3 Apple devices you definitely shouldn't buy this month (and 10 to get instead)

It’s been a busy few weeks for Apple, and a busy time for the wallets and purses of Apple fans. We didn’t get an updated iPhone SE, but we did get the brand-new iPhone 16e, Apple’s newest “budget” handset. Apple’s decision to include “16” in the name of the new affordable economy line suggests yearly updates from now on (otherwise, that 16 is going to look mighty old in a couple of years).

Also: I replaced my iPhone 16 Pro with the 16e for a week – here’s my buying advice now

But wait, there’s more! The iPad and iPad Air received a much-needed update, with the former getting the A16 chip and starting with 128GB of storage, while the latter gets the M3 chip and also starts with 128GB of storage. Both are available for pre-order and will begin shipping this week.

But wait, there’s even more! The 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air receive an upgrade to the M4 chip, while the pro-oriented Mac Studio receives an M4 Max and M3 Ultra upgrade.

This is quite the update for Apple, and it refreshes much of the lineup on offer.

Tariffs and trade wars

The biggest elephant in the room right now is tariffs. While the trade war between the US, Canada, and Mexico seems to oscillate between being on and off (keeping in mind that Canada ranks fourth in Apple markets by revenue share, behind the United States, Japan, and China), it’s very much ongoing where China is concerned.

Also: Is this the end of multi-year AppleCare+ plans? What’s replacing them and why

When asked about any potential tariff impacts during Apple’s last earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook had this to say: “We are monitoring the situation and don’t have anything more to add than that.”

It’s unclear what effect this will have on prices (both overall and specific to Apple), but since the smart money is betting that costs are unlikely to fall, given the uncertainty, it might be better to make your Apple purchases now rather than later.

Future Apple product launches (near and far)

1. Apple TV

It’s coming; we’re just not sure when! It’s rumored to make use of Apple’s new networking chip, adding support for Wi-Fi 6E, and will be powered by the A15 chip, which opens the door to Apple Intelligence features.

2. AirTag update

The new AirTags are expected to use a new Ultra Wideband chip, bringing improved range and accuracy. Apparently, the speaker will also be more difficult to disable, serving as a countermeasure to prevent tags from being used to stalk people. Given how trivial it is to modify AirTags, and how you can even buy them already modified, this will be a welcomed change.

3. Hypertension Detection for Apple Watch

The Apple Watch can already do a lot, uncovering hidden medical conditions such as atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea. Adding the ability to detect high blood pressure would reinforce its place as a personal, wrist-mounted physician.

Also: Your next Apple Watch or smart ring could have a feature that transforms healthcare

Now, let’s look at Apple tech that you might want to wait on.

The ‘Naughty’ list

Give these Apple devices a hard pass:

• Apple TV: Last updated in October 2022, this device is due for a refresh. When? Rumors suggest a fourth-gen Apple TV 4K will be announced during the first half of this year.
• HomePod Mini: Released in October 2020, this is officially Apple’s oldest product. While there’s nothing wrong with it technically, it’s hard to recommend dropping full price for such old hardware.
• Vision Pro: It’s hard to bet against Apple, and it’s difficult to put something with so much potential on the naughty list, but if the rumors are true that Apple has pulled the plug on production because sales have slumped, it’s hard to have faith in the product. I’d hold out and see what Apple has planned.

The ‘Nice’ list 

1. iPad Air

The newly refreshed iPad Air is kitted out with the M3 chip, and prices start at $599 for the 11-inch version and $799 for the 13-inch version.

2. MacBook Air

Both the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops get an upgrade to the 10-core CPU/10-core GPU M4 processor and also see battery life boosted to as much as 18 hours. Prices start at $999, but throw enough upgrades at the system, and you can get it up to $2,399.

3. Mac Studio

Apple’s pro-grade alternative to the Mac Mini gets a serious processing boost, with the M4 Max and the M3 chips offered in a range of configurations. Prices start at $1,999, but can go as high as $14,099 for a fully tricked-out system.

4. Apple iMac

The iMac got a refresh to bring it up to speed with Apple Intelligence. With specs ranging from 8 CPU and GPU cores, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage priced at $1,299, all the way up to 10 CPU and GPU cores, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,899, there’s an iMac to suit most workloads and budgets.

5. Apple Mac Mini

Apple’s smallest Mac got an upgrade to the M4 and M4 Pro processors. It’s also the cheapest Mac you can buy, as a Mac Mini with the 10-core CPU and GPU model, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage costing only $599.

6. Apple iPad Mini

The all-new 2024 iPad Mini replaced the three-year-old model with one powered by an A17 Pro chip that’s Apple Intelligence-ready and comes in a range of colors (blue, purple, starlight, and space gray) and storage capacities (128GB, 256GB, and 512GB) to suit everyone. Prices range from $499 to $799.

7. Apple iPhone 16

From a Camera Control button, an Action button, and the new A18 chipset, the iPhone 16 has been built from the ground up to handle AI workloads.

8. Apple Watch Series 10

The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399 for GPS and $499 for cellular. It comes in three colors: jet black, rose gold, and silver aluminum. The new black Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at $799.

9. Apple M4 MacBook Pro

Need a Mac that combines portability with power? You need a MacBook Pro.

Also: Is your iPhone rebooting after being inactive? It’s a feature, not a bug

But it’s less a case of how fast a laptop you need and more a case of how much you want to spend. With prices for the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro starting at $1,599, and the 16-inch version starting at $900 more (and going all the way up to a whopping $7,349 for the 40-core, 128GB RAM, 8TB storage behemoth), these systems represent some serious processing power, but power that comes at a price.

10. Apple AirTag

Apple’s AirTags are the perfect gift for someone who constantly loses things. You can add them to your luggage, attach them to your bike, your remote, or even your moving boxes — the possibilities are endless.

Also: How to find out if an AirTag is tracking you

Well-made, robust, and with a replaceable battery, these will make misplaced keys or lost wallets things of the past.

What is Apple Intelligence?

Apple Intelligence — technology that leverages the processing power of Apple silicon to understand and generate language, providing personalized assistance and insights — has been driving the latest wave of Apple hardware upgrades, with the new iMac and new Mac Mini joining the new iPad Mini, the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro and a swath of newer products that are being promoted as the hardware to buy if you want access to Apple’s vision for AI.

Older hardware offers access to some of the features, but the experience will be somewhat patchy.

What’s happening with Vision Pro?

It’s been a year since the release of the Vision Pro, and it hasn’t been the success that Apple — and many pundits — expected it to be. While the hardware itself has benefitted from numerous software updates, sales have been lackluster. After all, it doesn’t matter how high-tech and sci-fi something is; a three-and-a-half-thousand-dollar price tag is an impossible barrier for most.

Apple has allegedly discontinued production of Vision Pro headsets because they’re piling up and not selling. That’s not a great sign for the product’s future. Apple is still selling them, but it’s now hard to recommend someone spend thousands of dollars on a product that is on the ropes.

Also: Apple Vision Pro’s killer feature is finally here — and made my $3,500 investment more worth it

This is in addition to rumors suggesting that a cheaper unit — with a more modest $2,000 price tag — would land toward the end of this year, but indications now suggest this has been pushed back to 2027.

But the Vision Pro rumors don’t end there. There are whispers that suggest the Vision Pro will be superseded by the Vision Pro 2, a new headset — sorry, Apple calls it a spatial computer — powered by the M4 chip and Apple Intelligence support.