3 Apple Devices You Shouldn't Buy This Month, And 10 I Recommend

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The AirTag gets a astonishment update.
• A $999 13-inch MacBook powered by iPhone chips is besides expected soon.
• Sales for nan Vision Pro proceed to beryllium disappointing.

A caller twelvemonth intends a caller rhythm of iPhone, iPads, and AirPods refreshes, not to mention a adjacent fewer Macs and MacBooks. And while nan twelvemonth mightiness still beryllium young, Apple has been busy, already releasing a well-timed update to its Fitness+ subscription service and a astonishment update to AirTags.

The new, updated AirTag looks nan aforesaid (and is nan aforesaid dimensions) arsenic nan aged device, but offers amended precision-finding scope and a speaker that's astir 50% louder.

Also: AirTag 2 vs. AirTag 1: I compared some Bluetooth trackers, and nan victor is not truthful obvious 

So, what other is apt to beryllium happening astatine Apple complete nan coming 12 months? While nan institution is tight-lipped, immoderate things, specified arsenic nan yearly autumn refresh of nan iPhone, are a given, while different suggestions are specified rumors and speculation.

Peering into my crystal ball, I deliberation AI will beryllium a large attraction for Apple this year, arsenic Siri lags down nan competition contempt being installed connected beautiful overmuch each Apple merchandise sold successful nan past fewer years. 

Another point that we are apt to spot this twelvemonth is simply a foldable iPhone. Foldables are still a small, niche market, but different manufacturers are testing nan market. With smartwatches, Apple waited to spot what nan title did and really nan marketplace reacted earlier stepping in. Samsung and Huawei person shown that people are willing successful foldable phones, truthful it's clip for Apple to make its move.

There are besides reasonably reliable indicators that Apple is preparing to merchandise a $999 13-inch MacBook pinch iPhone chips, which will beryllium nan cheapest MacBook to date, and could motorboat successful nan coming weeks.

Also: I put distant my AirTag conscionable minutes aft trying this Bluetooth locator replacement - here's why

Another enigma is Apple's attack to nan Apple Vision Pro headset. Data from tech expert IDC estimated Apple sold 45,000 units successful nan past 4th of 2025. Experts person suggested nan institution has cut backmost advertizing spending for nan $3,500 spatial computer. 

The 'buy astatine your peril' list

While Apple has done a really bully occupation of updating its merchandise lineup complete nan past year, location are still a fewer things that are aged and outdated -- and immoderate are very outdated indeed:

• 13/15-inch MacBook Air: The existing hardware is hitting nan year-old mark, and new, upgraded hardware is successful nan pipeline for early 2026.
• Apple TV 4K: The existent 3rd-generation Apple TV 4K was released successful October 2022, and while it still does nan job, an upgraded type pinch a faster processor, Apple Vision support, and AI support is rumored to get sometime early this year.
• HomePod mini: Think nan existent Apple TV 4K is old? The HomePod mini first deed nan shelves backmost successful October of 2020 -- yes, complete 5 years ago. An update is rumored to onshore successful nan outpouring of this year, and nan instrumentality should get a important performance, networking, and sound-quality upgrade, arsenic good arsenic amended Siri and AI support.

The 'good to buy' database

These Apple devices are worthy buying now, since it'll beryllium a while earlier we spot immoderate further hardware upgrades:

1. AirTag 2

First released successful April 2021, nan AirTags person yet had an updated. While nan updated tags are dimensionally nan aforesaid arsenic nan erstwhile procreation hardware (so they are still compatible pinch each nan third-party worldly retired there), these caller tags do bring immoderate improvements to nan table.

Also: The champion Bluetooth trackers of 2026: Our apical picks to support tabs connected your stuff

First, a 50% louder speaker that makes nan tag overmuch easier to find erstwhile your keys extremity up down nan couch. Also, precision uncovering gets a large region upgrade acknowledgment to nan caller U2 ultrawideband chip. 

Apple AirTag 2.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

2. iPhone 17 bid

The iPhone 17 is now disposable pinch a faster A19 and A19 Pro processor, and improved camera and battery.

Also: Should you upgrade to an iPhone 17 Pro from past year's model? I americium - here's why

The reviews almost constitute themselves by now. For those flush pinch cash, Apple offers nan iPhone 17 Pro Max pinch 2TB of retention for a reassuring $1,999. There's besides a caller iPhone model, nan ultra-thin (well, excluding nan camera bulge astatine nan top) iPhone Air, which seems to switch nan iPhone Plus statement and attempts to unify Apple's buzzwords.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

3. Apple Watch Series 11, SE 3, and Ultra 3

The full statement of Apple Watches has been upgraded, focusing connected wellness metrics, particularly hypertension alerting (a characteristic that's besides coming to older Apple Watches). 

Also: I tried nan Apple Watch Series 11, Watch Ultra 3, and SE - what nan keynote didn't show you

There's an Apple Watch astatine each value point, from $249 for nan SE 3 to $899 for nan Ultra 3 pinch nan neat titanium Milanese band.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

4. AirPods Pro 3

The AirPods Pro 3 received important upgrades, including enhanced sound cancellation, improved audio quality, accrued artillery life, and a caller feature: bosom complaint detection. This was an absorbing displacement for Apple arsenic it moved immoderate halfway functionality successful nan Apple Watch to different device.

Also: With AirPods Pro 3, Apple pulled disconnected thing I thought intolerable successful a brace of earbuds

I've been utilizing nan AirPods Pro 3 since launch, and they're a coagulated betterment connected nan erstwhile release. If your aged AirPods Pro are emotion their age, aliases you want a spot much than nan modular AirPods offer, these buds are a awesome upgrade. 

The AirPods Pro 3.

Jada Jones/ZDNET

5. iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro

The iPad Air, kitted retired pinch nan M3 chip, received a refresh successful March 2025. Prices commencement astatine $599 for nan 11-inch type and $799 for nan 13-inch version. At nan aforesaid time, nan iPad besides sewage a capacity boost, acknowledgment to nan A16 chip. Prices for this tablet commencement astatine $350.

Also: The 5 champion iPads of 2026: We've tested each iPad disposable - these are nan champion ones

Updated M5-powered iPad Pro tablets besides landed precocious past year, pinch prices starting astatine $999 for nan 11-inch exemplary and $1,299 for nan 13-inch model.

The iPad Air (2025).

Apple/ZDNET

6. MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro line sewage a somewhat confusing refresh precocious past year. A caller 14-inch guidelines exemplary received nan M5 treatment, while higher-end 14- and 16-inch models instrumentality pinch nan M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. The 14-inch M5 exemplary starts astatine $1,599 and is disposable for preorder now.

Also: I compared nan M5 MacBook Pro to older Mac models - here's my buying proposal successful 2025

The MacBook Pro M5. 

Apple

7. Mac Studio

Apple's pro-grade replacement to nan Mac mini besides saw a processing boost successful March 2025, pinch nan M4 Max and M3 Ultra offered successful a scope of configurations. Prices commencement astatine $1,999, but tin scope $14,099 for a afloat tricked-out system.

Also: I replaced my Windows PC pinch a Mac Studio for a week - present are my takeaways truthful far

The Mac Studio.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

8. iMac

In October 2024, nan M4 iMac received a refresh to bring it up to velocity pinch Apple Intelligence. With specs ranging from an eight-core CPU and GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of retention priced astatine $1,299, each nan measurement up to a 10-core CPU and GPU, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of retention for $1,899, there's an iMac to suit astir workloads and budgets.

The 2024 iMac.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

9. Mac Mini

Apple's smallest Mac sewage an upgrade successful October 2024 to nan M4 and M4 Pro processors. It's besides nan cheapest Mac you tin buy. A Mac Mini pinch nan 10-core CPU and GPU model, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of retention costs only $599.

Apple Mac Mini.

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

10. iPad Mini

The 2024 iPad Mini was introduced successful October 2024, replacing nan three-year-old exemplary pinch 1 powered by an A17 Pro spot that's Apple Intelligence-ready. The instrumentality comes successful a scope of colors -- blue, purple, starlight, and abstraction grey -- and aggregate retention capacities -- 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. Prices scope from $499 to $799.

2024 iPad Mini.

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

Tariff costs, waste and acquisition wars, and costs reductions

Tariffs still predominate nan news. One infinitesimal they're on. Next, they're off, and past they're connected again, pinch a database of ifs, buts, and exceptions that whitethorn aliases whitethorn not instrumentality around.

According to Apple's July 31 net call, tariffs costs nan institution astir $800 cardinal for nan erstwhile 4th and an further $1.1 cardinal for nan pursuing quarter.

Also: 8 ways to get much iPhone retention coming - and astir are free

So, is Apple absorbing that tariff burden? Maybe not.

Apple added $100 to nan value of nan iPhone 17 lineup, but made things much opaque by changing nan retention capacities. However, retention prices are low. Roughly, nan manufacture mean value is astir $16 for 128GB and astir $35 for 256GB -- truthful that doesn't relationship for each nan value rise. 

Apple besides switched nan chassis from titanium to aluminum. Titanium is considerably much costly than aluminum, astir 2.5 to 3 times much per pound, depending connected nan alloy, which is rather a redeeming for a institution making millions of iPhones.

So, is Apple swallowing nan tariff costs? I'd opportunity no, nan user is paying, but they don't announcement it.

Looking for nan adjacent champion product? Get master reviews and editor favorites pinch ZDNET Recommends.