4 Apple Devices You Really Shouldn't Buy This Month (and 9 That Are Safe For Now)

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source connected Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The long-awaited iPhone 17 has landed, and nan Air replaces nan Plus.
• Apple Watch besides gets a refresh, pinch nan Series 11, SE 3, and Ultra 3.
• iPhone pricing hints astatine Apple passing connected immoderate of nan tariff costs to consumers.

OK, truthful Apple has had its biggest update of nan year, and nan adjacent procreation of powerhouse gadgets that will propulsion billions of dollars into nan institution has landed. Yes, I'm talking astir nan iPhone 17, which is now available (if you haven't sewage your bid in, nan existent hold for astir models seems to beryllium astir 2 to 3 weeks done Apple), and by now, already successful nan hands of millions.

I'm very impressed by nan artillery life connected my caller iPhone 17 Pro Max, but I'll beryllium treating nan battery successful this 1 a spot differently.

There is besides a caller statement of Apple Watches, including nan Series 11 and moreover a caller Ultra 3, to switch nan now two-year-old Ultra 2. There's an update to nan fund SE line, pinch nan merchandise of nan SE 3, too. The Ultra 3 has replaced my Ultra 2 aft 2 years of difficult service, and I'm really impressed by nan show -- it's brighter, clearer, and overmuch much responsive than nan 1 connected nan older model.

Also: The champion Apple deals correct now: Save connected MacBooks, iPhones, and more

There was a large AirPods Pro upgrade, successful nan shape of nan AirPods Pro 3, arsenic well. I'm blown distant by nan comfort, audio clarity, and improved sound cancellation connected these caller buds.

While each that seems for illustration a large update, location are plentifulness much Apple updates rumored for 2025 and early 2026. These could see a fund iPhone 17e, a caller Apple Vision Pro, an updated Home Hub, a HomePod Mini 2, an Apple TV, a M5 chip-powered iPad Pro, a MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air, and an updated AirTag. That's a lot. 

So, what's safe to bargain now, and what's champion avoided?

The 'don't buy' database

These are nan Apple devices I urge giving a walk for now, arsenic we'll apt spot refreshed versions soon:

• Apple TV: Last updated successful October 2022, this instrumentality is due for a refresh. Rumors propose a fourth-gen Apple TV 4K will beryllium announced earlier nan extremity of nan year.
• iPad Pro: Last updated successful May 2024, this is now good complete nan year-old people pinch nan aforesaid value tag it had connected time one. Pass.
• HomePod Mini: Released successful October 2020, this is officially Apple's oldest product. While there's thing technically incorrect pinch nan device, it's difficult to urge paying afloat value for specified aged hardware, and rumors of an imminent update are circulating.
• Vision Pro: It's difficult to stake against Apple, and it's reliable to put something pinch truthful overmuch potential connected nan naughty list. However, if rumors are existent that Apple will halt production because income person slumped, it's difficult to person religion successful nan product. I'd clasp retired and spot what Apple has planned. Current rumors constituent to a 2026 refresh.

The 'do buy' database

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

1. iPhone 17 bid

The iPhone 17 is now available, sporting a faster A19 and A19 Pro processor, a amended camera, and amended 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 pinch excessively overmuch money, Apple now 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 large camera bulge astatine nan top) iPhone Air, which seems to switch nan iPhone Plus statement and attempts to unify Apple's buzzwords.

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

2. 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). Again, these are successful nan preorder authorities astatine nan clip of writing.

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

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

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

3. AirPods Pro 3

The AirPods Pro 3 get immoderate large upgrades, including improved sound cancellation, amended audio quality, accrued artillery life, and a caller characteristic -- bosom complaint detection. This is an absorbing displacement for Apple since it moves immoderate of nan halfway functionality recovered successful nan Apple Watch to different device.

Also: I replaced my AirPods Max pinch nan AirPods Pro 3 for flights, and it's been a game-changer

Are you excited to get your hands connected nan caller AirPods Pro 3? I am, too, but you could prevention a fewer bucks by waiting until nan Black Friday deals rotation by. They could moreover beryllium connected waste during October Prime Day. Traditionally, this is simply a merchandise that gets discounted. 

Who knows? You mightiness prevention yourself $50.

Jada Jones/ZDNET

4. iPad and iPad Air

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

Apple/ZDNET

5. MacBook Air

Both nan 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops sewage an upgrade successful March 2025 to nan 10-core CPU/10-core GPU M4 processor, and artillery life is boosted to arsenic overmuch arsenic 18 hours. Prices commencement astatine $999, but you tin push nan costs to $2,399 pinch upgrades.

Apple

6. Mac Studio

Apple's pro-grade replacement to nan Mac mini besides saw a superior 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.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

7. iMac

The M4 iMac received a refresh to bring it up to velocity pinch Apple Intelligence successful October 2024. 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.

2024 iMac

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

8. 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, arsenic a Mac Mini pinch nan 10-core CPU and GPU model, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of retention costs only $599.

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

9. 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

Upcoming Apple products to watch

1. M5 Chip

It feels for illustration nan M4 processor successful nan MacBook Pro and MacBook Air is still new. However, nan M5 spot is already connected nan horizon. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman successful nan Power On newsletter, nan M5 will beryllium successful nan MacBook Pro and iPad Pro later this year.

2. Apple TV

It's coming, we're conscionable not judge when. The instrumentality is rumored to usage Apple's caller networking chip, adding support for Wi-Fi 6E, and will beryllium powered by nan A15 chip, opening nan doorway to Apple Intelligence features.

3. AirTag Update

I'm a massive AirTag fan, and since Apple released them, nan marketplace has exploded pinch third-party offerings. While only Apple tin connection precision finding, location are now smaller, thinner, and moreover rechargeable finder tags.

Also: Should you bargain nan iPhone 16 aliases iPhone 17? How to determine which exemplary to buy

The caller AirTags are expected to usage a caller Ultra Wideband chip, which is expected to amended scope and accuracy. Apple is besides allegedly making nan speaker much difficult to disable, a countermeasure to forestall tags from being utilized to stalk people.

Given really easy AirTags tin beryllium modified and really they tin moreover beryllium purchased pre-modified, this update will beryllium a invited change.

Tariff costs and waste and acquisition wars

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

CNET: As Inflation From Trump's Tariffs Looms Large, I'm Watching 11 Key Products for Inflation

According to Apple's July 31 net call, tariffs person costs nan institution astir $800 cardinal for nan past quarter, pinch this fig expected to emergence to $1.1 cardinal for nan existent quarter.

Is Apple shouldering that tariff burden? Maybe not.

Apple has added $100 to nan value of nan iPhone 17 lineup, but tried to make things much opaque by stirring up nan retention capacities. But retention prices are inexpensive -- roughly, nan manufacture mean value is astir $16 for 128GB, and astir $35 for 256GB -- truthful that doesn't relationship for each of nan price. Also, Apple has switched up nan chassis from titanium to aluminum, and titanium is considerably much costly than aluminum, astir 2.5 to 3 times much per lb depending connected nan alloy -- truthful that's 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.

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