Which products we missed in Apple’s iPhone keynote – and do we want to be able to calculate with them

Tim Cook was clear at the start of yesterday’s keynote: the day would be about the Apple Watch, Airpods and iPhones. Early in the evening it was also clear that there would be no new iPad Mini, which has recently been the subject of increasing speculation. It was already clear beforehand that “It’s Glowtime” would hardly show any new Macs – Apple prefers to present new versions of these towards the end of October – or in the spring.

In addition to the obvious flaws, we have noticed a few other gaps that we hope Apple will close soon. However, we have little hope that this will happen soon for some of them. But first things first.

iPad Mini 7 and new Macs in October

The iPad Mini has been in Apple’s portfolio since yesterday, the product that has not been updated for the longest time, the last time there was a new one was in autumn 2021. Although, the update for the Airpods Max from December 2020 only brought new colour options to the headphones, but more on that later. As much as Apple emphasized the topic of Apple Intelligence yesterday, it can hardly afford to leave half of the iPad range unsuitable for it. This applies not only to the iPad Mini, but also to the regular iPad, the tenth generation is already two years old.

I am very sure that there will be updates for both tablets in October. The iPad Mini 7 could get an M1 chip or even an M2 like the iPad Air, the iPad 11 at least the A17 Pro or A18, which does its job in the iPhone 15 Pro and now in the iPhone 16 – and can run Apple Intelligence.

In May, Apple somewhat surprisingly equipped the iPad Pro with an M4 chip; otherwise, the Mac always got the latest generation first. This was perhaps a smart move due to the slightly lower volumes; Apple’s partner TSMC concentrated on the production of A18 and A18 Pro, which are also produced using the second-generation 3nm process.

But now the output should be enough to equip Macs with M4, M4 Pro, M4 Max and M4 Ultra. This should happen gradually from the end of 2024 and in 2025, across the entire product range. This is a story that Apple will be happy to tell again in a keynote that should be longer than the last Mac keynote “Scary Fast” in October 2023, but does not necessarily have to be as long as “It’s Glowtime”.

Apple Watch SE and Ultra 3 not until next year

Admittedly, Apple could have tightened up yesterday’s keynote a bit. At the leisurely pace of the narrative, it would have been two hours long if there had been a new Apple Watch Ultra and a new SE. Last year, the Ultra 2 came as a bit of a surprise, and the lower price in particular caused dissatisfaction among buyers of the first generation. An Ultra 3 would have needed a powerful new function, and Apple added that it would have a dark finish. The Ultra is still an excellent watch, even if the Series 10 is now outpacing it in terms of screen size. I didn’t really miss a new version of the watch, but it will be due next year.

Order Apple Watch Series 10 from Apple – Delivery from September 20th

What was somewhat surprising – and negative – was the lack of a third-generation Apple Watch SE. Mark Gurman had recently reported that there were still problems with production and that Apple might only show the new model and not bring it to market until much later. But there was no word about that yesterday.

The SE is in dire need of an update. The fact that the SE still shows a black screen if you don’t hold it in front of your face is no longer up to date. For one part of the target group – seniors – an ECG function would be very helpful in addition to Always-On. And the one-handed control of the Apple Watch Series 9 and higher is at least attractive. Apple has to cut costs elsewhere to keep the price low; rumors say that a plastic case is the solution. For the other part of the target group – children – that would be wonderful, to offer the Apple Watch SE 3 in many bright colors. But the case should be at least as robust as the aluminum currently used.

It’s unlikely that Apple will unveil the SE 3 at the supposed Mac/iPad event in October. We’ll probably have to wait until next year. Perhaps the colorful watch will be available at Easter 2025 rather than next fall.

Blood pressure and new bracelets not before 2025

It won’t be until fall 2025 that there will be a new feature on the Apple Watch and its Ultra version that we had hoped for this year: blood pressure measurement. This is a very complex thing and initially Apple will probably only offer a qualitative measurement, like the one for body temperature since the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra. The watch will collect measurement data for a few days and use it to calculate a kind of guideline value. If the blood pressure deviates significantly from this, the watch will issue a warning – the same is true for body temperature.

At least Apple now trusts its sensors to give a reliable value for water temperature when swimming, snorkeling and diving. I don’t expect the Apple Watch to give specific values ​​for systole and diastole in the 20s, let alone become a certified medical device.

But hypertension is similar to hearing loss: it develops slowly and unnoticed, as Apple emphasized yesterday. A qualitative blood pressure measurement would also be more than just a wellness feature, even without certification from health authorities.

That would be one of the features that would make an Ultra 3 stand out again. There could also be a new fastening mechanism for the wristbands. Perhaps a magnetic one that can be used to transfer data. Why not let a wristband measure blood pressure and other parameters? Some people had already expected a new fastening mechanism for the wristbands this year, but it is due next year.

After all, the detection of sleep apnea in Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 is more than just nice, it can be of valuable help in diagnosis.

Innovations in over-ear headphones: We can wait a long time

The second generation Airpods Pro show where the Apple Watch can go in terms of health features: The hardware has been around for a long time, the software is getting better and better, but certification is still pending. Now the Airpods Pro 2 will soon be considered non-prescription hearing aids – and all without updating the hardware.

Apple has redesigned the regular Airpods and reduced the price so much that you hardly miss the cheap earpods that came with the iPhone until 2019. It’s interesting how the reality differs from the speculation: There aren’t two new models, just one, but in two versions. This is nothing new, previously Apple differentiated the two Airpods 3 models by the charging case.

Now both versions can be charged wirelessly and via USB-C – Apple didn’t mention the latter because it’s probably still mad at the EU. The difference between Airpods 4 and Airpods 4 is now the active noise cancelling, which the cheaper version can’t do. In the test, we’ll ask ourselves how well this can work without the sealing with silicone attachments. Apple promises once again to have the optimal ear shape with millions of data points so that it can really always be found and stored anywhere. My left ear just says: challenge accepted.

Order Airpods 4 from Apple – delivery from September 20th

The Airpods Max really don’t bring anything new – apart from USB-C. Oh yes, the new colors purple (instead of pink), orange and polar star (instead of silver). Otherwise, there’s still the high price of 579 euros, which even Apple-friendly testers don’t understand – after all, Apple has at least equivalent and significantly cheaper over-ears in its range with its subsidiary Beats. We’ll have to wait quite a while for the second generation Airpods Max. It was similar to the Homepod – Apple had even discontinued it before the new edition came out.