This Week The Trend (Issue 60)

I'm doing things differently this week. Instead of making three picks at $50, $150, and $500, I'm looking exclusively at Apple's newly announced products. What are the highlights of them? Which ones are the best values? Don't miss the other weekly deals and new products at the bottom.

iPhone 18 Pro: Highlights and value

If you want a new iPhone this year, the iPhone 18 Pro is the de facto choice, for price and form factor reasons. It keeps the same style as the 17 Pro. The most noticeable thing is the new colors: glacier, burgenday, black, and silver.

However, the most notable feature is the new camera with a variable aperture. This is the first time an iPhone has had mechanical parts to vary the light intake. The ability to capture more light is always a good thing for photography. However, I'm a little skeptical that it will make a tremendous difference with such small lenses.

The phone also gets a faster processor, better internal cooling, and the latest Siri AI. Pre-orders open Saturday 9/12.

Value Score: Fair

The base model 18 Pro rose $100 compared to the 17 Pro. The reason that's a good thing is that memory shortages and demand could have pushed that price even higher. Google, Samsung, and others all raised prices too.

Apple Watch Series 12: Highlights and value

Apple Watch as a product line has really stagnated over the last five years. The story isn't much different this year. People interested in the watch as a fitness or health device will find the most benefits with the new Series 12.

It gets a new wrist sensor array to continuously measure heart rate and heart rate variability throughout the day. Previously, the frequent monitoring was regulated to workouts. This extra data feeds into a readiness score which combines all your activity, including sleep, to let you know how your body is actually doing.

Outside of health, the new S11 chip enables Live Rewind and Siri Recap. These features continually listen through the microphone to give you 15-second transcripts (Live Rewind) and summaries of your activities throughout the day (Siri Recap). Creepy? Yes. Useful? To be determined.

Value Score: Fair

All the base models kept the same prices as last year. That's great. Still, it's hard to argue that you should upgrade from last year or even the year before that because the new features are very incremental.

AirPods 5: Highlights and Value

AirPods 5 are the non-Pro, non-tipped wireless earbuds variant. They sit loosely in your ears. There are two models. The base $129 model adds active noise cancellation to dampen sound around you. It has four hours of listening time.

The $149 model adds a wireless charging case, volume controls to the stems, and an extra hour of listening time.

Both models should sound better than AirPods 4, thanks to reworked internals. The ANC performance also comes with an impressive 50% better claim.

Value Score: Great

AirPods might not be the most exciting product, but they are a good value. The base model stayed the same price but added ANC. The model with a wireless charging case actually dropped $30 in price, while adding volume controls and better performance.

Best value: AirPods 5

The AirPods 5 aren't just the best value because they're the cheapest product. But these wireless earbuds actually went down in price compared to the AirPods 4. That's a rarity not just for Apple, but for the tech industry in general in 2026.

Are you looking for even more picks this week? Here are a few things worth considering.

One more thing: iPhone Duo

Apple's folding iPhone Duo comes with a lot of question marks, including how its durability will fare over time. But it also brings a lot of promise and advancement. The outer screen measures 5.4 inches, while the unfolded one is 7.6 inches.

Despite being thin and incorporating two screens, the Duo still gets the latest A20 Pro chip, four cameras, an internal vapor chamber, MagSafe, and water and dust resistance.

It's hard to judge the value of the iPhone Duo six weeks before it ships. However, its $1,999 starting price is only $100 more than Samsung's Z Fold8 phone of the same shape and size. The iPhone Duo goes on sale October 16.

Media pick: You Can See Everything

This documentary teaser about Elizabeth Holmes from Nathan Fielder is only 77 seconds long, but it still rivals any horror scene out there. You Can See Everything will be out in theaters in October—apparently timed for Halloween.

This week's other interesting deals and product news

• Xteink X4 Pro, the 4.3-inch e-reader with a light and touchscreen, is now available through Amazon.
• Elegoo's newest 3D printer, Centauri Carbon 2 Combo, is on sale for $370 through the company's website, or $400 on Amazon.
• Soundcore's tiny Select 4 Go speaker is down to $21.99, which is 37% off.
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time game for Switch 2 is $10 off the pre-order.
• Yoto just launched new Mini 4 and Player 4 speakers. Among other tweaks, the new devices add a favorites button so kids can save the stories and music they like.

This week's published stories

• Review of Ugreen's liquid-cooled power bank [Yahoo]
• Upgrading to iOS 27? Try these 2 things first [Yahoo]
• I tried moving my data, security camera, and AI into my home [Yahoo]
• Small phone lovers should consider the iPhone Duo [Yahoo]
• iPhone Duo is for small phone lovers [YouTube]

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