Thread by @wirecutter

Apple announced four new iPhones, three new Apple Watches, and new AirPods at today’s #AppleEvent 👀

Here’s a high-level overview of what to look forward to 🧵

To kick things off, Apple introduced three new versions of the Apple Watch: The Series 8, SE, and the brand new Ultra.

Some of the Series 8’s most notable new features include vehicle crash detection capabilities, a new low power mode to help extend its battery life, and ovulation tracking through temperature sensing.

Then, there’s the completely new Apple Watch Ultra, which the company claims is “the most rugged and capable Apple Watch ever.”

We’re not so sure it’s worth the hype 🤨

The Ultra is designed to appeal to the outdoorsy type: It has a raised lip around the screen to avoid impact damage, a new battery saving mode that could allow for up to 60 hours of use, a redesigned compass app, and a “backtrack” feature that relies on GPS breadcrumbing.

Our writer @davegershgorn's verdict on the Ultra: It’s better than most smartwatches, but compared to other extreme sport or expedition-grade smartwatches, it “looks meh.”

And honestly, we’d say the same about the second-generation AirPods Pro.

@davegershgorn Our @LaurenDragan described the new AirPods Pro as a smaller step forward than we’d hoped for. The battery life is a disappointing 6 hours, and the overall design is largely unchanged from previous versions.

@davegershgorn @LaurenDragan We like the idea of the case that can charge using the Apple watch cable, and the fact that Apple added volume controls to the AirPods is nice—although years behind the competition.

@davegershgorn @LaurenDragan Apple also claims to have improved the active noise canceling and isolation in the latest AirPods Pro model, but we’ll need to run tests to find out how true that is.

@davegershgorn @LaurenDragan The $250 price range seems steep to us based on specs alone, especially considering that we recommend less expensive earbuds with similar or better features. Unless you’re an AirPods fan who needs to replace your current pair, we recommend holding off on buying the new version.

@davegershgorn @LaurenDragan Now, moving on to the phones. There are four new models: the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus (a larger version of the standard iPhone 14), the iPhone 14 Pro (a pricier, upgraded model), and the iPhone 14 Pro Max (a larger version of the standard Pro).

@davegershgorn @LaurenDragan For the non-Pro models, the improvements from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 14 are primarily in the camera, which introduces a higher resolution sensor and a much faster aperture that will practically result in better pictures in low light.

@davegershgorn @LaurenDragan The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max take that multiple steps farther with a new 48-megapixel main camera, which Apple says should also provide dramatic improvements to images in darker situations.

@davegershgorn @LaurenDragan The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max truly stand out for one particular feature that has us (and seemingly everyone else on Twitter) excited: the Dynamic Island, which one Wirecutter editor called “annoyingly smart.”

@davegershgorn @LaurenDragan The Dynamic Island takes the front-facing camera and depth sensor and moves it down into the screen, surrounding it with a black background in software that transforms to feature various user experiences like active calls and audio playback.

@davegershgorn @LaurenDragan Every iPhone 14 has the same vehicle crash detection capabilities as the new Apple Watches. They also have a new Emergency SOS feature that uses satellite radios to send texts and location data to authorities in the event that you’re lost and outside of cellular or WiFi coverage.

@davegershgorn @LaurenDragan We’ll be updating our relevant guides soon with final verdicts on whether or not these new devices make the cut to become picks, so stay tuned!

Read more about our key takeaways ⬇️ nytimes.com/wirecutter/blo…