An Apple event can only cover so much. Some of the most useful details turn up in the product pages, technical specifications, footnotes, and summary slides after the presentation ends. We’ve collected our favorite smaller changes from yesterday’s Surprise and Shine event below:

iPhone Duo

• In the hands-on area after Apple’s event, Ben Bajarin reported that the Duo’s hinge crease is barely noticeable, except at specific angles.
• David Imel was impressed by the matte finish on the Duo.
• iJustine has an excellent video showing off multitasking using both the outer and inner screen of the Duo.
• Apple has released a six-video playlist on YouTube and in the Apple Developer app called “Get ready for iPhone Duo” to help get designers up to speed with the phone’s new format. The Human Interface Guidelines have been updated too.
• The vertical strip along the side of the Duo uses App Control icons for what would be tab bars and nav bars on other devices.
• For developers, Apple has released five tech talk videos in the Apple Developer app, including “Raise the bar with iPhone Duo.” Additional materials, workshops, and the Xcode 27.1 beta are coming later this month.
• Continuous Angle API lets developers receive ongoing updates about the Duo’s hinge angle to power interactive effects.
• Developers who don’t update for the iPhone Duo may have their apps letterboxed.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

• The iPhone 18 Pro supports Adjustable Voltage Supply, which works with Apple’s 40W Dynamic Power Adapter.
• The A20 Pro uses Super cores like Apple’s M6 chip and shares its dual Neural Engine architecture.
• iPhone Handoff, which lets you move one phone number between two iPhones, changes your Find My location to the receiving phone and can only be turned off with the help of your carrier.
• The iOS 27 Camera app adds a customizable controls toolbar.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4

• Apple published a study that compares its new Apple Watch Series 12 to other wearables, and the results are impressive.
• Your Readiness score changes during the day, adjusting based on workouts and changes in your daytime vitals.
• Audio Intelligence requires more than just a new Apple Watch. Features like Live Rewind and Siri Recap won’t work with the iPhone 16e or iPhone 15 Pro models even though those iPhones support Apple Intelligence.
• Unsaved Siri Recaps are automatically deleted after seven days, and unless saved, Live Rewind transcripts disappear around 30 seconds after your Watch’s screen dims. Siri Recaps can be edited and exported to other apps like Notes.

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You can follow all of our September 2026 Apple event coverage through our September 2026 Apple Event hub or subscribe to the dedicated September 2026 Apple event RSS feed.

Apple’s hardware announcements usually bring a wave of smaller additions to the Apple Store. We’ve gone through the new cases, straps, wallets, and Apple Watch bands introduced alongside today’s products and collected the details below.

iPhone cases and accessories

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max cases

Apple announced new silicone and TechWoven cases for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The silicone case is $49 in the U.S. and comes in Burgundy, Olive, Crisp Blue, Navy Blue, Magenta, and Black. The TechWoven case is $59 in the U.S. and comes in Burgundy, Olive, Taupe, Chambray Blue, Mulberry, and Black. Apple is also offering a clear case for $49 in the U.S.

• iPhone 18 Pro Silicone Case with MagSafe
• iPhone 18 Pro TechWoven Case with MagSafe
• iPhone 18 Pro Max Silicone Case with MagSafe
• iPhone 18 Pro Max TechWoven Case with MagSafe
• iPhone 18 Pro Clear Case with MagSafe
• iPhone 18 Pro Max Clear Case with MagSafe

iPhone Duo cases

Apple announced two cases for the upcoming iPhone Duo. The first is simply called the iPhone Duo Case. It will cost $79 in the U.S. and comes in Sand and Navy Blue. The second is the iPhone Duo Folio with Kickstand, which comes in Taupe and Navy Blue for $129 in the U.S. Its built-in stand snaps back into place when not in use.

• iPhone Duo Case
• iPhone Duo Folio with Kickstand

iPhone Wrist and Crossbody Straps

Apple’s Wrist Strap and Crossbody Strap are available in a variety of colors and attach to select Apple iPhone cases. The Wrist Strap is $29 in the U.S. and comes in Burgundy, Olive, Crisp Blue, Taupe, Magenta, and Black. The Crossbody Strap is $59 in the U.S. and comes in Burgundy, Olive, Crisp Blue, Navy Blue, Taupe, Magenta, Light Gray, Black, and Sand.

• Wrist Strap
• Crossbody Strap

FineWoven Wallet

Apple has also refreshed its iPhone FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe. It costs $59 in the U.S. and comes in Dark Olive, Burgundy, Wildflower Blue, Magenta, Navy, and Black.

• FineWoven Wallet

Apple Watch bands

Apple’s latest band lineup includes new colors and styles across Apple, Nike, and Hermès models. Note that for some bands, the accompanying image only includes representative colors and not all available colors.

Apple and Nike bands

Sport Band

Colors: Black, Burgundy, Magenta, Navy Blue, Olive, Pale Succulent, Sand, Wildflower Blue
Price: $49 (U.S.)

Sport Loop

Colors: Burgundy, Burgundy Plaid, Chambray Blue, Light Umber Plaid, Limestone, Magenta, Olive
Price: $49 (U.S.)

Milanese Loop

Colors: Dark Bronze, Natural, Radiant Gold
Price: $99 (U.S.)

Link Bracelet

Colors: Natural, Radiant Gold
Price: $349 (U.S.)

Nike Sport Band

Colors: After Dark Black, Chalk Calm, Essential White, Green Spark, Pavement Grey
Price: $49 (U.S.)

Nike Sport Loop

Colors: After Dark Black, Chalk Calm, Essential White, Green Spark, Pavement Grey
Price: $49 (U.S.)

Solo Loop

Colors: Burgundy, Navy Blue, Olive, Wildflower Blue
Price: $49 (U.S.)

Braided Solo Loop

Colors: Black, Burgundy, Magenta, Navy Blue, Olive, Wildflower Blue
Price: $99 (U.S.)

Modern Buckle

Colors: Camel, Mulberry, Navy Blue, Sage
Price: $199 (U.S.)

Magnetic Link

Colors: Burgundy, Camel, Midnight, Wildflower Blue
Price: $99 (U.S.)

Apple Watch Ultra bands

Alpine Loop

Colors: Burgundy, Dark Olive, Desert
Price: $99 (U.S.)

Trail Loop

Colors: Burgundy, Dark Umber, Sand
Price: $99 (U.S.)

Ocean Band

Colors: Translucent Black, Translucent Gray, Translucent Kelp
Price: $99 (U.S.)

Hermès bands

Hermès En Mer

Colors: Argile, Bleu Nuit, Bordeaux, Orange
Price: $549 (U.S.)

Hermès Scub’H Diving

Colors: Bleu De Malte, Gris Titane, Vert Vertigo
Price: $549 (U.S.)

Hermès Rocabar Club

Colors: Bleu Nuit/Bleu Brighton, Bleu Nuit/Gris Titane, Bleu Nuit/Orange, Bleu Nuit/Vert
Price: $499 (U.S.)

Hermès Satin Clou de Selle

Colors: Noir
Price: $499 (U.S.)

Hermès Kilim Single Tour

Colors: Bleu De Malte, Béton, Cuivre
Price: $499 (U.S.)

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You can follow all of our September 2026 Apple event coverage through our September 2026 Apple Event hub or subscribe to the dedicated September 2026 Apple event RSS feed.

Two years after bringing noise cancellation to its open-ear AirPods models, Apple is back with AirPods 5. Announced at today’s Surprise and Shine event, the new earbuds offer two models, both with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). For those who prefer AirPods’ fit and the design without silicone ear tips, here’s what’s changed.

The biggest surprise is that both models of the new AirPods 5 feature ANC. When the AirPods 4 debuted, they were $129 for the model with no ANC and $179 for the model that included noise cancellation. Today’s update puts ANC in both models and retains the lower model’s $129 price tag. The second model is $20 more, which buys you a wireless charging case and slightly longer battery life.

According to Apple, the AirPods 5 feature a new acoustic architecture that eliminates up to 50% more external noise than the AirPods 4 with ANC. Transparency mode and Adaptive EQ have been improved, too.

As for that extended battery life on the more expensive model? Apple says you’ll get an additional hour of ANC listening, extending the battery life from four to five hours. With additional charges from the case, Apple claims up to 22 hours of listening with ANC enabled on the $149 model, compared to 20 hours on the $129 model.

The more expensive model also adds volume control to the stem of the AirPods 5, which wasn’t available in either model of the AirPods 4, and the case includes a speaker that works with Find My. Both models have been rated for better water resistance at IP57 compared to the AirPods 4’s IP54 rating.

I’m glad to see both models of the AirPods 5 support ANC and that Apple held the price on the base model. I think $20 for wireless charging, better battery life, and the other advantages of the top model is a great deal too. I’m not going to trade in my AirPods Pro, but the AirPods 5 are a good deal that I expect will sell fast during the winter holiday season.

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You can follow all of our September 2026 Apple event coverage through our September 2026 Apple Event hub or subscribe to the dedicated September 2026 Apple event RSS feed.

At today’s Surprise and Shine event, Apple introduced the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. Both models build on the devices’ existing designs, adding new health and fitness features as well as what Apple calls Audio Intelligence. The star of the Apple Watch show that powers those features on both models is the brand-new S11 chip. Let’s dig into the details of what the new chip and improved sensors means to both models.

Apple Watch Series 12

The new Apple Watch Series 12 comes in 42 and 46mm sizes and is equipped with the new S11 chip. Apple says that enables the device to take sixty times the heart rate measurements and 24x HRV readings compared to the Series 11 Watch. More heart rate measurements and HRV readings mean more accurate and meaningful readings; in fact, better than any other wearable on the market, according to Apple. Apple says step tracking is more accurate, too.

The Series 12 has improved sensors, too. There’s a larger, more power-efficient green LED array for measuring your heart rate every five seconds and a Secure Exclave for processing audio privately and securely. On the outside, the Series 12 features Ceramic Shield 2, making it tougher than the Series 11. The case is now IP6X rated for dust and can be used to six meters of depth. Plus, the battery is rated to last 24 hours during normal use and a 15-minute charge will power it sufficiently to last 12 hours.

HRV readings have been added to your overnight vitals statistics to provide a more complete picture of your health, and Apple has added daytime vitals which you can track during the day. The new health sensing features also enable Readiness, a daily score that uses your vitals to give you a sense of whether your body is ready for a big workout or whether you should take it easy.

The Series 12 comes in a wide array of finishes, too, including aluminum, titanium, and ceramic. The aluminum model comes in Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, and Space Gray. Titanium is polished and comes in Radiant Gold and Natural. Finally, Ceramic comes in Pearl White and Night Blue. Aluminum models start at $399, titanium at $699, and ceramic at $899. It’s great to see so many different choices and styles. We’ll have a separate story that covers Apple Watch bands and other accessories on the site soon.

With the richer data delivered by the S11 chip that powers Apple’s new Health Sensing System, the company revealed a wide variety of new software features, including:

• Live Rewind, which with a double press of the Digital Crown displays a transcript of the last 15 seconds of a conversation, allowing you to see what was spoken as text. The feature plays a chime and shows an animation when it’s activated.
• Siri Recap, which can be activated at all times, on a schedule, or on demand via Control Center and produces a summary of conversations.
• Sound recognition using on-device intelligence to detect alarms, a baby crying, sirens, and other sounds.
• Automatic song detection with Shazam.

It’s worth noting that Siri Recap and Live Rewind won’t be available until later this year.

The Series 12 looks to be a big step forward for the Apple Watch. Some years in the past have been hardware-focused, while others have leaned into new watchOS features. This year, users get both in what appear to be meaningful measures, which is great.

Apple Watch Ultra 4

Personally, I’m even more excited for the Apple Watch Ultra 4, which starts at $799. I love its battery life, which is getting even better this year, as well as the fitness features. The Ultra 4’s color options are far more limited than finishes available with the Series 12, with options for natural and black titanium. I realize the Ultra is a more utilitarian watch than the Series 12, but I still wish Apple would expand their case and band choices a little more.

That said, there are a lot of other features to like in the latest model. The battery life is now rated at 50 hours up from 45, and the Ultra benefits from the same chip and sensor improvements found in the Series 12. Plus, in Low Power mode, the Ultra 4 can last for as much as 84 hours, which is truly impressive. Fast charging enables 18 hours of battery life, which is something I know I’ll appreciate when I’m ready to run and find my watch battery nearly spent. The Extended Workout mode for runs, hikes, and walks can last for up to 45 hours, too.

Like the Series 12, the Ultra 4 incorporates the S11 chip and new sensors. That enables Readiness on the Ultra 4 and more meaningful heart rate and HRV readings. Audio Intelligence is part of the Ultra 4’s software story, too, with Live Rewind, Siri Recap, sound recognition, and automated Shazam results available too. So, as with past Ultra models, the big difference between the Ultra 4 and the Series 12 is the display size and battery life, which I expect will come in handy with the watch’s new capabilities.

Health

Finally, the iPhone’s Health app is being updated with a new design and incorporates the enhanced data collected by the new Apple Watch models. There will be a new Insights tab that provides health information based on the data stored in the app. Plus, Health will include a Longevity tab for longitudinal health data and a Health age calculation to give users a sense of their health relative to their age. It’s worth noting that the updated Health app, like Siri Recap and Live Rewind, won’t debut until later this year.

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This is the first year in a long while that i’ve been excited about new Apple Watches. I’d convinced myself that this year would amount to small, incremental changes that wouldn’t justify an update for another year or two Instead, I immediately ordered the Apple Watch Ultra 4. I love the combination of more and better health readings, Readiness, and the new Health app, and I’m intrigued by what I can get out of Audio Intelligence in my day-to-day life. I’ll know soon enough I guess because mine arrives next Friday.

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You can follow all of our September 2026 Apple event coverage through our September 2026 Apple Event hub or subscribe to the dedicated September 2026 Apple event RSS feed.

If you didn’t follow the livestream of today’s Apple Surprise and Shine event, you can replay it on Apple’s Events site or YouTube.

The keynote video can be streamed here and on the Apple TV using the TV app. A high-quality version will also be available through Apple Podcasts as a video and audio podcast. An American Sign Language version of the event keynote is available on the Apple Events page too.

Apple Surprise and Shine Keynote

Product Videos:

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You can follow all of our September 2026 Apple event coverage through our September 2026 Apple Event hub or subscribe to the dedicated September 2026 Apple event RSS feed.