late Steve Jobs always believed touch panels should be limited to tablet use, not laptop.

It is also tipped to sport a Dynamic Island on a MacBook for the first time and the latest Apple silicon. And if it does arrive, one thing's for certain, it won't be cheap.

Alternatively, we might just see a mid-range MacBook Pro refresh with M6 processing (as featured on the new Mac mini). Maybe we'll even get both.

In the course of a recent press trip for its X500 series phone launch, Vivo put a whole heap of different photography accessories in my hands, with all of them coming together into a seriously persuasive camera kit for those who want to capture shots that are all but impossible on most phones.

Weirdly, though, I don't think Vivo realised how impressive one little bit of the kit would be – the Camera Screen. This is basically a little wireless AMOLED display that plays really nice with the Vivo X500 (or X500 Pro, or X500 Pro Max) camera app, making it a mirrored viewfinder display.

With a Qi2-style magnetic ring to secure it to compatible cases, this can become the ultimate selfie display, but it's also a full touch-screen, which really makes it way more powerful than you might expect from looking at it.

Place your phone on a tripod, for instance, and you now have a remote that can not only simply trigger shots, but one that can swap between modes, zoom levels, focus points and way more, since you basically have the whole camera app in your hand.

It's a brilliant little idea that's executed almost unbelievably smoothly, and while I haven't had that many chances to use it yet, my early experimentation confirmed that it works pretty beautifully. All this over just a Bluetooth connection, too!

It's the sort of fun little extra that I'd love to see Apple experiment with, since I'm an iPhone user when I'm not testing a device, and my MagSafe case is generally only used for night-time charging. It'd be really fun to be able to add this sort of wireless display to my phone photography, if it could work on iOS.

Frankly, it's also the sort of thing that I think would thrive on Kickstarter if a third party managed to make it work at a reasonable price, which is quite a big "if". Vivo's launching the display at CNY699, or about $105, which already means it's probably a bit too pricy to be a novelty addition.

I've also already discovered that the AMOLED panel it uses is extremely easy to scratch, compared to the far harder glass used on phone screens nowadays, so there are compromises to be found.

The core idea, though, remains a really fun one, and the implementation is impressive for a first outing. This is arguably the sort of experimentation that really marks out Chinese phone brands from the likes of Apple and Google right now, and I'm excited to see what more we could get down the line.

There has been a significant drive to get artificial intelligence into every kind of device over the last year or so, with AI glasses, AI earbuds, AI pins, even AI pens, but it seems that the trend might be slowing down a touch.

There's a debate raging about smart glasses and specifically those with cameras, while several of the earlier AI wearables failed to meet up to their crowd-funded promise. Some have broken through and continue to impress – such as Plaud – but thankfully the flood of hangers-on seems to be subsiding.

Apple seemingly agrees. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has written that the Cupertino company has postponed its own plans for an AI pendant – a device that can be worn as a necklace, but also pinned to a jacket.

It was originally thought to be in development as an accessory for iPhone – to provide an always-on camera for Siri AI. It would gather visual data to be used by the on-phone assistant.

However, always-on cameras aren't exactly en vogue right now. And it seems Apple is shifting its wearables attention elsewhere.

We have already seen a significant leak from the company itself, which seemed to show its AI-powered, camera-toting AirPods. And it has long been rumoured to be working on its own smart glasses – either like Snap's AR Specs, or something more like the Ray-Ban Metas.

Gurman also believes the firm is redesigning its Apple Watch range, with an even bigger focus on Siri AI, and considering an new addition in the form of a screen-less rival to Whoop and the Fitbit Air.

This latter product is in the prototype stage, according to Bloomberg's sources. It might not arrive until 2028 at the earliest, though.

Both the smart glasses and AirPods with camera should be part of Apple's launch plans next year.

Apple Music Hall is the launch no one expected this week, but it could be a bigger deal than even the new iPhone Duo. While it has recording spaces and studios around the world, this is its first public-facing venue – and it's right here in London.

Work on Apple’s music venue has been ongoing for the last five years, yet the project has remained top secret outside of the company. Hidden in plain sight in the Battersea power station complex, wedged between the shopping mall and Apple’s own headquarters, the state-of-the-art venue takes centre stage.

It’s a box within a box, perfectly soundproofed and suspended within the former power station's giant structure. The vision here is for smaller, intimate performances from some of the world’s biggest acts. As such, the facilities both on and off stage are better than any stadium.

A huge multi-purpose stage takes up a large proportion of the room, with the ability to drop down the front section and lower the immense screen for movie showings. The lighting is next level, with row after row of high-spec programmable lights, while a 48-speaker array provides sound for full spatial audio performances.

Backstage, the facilities are designed to cater to megastars doing pre-shows, post-shows, or exclusives, with dressing rooms larger than most London flats, social areas for production and guests, and even an office space for band management.

Broadcast suites are on hand to either live stream the performances or record them for future showings. Spatial audio suites allow tracks to be accurately mixed to the format, and further studios provide recording studio-level setups.

Apple plans to showcase new and upcoming artists in the venue too, with writing rooms and recording facilities for them to work on their craft, right behind the stage area.

The venue is perfectly set up for immortalising those performances on the Apple Music Hall stage, with the ability to record or stream in full Spatial Audio.

New Apple Radio studios are also based in the space, so that artists can go live on air with the Apple Radio presenters before the show, or just drop into the studios for an exclusive chat.

Unsurprisingly, the Apple Radio studios are just as high-tech as the rest of the set-up, with their signature halo lighting, giant LED displays and robotic cameras built into the walls – all now using iPhone 18 Pros.

More info on Apple Music Hall, including upcoming shows and ticket sales, is available at the new dedicated website applemusichall.com or from its Instagram and TikTok feeds.

It has often been said that Apple plans something special next year, for the 20th anniversary of the iPhone. And that could be a major refresh for the design of the Pro models.

Much like the iPhone X, which was released on its 10th birthday, the next flagship iPhone could be named after the forthcoming anniversary rather than the current nomenclature, and recent reports suggest it'll sport at least one major upgrade.

It is being said that the screen will be very different to the one used on this year's iPhone 18 Pro, with curved edges giving the illusion of being completely bezel-free. This is something Samsung has used on its Galaxy S series in the past, although not quite so thoroughly.

More recently though, a post on Weibo from well-known industry leaker Digital Chat Station adds prospective screen sizes and a hint that the Face ID camera might change.

According to their details, the iPhone 20 Pro will feature a 6.41-inch display with a resolution of 2686 x 1236, while the iPhone 20 Pro Max will sport a 6.96-inch equivalent with a resolution of 2912 x 1340.

More intriguingly though, Digital Chat Station claims each device will come with a punch-hole camera rather than full Dynamic Island. This is also in preference to the under-display camera embedded into the inner screen of the iPhone Duo.

That is disputed by others, though. Ice Universe, for example, suggests that there will still be a Dynamic Island on the iPhone 20 Pro Max – as shown in a concept image posted on their X feed.

Of course, it might be that the front camera is a solo affair this time around, but the Dynamic Island software remains to offer the multiple features introduced with iOS 27.

Then again, as reported by Gizmochina, this is all thought to have been gleaned from a test (prototype) model and could therefore change anyway. Apple might have already decided to ditch the iPhone 20 concept altogether.

We won't find out either way anytime soon. The next batch of iPhones that are planned are likely to arrive in spring next year and include the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2. We have around 12 months to wait to see anything else.

There are plenty of Harry Potter phones, but realme has clearly decided that simply putting a Hogwarts logo on the back isn't enough.

The realme 16 Pro Harry Potter Edition has been redesigned with a brown leather-style finish, an Argyle pattern inspired by the Wizard's Chess scene and a Hogwarts crest on the back. Even the camera module gets in on the act, with its design inspired by Hedwig's eyes.

The metallic frame is engraved with "Welcome to Hogwarts", while the Harry Potter branding is worked into the design rather than simply slapped onto the existing phone.

It's what's inside the trunk that counts

The phone itself is fun, but the packaging is the bit that's really caught my attention.

realme is making a limited-edition Hogwarts gifting box that's a 1:1 replica of Harry's school trunk. Only 5,000 of these boxes are being produced worldwide, making the packaging as much of a collector's item as the phone itself.

Open it up and there's a Hogwarts Welcome Pack containing a replica acceptance letter and train ticket, bookmarks featuring the four house crests, postcards featuring Harry, Ron and Hermione, plus a Hogwarts-branded phone case and phone pin.

It's a more elaborate approach than the usual special-edition phone box, and means you've got something you can actually keep on a shelf after you've taken the phone out.

It's still a serious Android phone

Underneath all that Hogwarts theming, the realme 16 Pro hardware remains largely unchanged.

There's a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Max processor and a huge 7,000mAh battery with 80W wired charging. The camera setup includes a 200MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide and 50MP selfie camera. The display is also rated at up to 6,500 nits peak brightness and supports HDR10+.

The realme 16 Pro Harry Potter Edition is due to launch in India on 21 September, but realme hasn't yet announced pricing or confirmed wider availability.

While plenty of phones have had Harry Potter branding, not many arrive looking like you've just received your Hogwarts letter.

With all the fanfare around the iPhone Duo, you could be forgiven for thinking that's the only new iPhone to have launched this month. However, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will be available from tomorrow, and while neither handset sports a sexy second screen, there's now a way to add one.

Ugreen has introduced what it calls the Magic E Ink Screen Case for both of the Pro models, and as well as provide traditional protection it adds an additional display to the rear of the phone.

You get a full colour E Ink display, as the name suggests, which can be used to show photos stored on your iPhone. You sync the case to the device and can then send digital images to the extra screen.

That's about it, to be honest. It's more a way of customising the case with your own artwork or pictures, so hardly a replacement for the additional display on a Duo, but it's a bit of fun and looks decent enough.

It was announced on Ugreen's Weibo feed alongside several other iPhone accessories, so we're not entirely sure how much it costs or even it'll make its way to other regions outside China. But there do seem to be different colour options to match the new iPhones, including a burgundy version.

The other add-ons and accessories include a super tough screen protector, which is claimed to survive a drop of up to three metres, and a 45W fast charger designed specifically to work with iPhone.

Again, we don't yet know if they'll make it to the UK, US or Europe. Here's hoping.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 / £1,199 and will be available to buy from tomorrow, Friday 18 November. The iPhone Duo will be available to pre-order from 16 October, with sales starting on 23 October 2026.

The iPhone 18 Pro is nearly here, and after a blockbuster Apple event in which it also unveiled a little something called the iPhone Duo, the standard (by comparison) 18 Pro has remained hugely popular during the pre-order window now open. In fact, in some locations you'll now find that you have to wait a month or more to get your handset, since they're on back order directly from Apple.

However, all isn't lost – if you prefer to get the latest phone through a deal with your carrier of choice, you might have better luck, and there are some interesting deals floating around on that front.

I've taken a look at all of the major carriers here in the UK to see what they're offering, and I've got a list of what I think are their most attractive deals below. Check them out to see if this is the best time for you to get your hands on the iPhone 18 Pro.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro pre-order deals (UK)

You can also check out some of the best pre-order deals on the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and the iPhone Duo (when the latter is actually open for pre-orders) in the widget below. We'll keep an eye out for anything that should make the cut in our showcase above.

Apple has released the full version of iOS 27 for the iPhone. While the public beta of iOS 27 has been available since July, this is now the final finished version, which means it's freely available for everyone to upgrade – as long as you have a compatible handset.

As long as you have an iPhone 11 or newer, including the iPhone SE 2nd generation, then iOS 27 will work on your handset. That means phones up to seven years old can benefit from a range of new features.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will ship with iOS 27 when they go on sale on Friday 18 September. For older phones, however, you will need to go into your settings to accept the upgrade for the time being.

How to upgrade to iOS 27

To try it for yourself, simply go to Settings > General > Software Update. You may see two options, the first to upgrade to iOS 26.7, and then lower down, an option to upgrade to iOS 27. You don't need to upgrade to iOS 26.7 first, you can just select the iOS 27 option.

Even though this is a full release, it's still recommended to do a backup of your phone before you start the update. This can be done using your iCloud Backup, or by connecting your phone to your computer.

You'll ideally want to have your phone plugged in to a power source and using WiFi before starting the update too. The iOS 27 download is just under 23GB in size, so will take a long time over a data connection.

What are the big changes on iOS 27?

The big change with iOS 27 is the introduction of the new Siri AI, the next generation of Apple's voice assistant, which now goes way beyond just voice control. Siri AI is integrated into every part of iOS 27, providing contextual responses and suggestions to make tasks quicker and easier.

The voice responses have a more conversational tone and allow follow-up questions or it to take the context of what you're doing at the time. Siri AI is now also available in its own app, which means you can review past conversations and pick them up again at any time.

Siri AI will also provide quick actions for you to help speed up tasks. for instance, in messaging it may offer to set a reminder or a calendar event for something you're planning. Meanwhile, the call context can bring up booking references from emails while you're calling your hotel or enquiring about a flight.

Other big changes include improvements to the photo editing features, with new extend and reframe features, as well as an improved image cleanup, to help you remove unwanted elements of a picture. Image Playground has also been expanded to offer more features.

Liquid Glass has an a refresh and there are stronger child safety features, so you can control exactly what your kids access on their phones.

Full list of compatible models

• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17e
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15
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Apple has finally joined the foldable phone party with the iPhone Duo. The passport-sized device will arrive in mid-October, with a headline-grabbing starting price of $1,999 (or £1,999 for those on this side of the pond).

While that’s punchy (putting it politely, given Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is £400 cheaper and equally cute in its format), here are a few reasons why the iPhone Duo might justify its cost, having seen it in the flesh at Apple’s September event last week.

The screen solves a big foldable phones problem

Every folding phone before the Apple iPhone Duo has suffered from the same problem: shiny, plasticky inner displays that feel far cheaper than their prices suggest, show every fingerprint, and reflect at every opportunity.

But the iPhone Duo borrows the nano-texture matte coating from the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro for the internal panel, and the difference is night and day.

Reflections are dramatically reduced, smudges are far less visible, and the crease down the middle all but disappears under normal lighting – something even excellent rivals such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 still haven't managed.

The software doesn't feel like an afterthought

Many folding phones treat the external screen and the internal display as two separate experiences bolted together. Apple's approach with the iPhone Duo is considerably smoother and more fluid, resulting in a much more polished interface.

Whoever designed the animation that flows between the inner and outer displays deserves a pay rise. But more than that, content moves seamlessly between the 5.4-inch outer display and the 7.6-inch inner screen.

The keyboard adapts to whatever orientation you hold the Duo in (even when half-folded), and there are plenty of tricks for propping the phone up too, from playback controls to intentional reflections when watching Netflix.

Multitasking works properly too, with side-by-side apps you can pin together as a pair to reopen later, making for a great trick.

The build quality feels like a premium device

At just 5.2mm thick when unfolded, the iPhone Duo could easily have felt flimsy. Instead, my early impressions were of a reassuringly solid titanium frame and great weight distribution. It’s also a lovely, pocketable format that is a pleasure to use both folded and unfolded.

There is an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, too, a feature previously offered only by Google's Pixel Pro Fold in this category. It means you won't need to wrap cotton wool around the Duo when drinks are around or when you head to the beach.

There are some clever camera tricks

The Duo’s camera department has some compromises: it drops to two rear cameras instead of three, as on the iPhone 18 Pro models, and it has no dedicated telephoto lens or variable aperture. However, like many folding phones, Apple has also leaned into features unique to having two screens.

The first is a live preview on the cover display, so your subject can see the shot you’re taking and pose accordingly – similar to what you’ll find on other folding phones, such as Samsung’s. But the second is my favourite.

Kid Cue pops Snoopy on the cover display to win over anyone reluctant to smile when you’re taking their picture. There’s also an AI-driven Smart Take mode that fires off a burst of shots and automatically selects the best-timed frame.

There’s not one, but two, Dynamic Islands

Along with the camera, there are a couple of other compromises in the iPhone Duo. One is Touch ID instead of Face ID, and the other is the absence of an Action Button.

Despite the lack of Face ID, though, Apple has carried Dynamic Island – the feature that originally launched on the iPhone 14 Pro back in 2022 – over to both the external and internal displays, offering quick access to music, timers and live activities no matter which screen you're using.

On its own, Dynamic Island might not justify the $2,000 / £2,000 price tag, but pair it with the great software, premium design, and matte internal display, and you have a foldable well worth your attention.

Apple doesn't rush into new form factors lightly. Take the Apple Watch – it might have seen some design tweaks over the last decade, but it has retained the same squircle shape since the original arrived in 2015. Even the straps remaining compatible across the last 12 generations.

Meanwhile, for the iPhone, it took 10 years for Apple to move the home button from below the screen, with 2017’s iPhone X marking a new era for the series.

Well, the iPhone Duo is another era-defining moment for the iPhone. It might have taken Apple several years longer than others to join the foldable phone party, but after spending time with the iPhone Duo at Apple’s September event, it seems the company learned some valuable lessons while waiting. Here’s what I loved about the iPhone Duo and what I thought was missing.

A premium, pocketable design

When closed, the iPhone Duo behaves exactly like a shorter, slightly stockier version of a normal iPhone, with a 5.4-inch cover screen that's compact enough for one-handed use.

It offers a similar format to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Xiaomi 18 Fold, with an asymmetrical design that rounds the right-hand corners while keeping the left corners square. This might split opinion, depending on whether you’re a fan of symmetry, but I was pleased not to see a carbon copy of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 even though I love that phone, too.

Unfold the iPhone Duo, and you're greeted by a 7.6-inch panel that approaches iPad mini proportions, all packed into a chassis that measures just 5.2mm at its thinnest point and has IP68 water and dust resistance.

It’s the thinnest iPhone Apple has made, even thinner than the iPhone Air, which was the talk of the town last year for its slim profile.

That slimness could easily have made it feel fragile, but that wasn’t the impression I got when I played with it during Apple’s event. The titanium build felt solid and well-balanced in the hand, whether open or closed, and in whatever orientation I used it.

Functionally, the placement of the Touch ID button worked well during my time with the iPhone Duo, though I wasn’t convinced by the position of the volume controls, which sit along the top edge. No doubt you’d get used to them, but I’d rather they had been on the right edge, alongside the Touch ID power button and the Camera Control. And as you’ll read in a second, I’m disappointed by the lack of an Action Button.

A distinguishable display finish

What I was far from disappointed by, however, was the texture of the internal screen. Rather than the plasticky, reflective coating typical of most folding phones (something I really dislike about them), Apple has applied nano-texture – the matte, glare-resistant finish that’s been an option on its MacBook Pro and iPad Pro ranges since 2024.

It results in far less glare, a crease that's tricky to spot unless you really look for it, and a surface that is nowhere near as fingerprint-prone as rival folding phones. It immediately separates the Duo from its competitors, and I won’t be surprised if future generations of folding phones go the same route, if only to help hide the fold line.

The nano-texture finish is lovely to use too, being smooth under the finger. While blacks might not be quite as deep as you’ll see on the glossy plastic displays, this wasn’t something I noticed when navigating the interface. There’s also a Dynamic Island on both the external and internal displays, which I was thrilled to see, and Apple Pencil support is coming, allowing you to use Apple’s stylus for notes or drawing.

Software built for the format

The interface is where the iPhone Duo really stands out, though. Some foldables feel like they just stretch to fill a bigger canvas when open, without much thought (usually just adding another column and being down with it). Apple's software transitions between the two Duo displays with real polish, helped by the animation that appears when moving from open to closed and back again.

Content picks up exactly where you left it when moving between the outer screen and the larger one (or vice versa). The on-screen keyboard adjusts intelligently around the hinge, and propping the device up in a tent-like position triggers a couple of tricks.

When locked, it goes into standby, showing the time, date or your photos, as standard iPhones do when locked and charging. When watching content, playback controls appear in the bottom half of the display. For Netflix, when these disappear, software-generated reflections of what you are watching appear until you tap again to bring back the controls.

Running two apps side by side felt intuitive too, with a handy option to bookmark that pairing for quick access later by tapping once in the centre to lock the two apps together, and tapping again to unlock them.

Not without compromises

It's worth noting though that the iPhone Duo isn't a clean sweep. Face ID has been replaced by Touch ID. It's a change Apple says keeps screen unlocking consistent across both displays, but longtime iPhone users may miss it.

You can unlock the Duo with an Apple Watch, but that requires you to have Apple’s smartwatch, and it’s still not the same as simply glancing at your phone for authentication, whether unlocking, paying with Apple Pay or opening Passwords.

There’s also no Action Button, as I mentioned, which will likely irk anyone (like me) who’s built it into their daily routine. On the camera front, the Duo skips a dedicated telephoto lens entirely, relying instead on a cropped zoom from its main sensor, similar to the iPhone Air.

You do at least get the ultra-wide camera here, unlike the iPhone Air, but despite its price being nearly double that of the iPhone 18 Pro, you aren’t getting the same advanced camera system (which now includes variable aperture on the Pro).

Early verdict

Based on what I have seen so far, the iPhone Duo feels like a considered first attempt at a foldable phone rather than a rushed response to market pressure. The screen finish alone addresses a problem the entire foldable category has struggled with for years; the software feels tailored rather than adapted; and the design is premium and dust-resistant.

Whether that's enough to justify a starting price north of £2,000 / $2,000 will depend on how badly you want a folding iPhone. However, my first impressions strongly suggest Apple arrived late yet has largely delivered with the iPhone Duo.

Apple could be about to make a more serious move into gaming, with the appearance of two gaming controllers in recent code.

Discovered in the macOS 26.7 release candidate, a user at MacRumours discovered references to two GameController hardware profiles, for devices with the numbers T6502 and T1057. This points to Apple developing its own hardware controllers.

The two controllers are said to have different haptic designs, with common features like thumb sticks, D-pads, shoulder buttons and everything else you expect from a controller.

Another difference between the two model appears to be that T1057 supports gyroscopic control and the other doesn't. It's the gyroscope that you'd use for tilt to steer or to bring a crosshair onto a target when gaming, for example.

Building on this, Mark Gurman has confirmed via his PowerOn newsletter that Apple is developing these game controllers with plans to launch them under the Beats brand.

The controllers have been in development for the past year, with Apple seeing the opportunity to break into the accessories market, with a controller for gaming across Apple devices. With the recent launch of the iPhone Duo, perhaps a controller for that larger screen would be welcomed.

However, Apple already supports controllers from a number of third-party manufacturers, including major players like Microsoft and Sony, so this isn't going to fill a gap, it's going to expand its own native offering.

Why launch this under the Beats brand?

Mark Gurman suggests that Apple is experimenting with accessories that deviate from Apple's design ethos by using Beats instead. Considering that, I can't imagine what a minimalist aluminium controller might look like and Gurman has a point: Beats allows flexibility that the Apple brand doesn't.

That probably also relates to price. Launching a cheap controller to appeal to the accessories market isn't something that matches Apple prices, especially with so much competition. Beats has a trendy image that Apple can use and no one will question a plastic Beats controller with whacky graphics on it.

It's unlikely that Apple can do anything to improve the ergonomics, but it's likely that it will offer seamless pairing with Apple devices, to game on Apple TV, iPhone and Mac. But Beats also allows wider compatibility outside the Apple ecosystem, so equally could provide a Bluetooth connection for Windows or Android.

There's no telling when these might appear, but profile support in macOS suggests it might happen soon.

Apple has extended access to its satellite features, meaning those with an iPhone can continue to enjoy the peace of mind that there will be an emergency connection when you're off the grid.

Apple designed the suite of satellite features for emergency connectivity, originally allowing users an SOS function, but evolving the service to include roadside assistance and messaging.

The service launched in 2022, initially with a two-year trial period, but Apple keeps extending it – including a new extension that was quietly added with the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro.

Sitting at the bottom of the press release for the new phone is a footnote that says: "Apple is extending free access to satellite features for an additional year for existing iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 users."

So that trial seems to be turning into a standard feature, although the fact that Apple is referring to it as an extension leaves it with the option for a paid-for service in the future.

How does Apple's satellite service work?

Apple's iPhone communicates with Globalstar satellites and was one of the first consumer satellite offerings in a smartphone. Of course, satellite calling already existed, and devices like Garmin's InReach were offering satellite communications back in 2011, but Apple generally helped start a new era of satellite connectivity.

That's not quite the end of the story: while satellite connectivity offers limited features right now, there's a bigger push for non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) to expand coverage to areas that don't have traditional masts to provide greater connectivity.

With the adoption of NTNs by traditional mobile carriers, it might be that blanket coverage is more widely available, reducing the need for bespoke SOS functions. Simply put, once satellites are offering 5G themselves, you might never find yourself without mobile signal.

T-Mobile in the US has already partnered with Starlink, while the O2 Satellite service in the UK is available as a Bolt On for £3 a month. It's not a perfect solution: you need line of sight to the sky and there's limited bandwidth, but we're at the start of the move into space connectivity with a lot of development coming over the next five years.

For now, those with an older iPhone can rest assured that the emergency SOS functions are still available and you still don't have to pay for them.

Apple didn’t announce a new HomePod or the rumoured Home Hub at today’s keynote, but that doesn’t mean the home was absent from the story. In fact, there was enough talk around hubs, intelligence and Siri to suggest that Apple’s ambitions for the home are still very much alive – and perhaps getting closer to becoming a reality.

The biggest clue came during Apple’s iPhone presentation, when John Ternus described the iPhone as an “intelligent personal hub.” That wording is particularly interesting given Apple’s existing use of “hub” in the smart home, where HomePod, HomePod mini and Apple TV provide the central infrastructure for HomeKit and Matter devices.

It gets even more interesting when you look at Apple’s push to make Siri dramatically more capable. A future Home Hub would need exactly that – especially a persistent interface for controlling and understanding what’s happening around the home.

There had been plenty of rumours ahead of today about new smart home hardware, including a HomePod update and a Home Hub device, yet neither appeared on stage. That doesn’t necessarily mean those products have been cancelled, especially when there are signs that Apple is still building the software foundation they would need.

There was an interesting reminder of that from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman earlier today. Before the keynote, he wrote: “If you don't see the Apple TV, HomePod mini, home display and touch MacBook today, don't worry. It's only September,” suggesting that the October event could be the one to watch.

Although Apple didn't mention it during its iPhone Duo launch presentation, the release date for iOS 27 has been officially revealed.

It appears in the footnotes under the press release for the iPhone 18 Pro, but will be made available for all supported iPhones before that device is made available. It'll be downloadable from next Monday 14 September, in fact.

This includes the new Apple Intelligence features, which will be available for "users with an Apple Intelligence-enabled device set to a supported language". That includes devices in English-speaking countries, plus multiple other regions and languages across Europe and the rest of the world.

The new Siri AI is slightly different. While also available from 14 September, it will launch in beta form for English-language devices only. Apple will then roll out the AI-powered assistant in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish from October.

Is iPadOS 27 coming too?

It hasn't yet been confirmed, but it is more than likely that iPadOS 27 will also roll out on Monday for iPads, with Apple's other operating systems potentially joining it. Some of them have been known to be staggered in the past though, such as macOS.

As for the new iPhones, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models will be available to pre-order from Saturday 12 September, with an on-sale date of 18 September.

Apple's first foldable iPhone – the iPhone Duo – will follow, with pre-orders opening on 16 October for a 23 October release date.

All of the new iPhones will come with iOS 27, Siri AI and Apple Intelligence pre-installed.

Apple has officially unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12, and while it looks broadly familiar, there are some significant changes underneath.

The biggest upgrades focus on health, fitness and Apple Intelligence, with a new sensor system, much more frequent heart-rate tracking, and a Readiness score finally joining the mix.

Here are the six biggest things you need to know.

1. Heart-rate tracking is much more frequent

Series 12 introduces Apple's new Health Sensing System, with larger green LEDs, redesigned photodiodes and an increased electrode surface for ECG readings.

Background heart-rate readings can now be taken every five seconds, which Apple says is 60 times more frequent than before, while HRV can be sampled as often as every five minutes.

Apple also claims the new system offers the “most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable”, based on its own testing against an ECG chest strap.

2. Readiness finally arrives

Apple is also introducing Readiness, which combines recent activity, sleep and vital signs into a daily score.

Apple categorises your status as Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready or Go For It, and the score can change during the day as new data comes in.

3. The S11 chip powers new AI features

Series 12 gets Apple's new S11 chip, which includes CPU, GPU and Neural Engine technology derived from the A20 Pro.

Its always-on processor powers a new group of Audio Intelligence features designed to work directly from your wrist.

4. Siri can rewind conversations

One of the strangest additions is Live Rewind, which lets you double-press the Digital Crown to retrieve and transcribe the previous 15 seconds of speech.

There's also Siri Recap, which can generate summaries and key points from conversations such as meetings, while Sound Recognition can identify things like alarms, sirens and doorbells.

5. Ceramic Apple Watch is back

Series 12 is available in aluminium, titanium and, surprisingly, ceramic.

Aluminium colours include Space Grey, black, light gold and new dark bronze, while ceramic comes in pearl white and night blue.

6. The screen is tougher, but battery life is unchanged

Aluminium Series 12 models now use Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says makes the front glass 60% tougher than the previous Ion-X glass.

Battery life remains rated at up to 24 hours, however, so the standard Apple Watch still isn't becoming a proper multi-day smartwatch.

The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 / AU$649, with pre-orders open now and availability from 18 September.

Announced alongside the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, Health Age is one of the headline additions to Apple's completely redesigned Health app.

It takes metrics collected by Apple Watch and turns them into an estimate of how your health compares with your chronological age.

It puts Apple in territory already explored by Garmin, which has offered Fitness Age for years.

Oura also provides what's called Cardiovascular Age, and Whoop also has its own version called Whoop Age.

Apple's approach looks particularly comprehensive, though, because Health Age isn't built around a single measurement.

Apple says metrics including VO2 max and sleep can contribute to the calculation, while users can go deeper by adding biomarkers from recent blood tests.

The app shows your Health Age history and breaks down which factors push the figure in either direction.

Apple is going all-in on longevity

Health Age sits in a new Longevity section of the Health app, bringing together information on sleep, movement, and heart health.

The interface uses coloured segments to show how you're performing across different areas, while Apple Intelligence generates summaries and personalised recommendations based on your data.

In the US, Apple Watch users will be able to order a Quest laboratory panel with more than 50 biomarkers for $119, with the results integrated alongside Apple Watch and iPhone data.

Given the sheer number of Apple Watches already sitting on people's wrists, Apple's move into longevity could be the one that pushes the concept firmly into the mainstream.

The redesigned Health app is due to arrive later this year, initially in US English, with additional languages set to follow.

Apple has unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12, and while it looks similar to its predecessors – which was to be expected – there are some exciting updates for the fans of Apple's mainline wearable.

The biggest upgrade is the Health Sensing System, a redesigned sensor array shared with the Apple Watch Ultra 4 that Apple claims significantly increases the amount of heart-rate data the watch can collect throughout the day.

Background heart-rate readings are now taken every five seconds, including while you’re moving around, which Apple says is 60 times more frequent than before.

Heart-rate variability, or HRV, can meanwhile be sampled as often as every five minutes, 24 times more frequently than previously.

Apple has also redesigned the hardware sitting against your wrist, increasing the surface area of the electrodes to improve skin contact during ECG readings.

The photodiodes are now arranged in a ring to capture light more efficiently, using larger, more power-efficient green LEDs for optical heart-rate sensing.

Apple is making a fairly substantial claim about the results, too, saying the new system delivers the “most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable.”

The company says it reached that conclusion after testing the Apple Watch head-to-head against other wearables, using an ECG chest strap as the reference while hundreds of participants ran, cycled and completed HIIT workouts.

It is an Apple study rather than an independent comparison, of course, so we'll see how the Series 12 performs against the latest Garmin, Coros and Polar watches in real-life tests.

Apple Watch finally gets Readiness

More frequent heart-rate and HRV measurements also feed into one of the most significant new fitness features Apple has introduced in years.

Readiness may already be familiar to Garmin, Oura, and Whoop users, but it's a brand-new addition to the Apple Watch.

Each morning, Apple Watch analyses your recent activity, sleep, and vital signs before producing a single score that indicates how much capacity your body has for exercise and everything else the day might throw at it.

Apple groups the results into straightforward recommendations, including Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, and Go For It.

Apple says your Readiness can change throughout the day as new information comes in, and the result can be viewed either directly on Apple Watch or through the Fitness app on iPhone.

HRV is also being added to the Vitals app, where users will be able to see both overnight and daytime information.

Apple says this should make it easier to spot changes in your physiological state before they show up in your overnight metrics.

The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 / AU$649, with pre-orders opening today ahead of availability from 18 September. Apple has not yet given UK or EU pricing in the presentation.

Apple has announced the iPhone Duo at last. Previously dubbed the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra in speculation over the last year, it is the company's first foldable smartphone and it's everything we expected and more.

A similar shape and size to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the iPhone Duo is small and squat but has a 7.6-inch 4:3 OLED display when unfolded. This allows for better viewing of video content and is more like an iPad mini than a traditional book-style folding device.

There are some caveats to the new form factor. It only has two camera units on the rear, without the telephoto lens you'll find on the new iPhone 18 Pro, and it doesn't support Face ID. However, you do get Touch ID on the power button and when open, this is the slimmest iPhone ever made (even thinner than last year's iPhone Air).

Also, you do still get a FaceTime camera behind the inner display, with a small lens in the top right of the front screen too.

The software has been tweaked especially for the device, to seamlessly work across the front display and its unfolded equivalent. There are multitasking capabilities, app swiping to swap between screens and dedicated features that work when the device is partially folded or when set down on a desktop.

The outer screen is 5.4-inches and has the same aspect ratio as the inner version. While the build quality is typically Apple – grade 5 titanium has been used for the frame, with ceramic on the back and front.

We're yet to see the display ourselves, but Apple claims that it has one of the strongest bendable displays in the industry. And it suggests that the crease is almost eliminated.

In terms of the other specs, the Duo runs on the A20 Pro chip, much like the iPhone 18 Pro also just announced. It also includes a vapour chamber to keep the chip cool, as well as a C2 5G modem for cellular reliability.

Battery life is claimed to be up to 22 hours when using both screens simultaneously, while fast charging (through USB-C) allows for 50% charge in just 15 minutes.

There are two cameras on the rear, with the main camera capable of up to 4K 120fps video recording, and the 48-megapixel Fusion ultrawide is the same as on the Pro models. As mentioned though, there is no telephoto here.

It will also run Siri AI and the latest Apple Intelligence, of course. And one extra surprise is that the foldable will be compatible with Apple Pencil post launch. That's a big win for those with the stylus already.

The iPhone Duo will be priced from $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499 for the 256GB model (as previously rumoured) with larger storage options up to 2TB becoming available too. Pre-orders open on 16 October for a 23 October release date.

Apple has announced its fifth generation AirPods and they blur the line between the entry and pro models more than ever before.

More durable and with live translation capabilities – much like the AirPods Pro – the AirPods 5 also feature better active noise cancellation. Apple claims that it works 50% more effectively than the last-gen, and with improved audio playback.

The design is largely the same, but the new AirPods are now rated IP57 for dust and water resistance. There's a bigger battery offering up to five hours of playback time with ANC activated, while the USB-C charging case expands that to up to 20 hours.

Another new feature of the upgraded buds is that they support the new Siri AI functionality coming with iOS 27. And there are two models that will be available – with a standard variant and a step-up pair that come with a wireless charging case.

This additional version also features volume controls on the stem of the right AirPod – a feature also migrated from the AirPods Pro.

The standard Apple AirPods 5. are priced at $129 / £129 and they're available to pre-order from today. They'll ship on 18 September 2026.

The step-up model with on stem audio controls, wireless charging case and longer battery life are priced at $149 / £149.

There is no new AirPods Pro version announced as yet, but with the features added to these entry buds, you have to wonder whether we need a new Pro. At least until the variant with an AI camera in the buds arrives (likely early next year).

T3 is covering all of the new Apple announcements live – just follow the news as it happens in our regularly updated blog.

We have been writing and discussing Apple's first foldable iPhone for many months – years, even – and it's mainly been called the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra in that time. However, it seems that the internet speculation was wrong.

While Apple is almost certainly going to reveal the device later today, the names we've been using have seemingly been incorrect.

According to Bloomberg's resident Apple expert, Mark Gurman – who is generally right about these things – the foldable will be called the iPhone Duo, instead.

This is backed up by fellow trusted leaker, Ice Universe, who posted an "iPhone Duo" teaser on his X feed.

To be honest, the name allegedly chosen doesn't sound like an Apple product. It's more Microsoft, which used a similar name for its own, ill-fated foldables in the early 2020s. But there was also some who suggested that calling the new iPhone "Ultra" would also be misleading.

It's believed that it'll have a lower spec camera unit than the iPhone 18 Pro, with the telephoto lens missing. And it's also thought that it'll cut Face ID from the equation, being that it'll be so slim when unfolded.

Those omissions mean that while you gain a fold-out screen, the new iPhone can hardly be called the best of the best. It'll be different rather than superior.

Someone might want to tell the accounts department that though, as Gurman also suggests that the starting price will be $2,000 (£2,000, if Apple's pricing convention continues as normal).

That's actually less than some reports and leaks have claimed, although it is also said that the 2TB model could rise to as much as $3,000.

Setting the entry point at $2K (rather than the tipped $2.5K) does allow Apple to better compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, however. Samsung's similarly-sized starts at $1,899 – just $100 less – so the difference could be forgiven by many.

It'll be more stark in the UK, of course, as Samsung doesn't match prices like-for-like over here – the Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at £1,699 – and there are discounts at networks already. But it could have been much worse.

We'll find out for sure in just a few hours, when the Apple event kicks off. T3 will be covering all the news live and throughout the day, so stay with us.

Apple's annual iPhone launch event is taking place today, Wednesday 9 September 2026, and you can watch it live right here on T3.

Dubbed "Surprise and Shine", the event will be the first hosted by new CEO John Ternus and should debut the much-talked about iPhone Duo – Apple's first foldable phone. You can watch it live below.

In addition, we should see the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5. There'll be a whole lot about Siri AI too, as it'll arrive with iOS 27 in the coming days.

So, expect a jam-packed show with maybe a surprise or two along the way.

Here are all the details.

When will the Apple iPhone Ultra event start?

Apple will stream its iPhone launch event today, Wednesday 9 September 2026.

As is tradition, it will kick off at 10:00am PDT, local time for Apple's HQ in Cupertino.

Here are the start times for your location:

• US West Coast: 10:00 PDT
• US East Coast: 13:00 EDT
• UK: 18:00 BST
• Central Europe: 19:00 CEST
• India (New Delhi): 22:30 IST
• China (Beijing): 01:00 CST (10 September)
• Japan (Tokyo): 02:00 JST (10 September)
• South Korea (Seoul): 02:00 KST (10 September)
• Australia (Sydney): 03:00 AEDT (10 September)

How to watch the new Apple iPhone launch event

You can watch the event stream live right here (via the video further up this page).

Alternatively, you will be able to watch it on Apple's own website, or through Apple TV devices.

What to expect

The main focus this year will undoubtedly be on Apple's first foldable phone – commonly referred to as the iPhone Ultra, but seemingly arriving as the "iPhone Duo". So much has been written and said about it that it would be a major shock if it didn't appear.

There will also be an iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max announced, although we expect to have to wait until early next year for a new standard iPhone 18 model.

In terms of smartwatches, we understand the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 will be unveiled, along with new AirPods – the AirPods 5, at the very least.

Oh. and there will be plenty about iOS 27 and Siri AI, which will soon be available for existing devices as well as the new ones.

We'll be watching along like everyone else, of course, and covering the whole shebang live. Why don't you join us?

With Apple due to host its annual iPhone launch event tomorrow, it comes as no surprise that the rumour mill has gone into overload – especially where the company's first foldable is concerned.

We've seen an official case manufacturer reveal its new, related products early, and now there are reports on iPhone Ultra pricing. But before I continue, I suggest you sit down. And maybe call your bank manager.

An online leaker, EVDownunder, claims to have discovered the pricing details for the iPhone Ultra from a source within Vodafone Australia. As expected, it's a lot higher than many would have hoped.

According to his X post, the 256GB model will cost AU$3,699 at launch, the 512GB version will be AU$4,199, and the 1TB AU$4,699.

In comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at AU$2,199 in the country – so the difference is profound.

Using today's exchange rate, the 256GB iPhone Ultra will cost the equivalent of £1,970 / $2,663 if the leaked prices are correct. However, Apple doesn't really work that way. I'd expect it to be around $2,500 in fact, and considering the firm translates its prices like-for-like in the US and UK, you can expect to pay around £2,500.

Step up the storage sizes and it could run anywhere over £3K.

And sadly, for those hoping the leak turns out to be wrong, this matches previous estimations from seasoned analysts and Apple experts. Being an early adopter in Apple world has never come cheap.

It'll really come down to pre-order deals and network price plans, I feel. Or maybe the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is looking more attractive by the day.

We can't be sure until new CEO John Ternus takes to the stage tomorrow. T3 will bring you all the news (and confirmed pricing details) as they're revealed.

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 are expected to be announced on Wednesday, carrying with them watchOS 27. But hidden in the details is something strange – the suggestion of 128GB of storage.

That sounds like a lot of storage for a wearable, especially when some phones have the same capacity. And it begs the question of what Apple thinks you'll be doing with all that space, especially when it comes to the cost – storage is really expensive at the moment, after all.

However, the details come from a forum member on MacRumors, who has discovered through the latest beta that the storage profile for the Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 in watchOS 27 refers to both 64 and 128GB. Previously, watchOS26 only referred to 64GB.

That suggests that there's going to be a higher storage capacity on the new watches – or perhaps one model that offers more storage.

Storage on Apple Watch is used for the OS and the system data, as well as all the apps you download and any offline media, like music or podcasts. But for most people, filling that storage would be a challenge and, in most cases, unnecessary.

Exactly why the Apple Watch would offer so much storage is difficult to fathom, unless it's going to be used as a cache for AI functions, offering near instantaneous recall of particular things.

Elsewhere, it's said that there will be a new Readiness app, which sounds like Apple is going to plug the gap in its tracking to give you a daily score, using your activity and sleep data – just like Garmin and Fitbit do.

Strength workouts are also inline for a refresh, while there's also some evidence that there's a new optical heart rate sensor, which could make it more accurate.

We're not expecting a change to the design, with previous editions making it slightly slimmer and making the display larger, while generally, the design is the same as it was when it announced in 2014.

The new Apple Watch models are expected to launch alongside the iPhone Ultra – the folding model – that's expected to get all the attention, while the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to launch as the new flagship for 2027.

We have one more sleep before Father Apple brings some lovely new iPhones and Watches down the chimney, but that hasn't stopped case and accessory manufacturer ESR Tech from revealing its own new lineup early.

It has posted a video clip on its X feed that shows the iPhone Ultra, along with a selection of new cases that it claims will be essential for your new £2K+ foldable.

It has provoked one X user, Pedder, to repost it with the tag: "ESR: What NDA?"

In all honesty, considering just how many leaks, images and videos there are out there now, this is a small drop in the ocean. But considering ESR makes a vast selection of Apple (and Samsung) add-ons, it's a good indication of what to expect from a source that should be in the know.

In all likelihood, the iPhone Ultra in the post is a dummy unit. Indeed, the camera depth on the rear looks wrong in one of the shots – the lenses protrude too much, in my opinion.

However, considering everything else that's been released about Apple's new foldable to date, we can pretty much take it as read that this is near to the real deal.

If you also take a scroll through ESR Tech's other recent X posts, you'll also get a glimpse at the Dark Cherry iPhone 18 Pro Max and a black variant of the iPhone Ultra. The brand will no doubt also have Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 bands and cases available too.

And while Apple might be none too pleased about it, there's no doubt that this helps ramp up the hype even more. Tomorrow's event will be significant enough, being as it'll mark the debut of John Ternus as CEO, but throw the company's first foldable into the mix and it's turning into an unmissable keynote for tech lovers.

The iPhone 18 Pro should be announced on 9 September with a design that's expected to be the same as the iPhone 17 Pro. But a new video gives us a closer look at this year's unique colours, even though these aren't real retail units.

The video shows the phone in Dark Cherry and Sky Blue, two new colours that are generally agreed upon for the next-gen iPhone. That's what raises some doubt about this leak – why isn't the third colour shown?

It might be that no one can decide if it's going to be black or silver, so rather than get it wrong, sticking to the most strongly-rumoured colours might seem like a safer bet.

With the iPhone 18 Pro expected to be the same overall design as the iPhone 17 Pro, much of the focus of these devices has been on the colour. We're sure it will have the A20 Pro chip and there could be a variable aperture on the Pro Max model, but from a design point of view it's expected to be much the same.

The phones are said to be dummy units, with the video originally appearing from Lanzuk on Naver, but shared on X.

This isn't an isolated appearance: it appears that some Russian retailers are showing off these dummy units in advance of the announcement. The second video shows them on a table with a sign that translates to "touch the future now".

If nothing else, this gives us a good sense of the general look and feel of the new phones, but as we outlined above, they're basically the same as the previous iPhone model.

Apple is expected to have a bumper launch over in Cupertino, with the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Ultra, Watch Series 12, Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 all expected to be announced this Wednesday.

The Ford Fathom, which is due in 2027, will be the first car to debut a new Apple Maps experience – the result of the previous pairing to make Apple's mapping software native to Ford's future EV.

While we're not going to see that car for a while, Ford has actively started talking about the forthcoming electric car, including in an interview with GreenCars (via 9to5Mac).

In that interview, Ford talks about the process of selecting the mapping software, saying: "We thought that Apple was best for this vehicle in order to get the customer the best solution."

To be clear, this isn't Ford using Apple CarPlay Ultra, it's using Apple Maps in its integrated form, something that's previously been dominated by Google. The company said it spoke to Google too, but ultimately, decided that Apple offered the better experience.

"Apple Maps looks beautiful, and having a large display to be able to put it on we think will be a really big wow factor for our customers when they get to see it," said Alan Clarke, Ford's VP of advanced vehicle projects.

But this version of Apple Maps isn't going to be like the Apple Maps that runs as an overlay in your car, it has been properly integrated: "You need a great maps provider that has the capability to get elevation, weather, and the maps data to have accurate, updated information about chargers."

Mapping has long been an argument used by EV manufacturers against third-party solutions. While a third-party map might be familiar, it won't necessarily know the condition of your car, it might not get integrated into your HUD, and it can't always do things like smart route planning to incorporate charging when you need it.

Take the Tesla experience for example: when planning a route, the map knows what range you have and advises where you should stop to charge. Beyond that, it can precondition the car's battery to get optimal charging rates, while also knowing that there are available chargers at the station you're heading to.

Third-party navigation doesn't always offer this experience: it typically can't talk to the car to get all that information, because car manufacturers like to stay in control of their own data.

It looks like the Ford Fathom is going to offer a unique experience: as Alan Clarks says: "It's amazing to be first as well". That goes a long way – the Ford Fathom will likely draw in a number of Apple fans interested in what that in-car experience looks like.

It will also support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but if the mapping is great, when why connect your phone?

Apple is preparing to launch the iPhone 18 Pro next week and while the design is expected to be generally the same as the iPhone 17 Pro, there's one detail that hasn't yet been nailed down: the colour options.

The iPhone 18 Pro colours are still a topic for debate. We've already seen leaks for colours such as Dark Cherry (or Burgundy) and Sky Blue, but beyond that, it's not clear whether we're getting a black phone or a silver phone.

Currently, the iPhone 17 Pro comes in the hero Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver. It might suggest that for a complete change, Apple will offer the iPhone 18 Pro in Black.

As highlighted by 9to5Mac, online leakers do not agree on what the third colour will be. Fixed Focus Digital took to Weibo to share images and supporting the idea of moving to a black phone, although then goes on in the comments to call it "greyish".

But that's not the important part: Fixed Focus Digital distinctly says that "the second from the left is most likely not available" - which refers to the silver device.

But then Sonny Dickson has come forward on X, sharing an image of three SIM trays, including Dark Cherry, Sky Blue and, you guessed it, Silver. Now, bear in mind that Apple dropped the SIM card tray for US models with iPhone 14, so these could be from other global models – but there's no black in sight.

That leaves us not knowing the colour that the iPhone 18 Pro will be available in. The Dark Cherry and Sky Blue seem pretty certain at this point, but we're still debating whether the third phone will be black or silver and we're only 7 days from the launch.

The iPhone 18 Pro might be overshadowed by the folding iPhone that's expected at the event, but we're expecting to see Pro and Pro Max versions with the same design as previously, but powered by the new A20 Pro chip.

We're expecting more capacious batteries and changes to the camera. There could be new hardware in the camera, with rumours of a variable aperture, although whether this is limited to the Pro Max or both the Pro models remains to be seen.

The new phones will run iOS 27, come with Siri AI and likely some new features – although older models will benefit from many of the incoming software changes.

As for the prices, we're braced for an increase in sizes for the new models.

Apple will soon host its iPhone launch event, with the presentation due next week on 9 September. And while it will likely focus mainly on its first foldable – the iPhone Ultra – plus the iPhone 18 Pro, there might be one or two other products announced at the same time.

One of them could be a new Apple TV 4K streaming box. It's been four years since the current version was introduced and with Siri AI likely to be at the heart of all Apple's devices, it will need an upgrade to run it effectively.

It also couldn't really be better timed, as one of the biggest rival devices has just suffered a mighty price hike.

As originally spotted by 9to5Google, the Google TV Streamer has risen by 50% in the US, from $99 to $149.99, and that dramatically reduces one of the advantages it has over Apple's equivalent.

The current Apple TV 4K starts at $199 and is still arguably one of the best media streamers on the market. It's beautifully built, offers exceptional image and audio quality, and the operating system is more simple than the Google TV experience, in my opinion.

The only issue I've ever really had with it is price. But with a major rival bumping up its own ticket by so much, that's far less of a concern.

Indeed, if Apple can release the Apple TV upgrade at the same price as the existing units, it becomes a complete no-brainer – especially if you are more picky about AV performance.

The one caveat is that the new Google TV Streamer prices seem to have hit the US only for now. It is still available for £99 in the UK, although there's no telling how long that could last.

It still makes sense for under £100 and you might want to capitalise while you still can.

Otherwise, it might be worth holding off for the expected Siri AI-powered Apple TV 4K, which could arrive in a matter of weeks. It'll also likely be the most powerful streaming device available at launch.

We'll bring you all the news as it happens, of course.

Steve Jobs famously said "nobody wants a stylus" when revealing the original iPhone in 2027, making a swipe at business-focused devices like the Palm Pilot and Windows-powered PDAs that all came with a stylus.

But it seems that Apple has been testing a Pencil that would work with the iPhone Ultra, its first folding phone, expected to be unveiled at an event next week.

The Apple Pencil is said to be "stubbier" than the version already available for the iPad, and able to magnetically attach to the side of the phone for storage and charging.

However, according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg - who says he has "zero doubt" that this has been prototyped and tested - doesn't think Apple will release it.

There's a couple of reasons for that, starting with design. Having a Pencil attached to the side of the device is awkward - especially if you're going to be opening and closing and putting it in your pocket, where it will almost certainly detach.

The display surface also has to be considered: folding screens are softer and more prone to marking than traditional glass displays and a stylus could make that worse. Then, of course, we have Steve Jobs saying that nobody wants a stylus, making the point that the interface should be optimised for touch.

Apple won't find itself at a disadvantage here either: Samsung dropped support for the S Pen on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and it wasn't restored for the Galaxy Z Fold 8. That's thought to be because Samsung wanted the device to be thinner and removing the supporting digitising layer made this possible.

So it seems that an Apple Pencil for the iPhone Ultra was considered and then, probably, abandoned. Gurman says that it's "unlikely that Apple will actually launch this accessory".

Apple's September launch looks like it will give us the iPhone 18 Pro alongside the new folding iPhone. Rumours have suggested that Apple will save the regular iPhone 18 for early 2027. What we're really going to be looking for is some exemplary use cases for the new iPhone to make best use of the big display.

The new iPhone will probably be joined by new Apple Watch models, while new AirPods could also make an appearance.

Pikachu has made a surprise visit to Apple Park, shared by Tim Cook having a great time around some of the iconic locations at Apple's headquarters. But within that, a subtle hint could have been dropped about the greater importances of Pikachu's visit.

Cook neatly outlines the three agenda points for the day: "Introduce the Pokémon team to John, talk gaming, and politely ask Pikachu to stay out of the pond."

Through 30 seconds of fun video, we see that what Tim Cook, John Ternus, Tsunekazu Ishihara and Pikachu get up to, yet Cook says that only two of the three agenda points where accomplished. That suggests that one agenda point is still be addressed.

So let's take a more forensic look at the video. We clearly see Pikachu meeting John Ternus with Pokemon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara, so that's a check. The two obviously bonded quickly, as Ternus throws an affectionate arm around Pikachu as the video comes to a close.

We also distinctly see that Pikachu isn't in the pond. We have a pond-adjacent Pikachu, dancing a little, but there's no evidence of contact with the water - so it's clear that Pikachu didn't enter the pond, so that's also a check.

The rest of the video is mostly Pikachu frolicking around: trying to get an Apple off the tree and failing, with Tim Cook symbolically handing Pikachu the fruit at a later juncture; Pikachu running around the Jony Ive-designed rainbow; Pikachu interrupting a working lunch.

At no point do we witness any conversation about gaming, which is ominously absent from the video, yet clearly outlined as an agenda item. That lapse could point gaming remaining on the agenda and perhaps something that will be carried over to the next meeting, perhaps on 9 September.

Sure, it's a bit of a leap, but it does raise the question of why Apple has publicly shared that it has been visited by the Pokémon Company. There are probably a huge number of visitors of equal stature to Apple Park (no disrespect to the indominable Pikachu) so why this visit, and why now?

It could be a bit of whimsical fun, but Apple isn't a whimsical company. Everything happens with calculated precision and there's no reason why this should be any different. As outlined by 9to5Mac, Apple saw a 4.5% decline in mobile gaming revenue in Q2 2026, while Apple itself has cited "headwinds in mobile gaming" as a factor affecting App Store performance.

So gaming is clearly on the agenda for Apple, but exactly what it is doing with Pokémon is unclear. There's a brief moment of Pokémon Go fun in this video and what if that's something that's still on the agenda for Apple's next big launch?

After all, the biggest problem facing folding phones is what to do with them. Perhaps Apple is lining up some exclusive experiences to support the launch of the iPhone Ultra...

Apple has announced the launch of updated Mac mini models, with one introducing the new M6 chip. It has also expanded the options with an M5 Pro variant. The new models replace the Mac mini M4 and M4 Pro launched in 2024.

The dinky Mac mini has seen high demand lately, as people have set it to task running AI models and that's one of the things that's highlighted by Apple: the new M6 model is said to have four times the AI performance than the M4 version, to speed up those AI workflows.

The cheaper of the two models is the M6, coming in at £899 / $899, a price that might make some wince – the previous model started at £599. While the new M6 chip has as 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU – boosting the performance compared to the M4 – the 16GB RAM and 256GB storage remain the same as before.

The price bump is also felt for the M5 Pro model, while starts at £1,699 / $1,699, compared to £1,399 for the M4 Pro. That, it seems, is the price that we're all paying for the demands that AI has put on the industry.

We previously reported that there is a wave of new Macs coming, introducing the M6 here in the Mac mini, with an M6-powered iMac expected to follow. The move to a touchscreen OLED display for the MacBook Pro is also expected as Apple shifts up a gear for its Mac models.

These new models are all about performance, with Apple underlining that the Mac mini M6 will run LLM prompts 4.8x faster than the M4 version, crunch through Excel spreadsheet calculations 1.5x faster than the M4 and deliver a better gaming experience too, with better ray tracing, for example.

Elsewhere, the new models support Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 for faster and more reliable wireless connectivity, with two USB 3 ports on the front and four Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back of the M6 model, upgraded to three Thunderbolt 5 ports on the M5 Pro model.

There are options to configure the models up to 32GB RAM for the M6 or 64GB on the M5 Pro, while storage options run up to 2TB and 8TB respectively. Storage and RAM are expensive, however, seeing the top price of the Mac mini M5 Pro topping out at £6,799.

Running macOS 27 and offering Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, pre-orders are open now, but deliveries aren't expected until 22 September.

Apple has opted to skip a generation with its new Mac Studio and go straight to M5 chips. While we had an M4 Max version last year, there was no M4 Ultra – so now we have a considerable upgrade.

The new Mac Studio is available with the M5 Max chip inside, or the M5 Ultra, with the latter capable of more than 10x the AI processing performance of an M1 Max model. It's almost 8x faster than the 2025 flagship version, too.

The mini Mac also features up to 512GB of unified memory, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

It is a true powerhouse that has been designed for professional use – including content creation, development, engineering and AI training. Gaming is even a consideration, with Apple claiming that it can run Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing one and a half times more effectively than its predecessor.

The M5 Max chipset features an 18-core CPU, up to 40-core GPU, up to 128GB of unified memory, up to 613GB/s memory bandwidth and a 16-core Neural Engine.

The M5 Ultra, on the other hand, really takes things up a notch. You get up to 36-cores on the CPU, 80-cores on the GPU, 512GB of unified memory, 1.2TB/s bandwidth, and a 32-core Neural Engine.

Naturally, the prices reflect the specs. The Mac Studio M5 Max starts at £2,499 / $2,499, while the Mac Studio M5 Ultra model begins at £5,499 / $5,499.

If you're feeling particularly flush and want the very best, you can expect to pay up to £18,299 / $18,299.

Pre-orders are open on Apple.com now with deliveries starting on 22 September 2026.

Apple has also announced a new Mac mini if you don't need quite so much power. It starts at £899 and runs on the new M6 chip. An M5 Pro variant is also available.

Luxury phone customiser Caviar has already revealed its iPhone Ultra models, weeks before Apple's official launch. And it even lets you pre-order your device right now. The only caveat is that you'll need at least $13,840 (just over £10K) in the bank to secure one.

In fact, you'll need considerably more if you want to order the "Liquid Metal" custom iPhone Ultra – it starts at $18,840.

That's for the 256GB model, which Caviar predicts will be launching alongside 512GB and 1TB editions. But don't worry though, you can get yourself a bit of a discount if you order with crypto currency. That pretty much tells you the audience it's aiming at.

The case features bespoke "sculptural lines" to create a sense of "continuous motion", and is made from sterling silver. It is finished with a mirror polish, to give it that added bling.

Caviar has made a name for itself by customising popular smartphones and other tech with premium materials and finishes. And it often reveals its latest products before they've actually launched for real. In this case, it has likely used CAD diagrams and manufacturer specs to create its own dummy units, with the full production models to be built once the device itself is on the market.

There are also iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max variants available on the site, too.

Alongside the Liquid Metal iPhone Ultra, the brand lists special editions in gold, silver, leather and titanium. There's a "Jobs" version as well, with Steve Jobs signature engraved on the rear as a "tribute to the man who defined Apple's identity".

However, if you're not really an Apple kind-of person, but still have a filthy bank balance, there are also heavily customised versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 available.

The Scarface and Godfather foldables are plated in 24-karat gold and feature the faces of Al Pacino as Tony Montana, and Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone respectively.

Or you can opt for a Lionel Messi Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for just over $13K. No, really.

The iMac could be in line for an update soon, with new colours and the Apple M6 chip refreshing the model that was previously announced in 2024.

The iMac doesn't have the same update cadence as other Mac models so this refresh will come at a welcome time, although it's not thought that it will bring any other design changes with it.

The Apple M6 has not yet been released, but with Mark Gurman dedicating part of his Power On newsletter to the updated iMac, we're expecting to see the new model in the next month or so.

According to Gurman, the M6 will only be joined by colour changes and we don't know what those colours are as yet The M4 model offers Blue, Purple, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green and Silver, but it might be that Apple aligns these with the MacBook Neo, which would see Silver, Blush, Citrus and Indigo.

As for the M6 chip, we don't know much about it, but there's a suspicion that it's going to be used in the new iMac and MacBook Pro in 2026, before we start to see M7 Mac models coming in in 2027 – skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max configurations.

What does Apple offer in the latest iMac?

The Apple iMac that launched in 2024 was exciting because of the fresh new colours and the power inside, but it stuck to the design that was introduced in 2021. That might leave some buyers wanting more, as it has a 24-inch display.

That was a little on the small side in 2021, and while the resolution is high, Apple's previous 27-inch iMac dwarfed it and many have been hoping for a 32-inch model. The problem is likely to be one of cost: while the high resolution is great, it would be expensive on a 32-inch display.

At the moment we have no idea when the new iMac might launch. Before we see a new Mac, we're likely to see the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and the new folding iPhone in September. It could be that Apple then has a Mac event in October to introduce the new iMac and perhaps the M6 MacBook Pro.

Beyond that, it's likely to be March or April 2027 before we'll see that new MacBook Pro that everyone is waiting for, with the touchscreen OLED display.

With prices generally increasing, many will be watching them closely to see if the new iMac gets more expensive, or matches the price of the model it replaces.

We don't have long now until Apple finally lifts the lid on its first foldable phone. The iPhone Ultra has been rumoured for months (if not years) and is almost certainly going to be the main focus of the company's annual September launch presentation.

We expect that to take place around 9 September (with an on-sale date likely a couple of weeks later), and it's becoming ever more clear that this could be a groundbreaking new direction for the brand.

Indeed, it is reported that several people have seen the foldable already, and are giving it glowing reviews. Bloomberg's resident Apple expert, Mark Gurman, claims to have spoken to them and they've been largely positive.

"People who have tried the Apple model like how it fits in a pocket, the feel and durability of the advanced hinge mechanism, and the new iPad-like app layouts that take advantage of the larger internal display," he writes in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter.

They also waxed lyrical about its use as a "camera viewfinder", but there's a caveat – it also lacks a telephoto lens.

No telephoto on the iPhone Ultra

That could sway those considering upgrading from an iPhone Pro or Pro Max model. The Pro phones will be refreshed at the same time – with the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max expected – and if the photography tech is of particular interest, either might be a better bet.

As Gurman also states, considering the iPhone Ultra is predicted to cost at least $2,000 / £2,000, it could deter those looking for the best hardware, rather than the most innovative.

The similarly sized and shaped Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which also launch recently, is about $300 / £300 cheaper. And while that too lacks some of the camera features of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, it reflects that in the price.

Still, this is a new category for Apple and will undoubtedly appeal regardless of some omissions. Yes, the cut-back camera could irk some, while the reported lack of Face ID might be lamented too, but the form factor could be more than worth it.

We'll find out for sure in the coming weeks.

When Apple detailed its new Siri AI functionality during WWDC 26 in June, it left out a couple of product categories it'll be coming to. However, it seems one of those will be getting the new, more powerful voice assistant after all.

References to Siri AI have been spotted in code, suggesting Apple's streaming devices will be getting the upgrade too. The only question that remains is whether it'll be available on existing boxes or if you'll need to buy a new Apple TV 4K.

There have long been suggestions that Apple will launch a new TV 4K box once Siri AI becomes available, as the current-gen model doesn't have a chipset capable of running it. After all, the Apple TV you can buy today was released four years ago, long before Apple Intelligence was introduced.

Siri AI could transform the TV streaming experience and offer a more immersive, contextual experience when you are hunting for something new to watch. It will also likely sit at the hub of your smart home, so could be important when using simple, contextual language to control other devices too.

As 9to5Mac also points out, Apple plans for a "One Siri" experience, so the same system works across all of your Apple devices – iPhone, Watch, MacBook, etc – and it'll undoubtedly want your Apple TV 4K box to be included.

And so it makes sense that Siri AI will be part of tvOS 27 when it releases in September. It's just whether it will be joined by new hardware that'll be required, too.

Found in official Apple code

The Apple-centric site claims to have found the reference to Siri AI in macOS 27, as part of the apps list for tvOS 27. The entry features the string "com.apple.campo", with "Campos" being the internal codename for Siri AI.

This doesn't appear in app lists for tvOS 26, leading 9toMac to believe that it'll be launched with tvOS 27.

Hopefully, this will also signal the long-awaited refresh of the Apple TV range as well, which might be announced alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra during Apple's next launch event. It's currently believed that could take place on 9 September – so not long now.

Apple has long been rumoured to be working on next generation AirPods that house cameras to see the world around them. This will allow the wearer to engage Visual Intelligence features – much like the cameras on smart glasses, like the Ray-Ban Metas.

It could make street navigation suggestions more accurate, with the buds seeing landmarks and signs, or you could find out more information on objects around you.

The only issue is that this has been just rumour and speculation. Until now, that is.

MacRumors has discovered an instructional video clip inside the latest release candidate build of macOS. The short demo shows a man allegedly wearing the new AirPods and being able to "save" a physical book "for later".

We assume that using Visual Intelligence, Siri AI will be able to log that book in a diary or calendar entry so you can be reminded to check it out again when you're free. And while we don't know for sure, maybe this feature can be used to look at a book cover in a store, but then check it out online too when you get home.

This could help you check out alternative prices or buy a digital equivalent. There are plenty of other use cases that could be unlocked too.

According to MacRumors, the AirPods will also inform you if the cameras have been obscured by objects, such as long hair or a hat. It's claimed that you'll receive an alert: "To get the most accurate information about things in your environment, make sure AirPods are not covered," it says.

It's not yet known when the new AirPods will launch, nor what they'll be called. It's believed that they'll look like AirPods Pro and the cameras will be hard to detect.

Apple will undoubtedly host its annual iPhone launch event in early September, so we could find out more then. And with the iPhone Ultra also likely to appear, it could be the most exciting presentation in a few years.

Is Apple launching a new HomePod Mini smart speaker? According to reports from Bloomberg, an Apple HomePod Mini 2 is ‘nearly ready’ and despite Apple neither confirming or denying this statement, it seems many people have started to speculate what it could look and act like.

The original Apple HomePod Mini came out back in 2020. Six years later, we’re more than ready for a new upgrade. With Siri AI recently becoming widely available, many believe that this could lead Apple to release more smart home-related products.

The main rumour we’ve been hearing is the HomePod Mini 2’s potential new chip. As reported by 9to5Mac, the HomePod Mini 2 could upgrade from the S5 chip (which is featured in its current Mini speaker) to the new S9 chip.

Some rumours have speculated that the HomePod Mini 2 could come with a new wireless chip like the N1 that launched in last year’s iPhone. These faster and more advanced chips are expected to allow the HomePod Mini 2 to support Siri AI, making it a better smart home hub, as well as enabling stronger Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Thread connections.

Yet another chip rumour we’re seeing is that the HomePod Mini 2 could also get a new Ultra Wideband chip to make it faster and more accurate. With Siri AI, this could make the HomePod Mini 2 a more interactive and conversational smart speaker, too.

In terms of design, little has been said about what could change, if anything. The HomePod Mini 2 is said to have upgraded audio quality, but nothing has been mentioned regarding changes to the speaker or microphones. Personally, I like the look of the original HomePod Mini, so I could see it at least staying the same size and colour options.

Price and availability has – you guessed it – not been confirmed or even announced. The current HomePod Mini was originally priced at £99 / $99 but it was increased in price to £129 / $129 in June 2026. It’s unknown whether this price change will affect the HomePod Mini 2 and if it’ll be lower, higher or the same price.

If the reports are anything to go by, the HomePod Mini 2 – if it exists – could launch in autumn 2026. Apple’s next event is taking place in September so we could find out more then.

The Apple iPhone X was a huge deal when it launched back in 2017, much like the folding iPhone will be this year if it finally arrives. It marked the 10th anniversary of the iPhone and was the first major design change of that decade, too. It removed the Home Button at the bottom of the screen, for starters.

As a result, the iPhone X was the first iPhone to introduce Face ID, albeit with a notch at the top of the display rather than the neat and tidy Dynamic Island we have today.

What can we thank the iPhone X for?

It also reintroduced a more premium material for the iPhone again, opting for stainless steel over the aluminium frame we had seen on the iPhone 6, 7 and 8.

You could even argue that it was the device responsible for the Pro models we know today. It normalised the idea of a more expensive iPhone alongside the regular options and paved the way for the iPhone 11 Pro, which launched two years later after the iPhone XS.

It's safe to say, then, that the iPhone X wasn’t just any regular iPhone. But despite that, its time is up. Not from a software perspective – that happened back in 2022 with iOS 16 being the last software build to be supported – but from a parts perspective.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple has updated its “Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty” support article, and the iPhone X has been added to the obsolete product list. It was moved from the vintage product list.

That means Apple has discontinued hardware service for it, so service providers can no longer order parts.

Usually, products appear on this list about seven years after they are released. The vintage list of products is said to be for devices between five and seven years old, and while parts are still available to service these, they are limited.

With the iPhone X now coming up to nine years old, it’s had a good run, so it’s not too surprising to see it move to obsolete. It also leaves a great legacy behind, so we look forward to what the 2027 iPhone brings for the twenty-year anniversary.

Let’s just say it has some big shoes to fill.

Apple should soon announce its annual iPhone launch event, currently rumoured to be taking place on 9 September, but there will be one this missing this year – the iPhone 18.

It is widely expected that the next Apple presentation will unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and long-awaited iPhone Ultra. However, we'll more than likely have to wait until early next year for the standard model (as well as an iPhone Air 2).

That will disappoint some, with the price of the iPhone 18 Pro maybe proving too rich for those more budget conscious. Thankfully though, it looks like patience will be rewarded, with at least one industry expert predicting a couple of significant upgrades worth waiting for.

Analyst Jeff Pu has a decent track record of predicting Apple's intentions and he suggests that the iPhone 18 will arrive with Pro-level features.

Big upgrades heading to iPhone 18

According to 9to5Mac, which claims to have seen his latest research notes, there will be a notable change to the Dynamic Island, which will first be seen on the iPhone 18 Pro in the next few weeks.

The 18 Pro is said to be getting a smaller Dynamic Island to cut down on the screen-busting cutout. Its functionality will remain the same, but the pill-shaped black bar will be less obstructive when not in use (such as with the new Siri AI).

In addition, Pu claims the iPhone 18 could come with a healthy RAM boost, even during the global components crisis. He believes it will be upped to 12GB of RAM – 50% more than on the iPhone 17.

That's likely to ensure the phone works well with the new Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features coming with iOS 27 next month. It should also make the device more speedy to use generally.

It would also be a significant differentiator between the iPhone 18 and expected iPhone 18e model also expected early next year. That's tipped for 9GB of RAM.

Another renowned analyst, Ming Chi-Kuo predicted the standard model would come with 9GB, but that never made much sense – why not just buy the 18e in that case?

We'll probably have to wait a bit longer to see how this all pans out, with the iPhone 18, Air 2, and iPhone 18e currently tipped for next spring. However, at least we have Apple's first foldable to keep our attention first.