September Apple Event: What to Buy, What to Skip

As a tech enthusiast, pretty colors, performance and gimmicks are the key to my heart. The new Apple lineup delivers exactly that.

I have been an Apple fanboy since the release of the iPhone SE. It was my first phone and the product that made me appreciate Apple’s care for its product. While pricey, it is undeniable that Apple is leading the personal electronics sector in technology. Every year, Apple releases new tech in its September Event. Let’s go through what was released in this year’s event, discuss what I recommend to buy and more importantly what to skip.

Several products were released at the September 2024 Apple Event, such as: AirPods 4, Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPod Max, and the long-awaited iPhone 16 models. 

AirPods 4

Apple’s AirPods got multiple upgrades with the new Airpods 4. The battery life can last up to 30 hours with a newly designed, more compact charging case. While this is equivalent to AirPods 3 benchmarks, this new generation is expected to last even longer because of the long-awaited H2 chip. 

With the H2, the AirPods 4 are perfectly set to handle Apple Intelligence. Apple’s foray into artificial intelligence will create a new audio experience with features such as voice isolation for phone calls and Siri interactions allowing users to use head movements to respond to notifications and announcements. The chip also makes the AirPods great for gaming due to low audio delay and improved voice quality.

The updates extend past the insides. AirPods 4 boast a design unmatched in comfort with the same open-ear form factor as the AirPods 3. The lack of eartips is great for users with smaller ears who might find the eartips of the AirPod Pros uncomfortable. 

According to Apple, the design was built with “an unparalleled data set that uses advanced modeling tools, like 3D photogrammetry and laser topography, to precisely map and analyze thousands of ear shapes and over 50 million individual data points in total.” Put simply, Apple used an extremely large dataset to create a model that would be most comfortable for users – resulting in the AirPods 4 design.

AirPods Max 2

The AirPods Max have been a disappointment since launch in 2020. The case provided little protection, required a lightning cable, and the weight made them uncomfortable to wear. The Airpods Max 2 solves only one of these issues, and not by choice.

In 2022, the European Union mandated that all devices must include USB-C charging ports by 2024. This is what pressured Apple to switch all its handheld devices to USB-C charging. The E.U. only forced 2025 iPhones to be USB-C starting in 2025, but Apple started making the switch two years early.

While convenient, this is a problem for the AirPod Max 2. Because not much else is changing, the AirPod Max 2 feels too similar to the previous generation. They got three confirmed changes: five new color options, USB-C charging, and support for personalized spatial audio with the upcoming iOS 18 update. While there has been speculation the AirPod Max 2 will include the H2 chip and new features alongside Apple Intelligence, nothing was confirmed during the event. 

Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 10

Compared to the AirPods improvements, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 10 reveals were lackluster. 

The only physical improvements coming with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 are a slightly brighter display, action button, slightly improved battery life, and a new Black Titanium body. While the Black Titanium is beautiful, I cannot justify paying nearly a thousand dollars for it. 

The Apple Watch Series 10 had an even worse showing. While the watch is powered by the new S10 SiP,  Apple left off comparisons to the S9. Considering that Apple always provides benchmarks with their new chipsets (as it did with the iPhone 16 A18 chipset at the 46 minute mark), I suspect that this is because the improvements are not substantial enough to justify a starting price of $399.

WatchOS 11 tagged along the two new smartwatches and was equally as disappointing. There were multiple small

quality of life updates such as a more customizable Activity Ring, a new “Vitals” app that displays all your health information in one place, and a new sleep apnea detection feature. However, I can’t foresee any of these features motivating customers to purchase the new watches nor can I recommend that they do so.Until there’s a better reason, skip the watches this year. Keep your old one or buy a previous generation.

iPhone 16 and 16 Pro

Customers have felt  like the iPhones are making fewer notable jumps between each generation. It appears Apple has noticed. The event included announcements about much-needed improvements to the company’s flagship product. 

A surprise new to everyone, the Ceramic Shield covering the front of the phone has been upgraded. According to Apple, the iPhone 16 Ceramic Shield has “an advanced formulation that is 50 percent tougher than the first generation and two times tougher than glass on any other smartphone.” 

Additionally, some iPhone 15 users experienced severe thermal issues resulting in overheating that had to be corrected via software update. To prevent this, the new design, “allow for an even larger battery and better dissipate heat, while making battery service easier. With the new internal design and advanced power management of iOS 18, the batteries are optimized to offer a big boost in battery life.”

Both phones boast 27 hours of video playback (22 hours with the base model) and a whopping 33 hours with the Pro Max – a two hour increase from the iPhone 14 and one hour from the iPhone 15. This could be a significant driver for consumers to get the new phones. In a 2021 poll from BlinkAI, 73% of respondents said longer battery life as the most enticing reason to purchase a new smartphone.

On the inside, the new A18/18 Pro chips, the iPhone 16 models are expected to be between 15-30% faster than their predecessors. This makes them more adept at handling the upcoming Apple Intelligence features that will be deeply integrated into iOS 18. 

Apple Intelligence will include

• New Writing Tools: Apple claims that “With enhanced language capabilities, you can summarize an entire lecture in seconds, get the short version of a long group thread, and minimize unnecessary distractions with prioritized notifications.” This will be a much-needed improvement for students who use their devices to take notes as the current Notes app is lackluster in features.

• Image Generation: Apple Intelligence also aims to help users express themselves visually. With the Image Wand, users can sketch something and it will turn into what Apple calls a “related image.” It also allows users to create custom emojis – or Genmojis. Apple says users will be able to create emojis and images based on descriptions, suggested concepts or even a person from their Photo library.

• Siri: With Apple Intelligence, Siri will learn about user devices through settings, take action in apps, and be equipped with “awareness of your personal context,” meaning Siri will remember previous conversations and learn from them.  The virtual assistant will have enhanced language understanding and users will be able to type to Siri directly.

While there were some disappointments in this year’s launch, Apple has delivered some of the best tech in recent years. Users should be particularly excited about the new AirPods 4 and iPhone 16/16 Pro whilst probably skipping the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPod Max 2. 

Watch the event on Apple’s youtube account. All devices available for pre-order at Best Buy and Apple.