By Joanna Stern
You know how Punxsutawney Phil turns up every February to tell
you when winter will end? Well, maybe some year I won't turn up in
June to tell you when your iPhone buying season should end.
But this isn't that year.
Regular readers of my column should have the iPhone No-Buy
Rule(TM) committed to memory. Once the leftovers from the Memorial
Day weekend barbecue are gone, it's time to stop phone shopping and
wait until September for the release of Apple's new iPhones.
Last year, I expanded that guidance to other Apple products, and
I'm glad I did. Things are even more nuanced this year.
First, we're right on the heels of an Apple April bonanza, where
the company launched new editions of products ranging from the iMac
to the remote on the Apple TV. Second, earlier this week Apple
kicked off its Worldwide Developers Conference with details about
iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey and WatchOS 8 coming this fall.
The company didn't announce any hardware, but the software news
certainly gave hints of what's to come.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on any and all future
Apple products.
So right now you might want to spend any extra cash on a
superyacht or a fully loaded hotdog at the ball game, or just save
it for the fall. No matter what, consult my Apple-product Do/Don't
Buy list first.
iPhone
The answer is no. No, not even that new purple one. No iPhone
buying right now.
I don't expect a radically new iPhone this fall, something that
triggers what the industry calls a buying super cycle. Last year
Apple completely overhauled the iPhone design and added 5G. That
means this year we'll likely see a few key updates while Apple
keeps the same overall design. Reports point to a screen with a
higher refresh rate and better cameras. Maybe even bigger
batteries. (A while back, I suggested looking at the latest Samsung
phone for some signs of what's in store.)
If you don't care about the cutting edge, why can't you just buy
an older model now? $100, that's why. Historically, Apple drops the
price on popular models as they age out. Last October, the iPhone
11 dropped from $699 to $599 and the XR dropped from $599 to $499.
Sometimes the price drop is even bigger.
Plus, iOS 15, due in about three months, will come free to all
iPhones that currently run iOS (iPhone 6S and later). The new
FaceTime, notification, messaging and weather features might be
enough to make your current iPhone feel fresh and new.
AirPods
It's been 1,000 years -- in Apple years (which are like dog
years, only shorter) -- since the entry-level white ear sticks have
been updated. That seems to be set to change this fall. The next
earbuds are expected to have shorter stems, a new case and improved
fitness-tracking features, according to a Bloomberg report.
Plus, Apple said that iOS 15 will make the AirPods Pro and
AirPods Max easier to find if they are lost. Like AirTags, they
will work with Apple's Find My network and have better alarms to
help locate them if they are lost nearby. Noticeably absent were
the regular AirPods -- more evidence that they are outdated.
What about the AirPods Pro released in late 2019? Those fall
into the proceed-with-caution zone. That same Bloomberg report says
a new version is in the works but might not arrive until 2022.
If you're looking for bigger noise-canceling headphones, you're
fine with the AirPods Max. Those were released last December and
aren't likely to be refreshed soon. But do you really want to spend
over $500? I'd recommend $300 Sonys instead.
Apple Watch
Apple Watches don't get redesigns very often: In fact, it's only
been redesigned once in a big way since its launch, and that was
with the Series 4 in 2018. We're due for one in the next year or
two, and noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reported that it's in
the works for this year.
Various reports say the next watch could have some new
health-tracking features, including glucose monitoring.
Either way, I'd wait until the fall, if only for the price
drops. Last year, Apple confused things by introducing two models,
the $399 Series 6 and the $279 SE, while dropping the Series 3
price to $199. I even preferred the SE to the 6: most of the
features, $120 less. Apple will likely tweak the lineup again,
bringing the newer watches to lower price points.
iPad
You're good to go on the iPads -- the regular-size ones, anyway.
In April, the iPad Pro got a new screen, M1 processor and some new
webcam tricks. The iPad Air was significantly improved last October
with a new design, including a fingerprint scanner in the edge.
All of those models and more will also get iPadOS 15 in the
fall. I'm excited for the new multitasking controls, which no
longer require some sort of "Parent Trap"-like secret handshake to
place two apps side by side. The new home-screen layout and Quick
Notes look cool, too.
One iPad that you should absolutely not buy? The Mini. Last
upgraded -- minimally -- in 2019, it's overdue for a real
rejuvenation.
iMac
OK, pay close attention, Mac buyers. Lots of nuance ahead.
If you want a beautiful and fast iMac, the new 24-inch iMac,
powered by Apple's M1 chip, gets the green light. I just reviewed
it and have loved working on it for the past month.
If you want a replacement to the current 27-inch iMac --
something with a bigger screen and more power -- hold off.
Bloomberg and others report that Apple is working on a chip that's
even faster than Apple's current M1, and that it will be in this
new machine, possibly with an even larger display.
MacBook Air and Pro
That brings us to the laptops. Apple kept the design of the
MacBook Pro and MacBook Air but swapped Intel chips for its own M1
chips last November -- making them virtually the best laptops out
there. They're fast, but run cool and quiet.
Yet they're expected to get even better this fall -- at least
the MacBook Pro is. Reports from Bloomberg, Taiwan's DigiTimes and
Mr. Kuo say that Apple is readying Pro laptops with 14- and 16-inch
screens, powered by that faster chip. The update sounds big: new
designs plus the return of MagSafe charging and other ports,
including my favorite, an SD card slot. Also, you can probably say
goodbye to the mostly pointless Touch Bar.
If you really need a laptop for back-to-school season, I'd opt
for the cheapest Air.
Apple TV
If you need a new streaming box and aren't tempted by a more
affordable Roku, Chromecast or Amazon Fire stick, Apple just
refreshed the $179 Apple TV 4K with a faster processor and new Siri
remote.
If your Apple TV is fine, however, and you just want to stop the
pain and suffering caused by the old remote, the new one, sold
separately for $59, is the must-have upgrade of the year. It's
bigger (so it no longer lives in the couch cushions) and it has a
touch-enabled click pad at the top (so you can tell which end is
up).
Speaking of media devices, Apple's $100 HomePod Mini is also
safe right now.
As I say every year, if your current gadgets are on their last
legs, look to repair what's broken, or find a deal wherever you
can. Don't pay full price! And just know that in the years to come,
like Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day," I'll be back saying the same
thing, over and over and over again.
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Write to Joanna Stern at joanna.stern@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 09, 2021 08:14 ET (12:14 GMT)
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