At its "Pro and Tell" special event in Los Angeles on October 28, 2026, Apple officially unveiled the most radical redesign in the history of its flagship laptop line: the all-new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display and Touch. Reversing decades of company orthodoxy that separated touch inputs from macOS, the new 14-inch and 16-inch workstations introduce direct multi-touch screen interaction, a breakthrough tandem OLED display panel, an interactive Dynamic Island, and Apple's powerful M5 Pro and M5 Max silicon. Pre-orders are live now, with retail store availability commencing Friday, November 6. The announcement represents a monumental shift for the Mac platform, merging the tactile intimacy of iPadOS with the uncompromised computational depth of macOS to establish a reference standard for creative and technical professionals.

PROLED XDR Display: Tandem OLED at 2,000 Nits

The centerpiece of the hardware redesign is the debut of the PROLED XDR display. Utilising tandem OLED architecture — layering two organic light-emitting stacks to achieve extreme luminance without burn-in risk — the display achieves up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness for both HDR and SDR content, an industry-leading 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and adaptive ProMotion refresh rates scaling from 10Hz to 120Hz.

PROLED XDR Display — Key Specifications
Technology	Tandem OLED (dual stacked organic light-emitting layers)
Peak Brightness	2,000 nits (HDR and SDR) — 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio
Refresh Rate	ProMotion adaptive 10–120Hz
Color Gamut	Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, 80% Rec. 2020
14-inch Panel	14.2 inches (expanded via slimmer bezels)
16-inch Panel	16.3 inches (expanded via slimmer bezels)
Nano-Texture	Optional anti-glare glass etched directly into cover surface

Touch Arrives on Mac with Dynamic Island

For the first time on a Mac, users can touch, swipe, pinch, and sketch directly on the primary display. Apple has integrated the capacitive touch sensor directly into the display stack itself — eliminating air gaps and delivering zero-latency responsiveness — paired with a redesigned high-torque hinge mechanism that stabilises the screen against finger taps.

macOS 27 automatically translates screen taps into clicks, allowing artists to paint directly in Pixelmator Pro, musicians to play multi-touch chord pads in Logic Pro, and developers to test iOS builds natively on the Mac display. Replacing the traditional notch, Dynamic Island on Mac houses the 12MP Center Stage camera and serves as an interactive hub for Spotlight search, Live Activities, and Siri AI. Apple has also restored the iconic illuminated glowing Apple logo on the rear lid after a ten-year absence.

M5 Pro and M5 Max Silicon

Performance & Connectivity
Chips	M5 Pro / M5 Max — Neural Accelerators embedded in every GPU core
Unified Memory	Up to 128GB
Storage	Up to 16TB SSD
Thunderbolt	3x Thunderbolt 5 — up to 4 external displays on M5 Max
Other Ports	HDMI, SDXC card reader, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
WLAN / BT	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6
Weight (14-inch)	3.0 lbs — half a pound lighter than previous generation
Weight (16-inch)	4.0 lbs — 0.7 lbs lighter than previous generation

Pricing and Availability

MacBook Pro PROLED XDR — US Pricing
14-inch M5 Pro	From $2,899 (Education: $2,749)
14-inch M5 Max	From $4,499
16-inch M5 Pro	From $3,399 (Education: $3,199)
16-inch M5 Max	From $4,799
Pre-Orders	Live now
Available	November 6, 2026

Apple has officially announced the new 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by its next-generation M6 processor. Detailed in a global release on October 27, 2026, the updated workstation laptop brings significant architectural performance leaps, expanded on-device artificial intelligence capabilities, and an unprecedented 24 hours of battery life — the longest ever achieved in a Mac laptop. Pre-orders open on Wednesday, October 28, with general retail availability scheduled to commence on Friday, November 6. The release solidifies the 14-inch MacBook Pro as Apple's flagship mobile workhorse for developers, content creators, and enterprise users, pairing desktop-class computational throughput with all-day mobile independence.

M6 Architecture: 12-Core CPU and Dual 16-Core Neural Engine

The centerpiece of the new laptop is Apple's 3-nanometer M6 processor, engineered to accelerate multithreaded professional workflows and local AI execution. The chip features an upgraded 12-core CPU — incorporating two additional cores over its predecessor — which Apple claims delivers the fastest single-threaded execution core in the world alongside up to 60 percent faster multithreaded performance.

M6 Chip — Key Specifications
CPU	12-Core (performance + efficiency cores) — fastest single-threaded core ever in a Mac, up to 60% faster multithreaded vs M5
GPU	12-Core with 3rd-generation hardware ray tracing, Dynamic Caching, Neural Accelerators in every core — up to 30% faster 3D rendering vs M5
Neural Engine	Dual 16-Core (32 total AI cores) — up to 1.9x faster AI throughput vs M5; accelerates local LLMs, image generation, video upscaling, real-time transcription
Unified Memory	16GB standard (configurable to 32GB), 170 GB/s memory bandwidth
Process Node	3nm

Record 24-Hour Battery Life and Liquid Retina XDR Display

Thanks to the extreme energy efficiency of the M6 platform, the 14-inch MacBook Pro achieves up to 24 hours of continuous battery endurance on a single charge — and critically, Apple's power management architecture delivers identical processing throughput whether plugged in or on battery. Fast charging restores up to 50 percent capacity in just 30 minutes with an optional 96W USB-C adapter.

The Liquid Retina XDR display delivers up to 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness, 1,000 nits full-screen sustained luminance, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. A glare-reducing Nano-texture matte display option is available as a configure-to-order upgrade for professionals working in high-ambient-light environments.

Connectivity, Center Stage Camera, and Ports

Enclosed in a 100 percent recycled aluminum chassis available in Space Black (with anodization seal to repel fingerprints) and Silver, the notebook features a comprehensive port selection and updated wireless connectivity.

Ports & Connectivity
Thunderbolt 4	3x Thunderbolt 4 — supports up to two high-resolution external displays
Other Ports	HDMI, SDXC card reader, MagSafe 3, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
WLAN	Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth	6.0
Camera	12MP Center Stage with Desk View support
Audio	Studio-grade 3-mic array, 6-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio

Pricing and Availability

14-inch MacBook Pro M6 — US Pricing
Base (16GB / 512GB)	$1,999 (Education: $1,899)
Apple Upgrade	From $38.99/month over 36 months
Colors	Space Black, Silver
Pre-Orders	October 28, 2026 — available in 35 countries
Available	November 6, 2026

Apple has officially unveiled the next generation of its most compact tablet, introducing the all-new iPad mini. Announced on October 26, 2026, the redesigned device represents the most substantial hardware overhaul in the product's history, incorporating an 8.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, an ultrathin 5.4-millimeter chassis, 2-nanometer A20 Pro silicon, and an IP67 water and dust resistance rating. Pre-orders open on Wednesday, October 28, with retail availability beginning Friday, November 6. The redesign repositions the iPad mini from an overlooked secondary tablet into a premium portable powerhouse, combining flagship OLED contrast ratios and on-device artificial intelligence acceleration into a 255-gram form factor that can be operated in one hand.

8.5-Inch Super Retina XDR OLED Display and Nano-Texture Glass

The headline upgrade is the transition from legacy liquid crystal to organic light-emitting diode technology. Thanks to 24 percent thinner borders, Apple has expanded the active screen area from 8.3 inches to 8.5 inches while preserving the identical pocketable footprint of previous generations.

The Super Retina XDR panel delivers pixel-level luminance control with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, full P3 wide color gamut coverage, and a peak HDR brightness of 1,200 nits — more than double the output of its predecessor. The display scales down to an ultra-low 1-nit minimum brightness and up to full outdoor visibility. A glare-reducing Nano-texture display option is available on 256GB and 512GB tiers as a $100 upgrade. The panel retains a 60Hz refresh rate.

Thinner IP67 Chassis and Acoustic Display Audio

The new iPad mini measures just 5.4 millimeters thin and weighs 255 grams — a 14 percent weight reduction compared to the previous model. The enclosure is crafted from 100 percent recycled aluminum and carries an IP67 rating, shielding the tablet against dust and water immersion up to one meter for 30 minutes.

Audio is handled by a new Acoustic Display system: low-frequency woofers transmit sound directly through the display glass for deeper bass, paired with custom tweeters along the bezel perimeter. The front-facing 12MP Center Stage camera has been permanently relocated to the landscape top edge for natural video conferencing, while the rear 12MP Wide camera gains an Adaptive True Tone flash for improved document scanning.

A20 Pro Silicon and the 512GB Neural Engine Tier

The tablet is powered by Apple's 2-nanometer A20 Pro processor, delivering a 60 percent multithreaded CPU boost and a 2.7x jump in graphics throughput with hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Apple has introduced an architectural split between storage configurations:

A20 Pro Configuration by Storage
128GB / 256GB	5-Core CPU (2 performance + 3 efficiency), 7-Core GPU with Neural Accelerators, 16-Core Neural Engine
512GB	6-Core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 7-Core GPU, Dual 16-Core Neural Engine (32 total cores) — up to 4.5x faster for local AI and generative apps

Wireless connectivity is driven by Apple's custom N1 chip delivering Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, alongside the in-house C2 cellular modem for 50 percent faster 5G data. The device supports the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C).

Pricing and Availability

iPad mini (2026) — US Pricing
128GB Wi-Fi	$699 (Education: $649)
128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular	$849
256GB Wi-Fi	$799
256GB Wi-Fi + Cellular	$949
512GB Wi-Fi	$999
512GB Wi-Fi + Cellular	$1,149
Colors	Midnight, Starlight
Pre-Orders	October 28, 2026
Available	November 6, 2026

Apple's first foldable, the iPhone Duo, went on sale October 23, 2026, starting at $1,999 for 256GB. Within days, photos of cracked inner displays began circulating on Reddit and the MacRumors forums. Here's what is confirmed, what isn't, and what owners can do.

What Owners Are Reporting

The reports describe a crack running down the center line of the hinge on the 7.6-inch inner display, often followed by a horizontal band of pixels stuck glowing white. One owner in Australia said the phone failed after about six hours and fewer than 20 openings, and Notebookcheck reports that an audible crack came before the damage. Another owner told CBS News the phone suddenly felt tight partway up the hinge as he opened it.

How Big Is the Problem?

Nobody outside Apple knows yet. 9to5Mac counted about 10 unique cases as of Sunday, October 25, and Bloomberg reported a growing number of complaints on Monday. MacRumors noted that some images circulating online appear to be AI-generated, and reviewers who tested the phone before launch didn't report similar failures. So this looks like a real problem for some owners, but the scale is unproven.

What Apple Has Said

On October 26, Apple told CNBC and 9to5Mac that it is aware of an issue with the inner display on "a small number of iPhone Duo units" and that affected owners should contact AppleCare for a replacement.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple says most units are not affected, the problem tends to show up soon after purchase, and you don't need AppleCare+ to get a replacement. If you bought through a carrier, contact AppleCare directly rather than your carrier. Apple hasn't said what causes the cracking, whether a fix is coming, or announced a recall. In-store replacements are available, but stock is limited, so some owners are waiting.

What Could Be Causing It

iFixit's teardown, published October 25, found that the reported damage clusters just below where a display cable crosses under the screen, near a central support bar in the hinge. Using CT scans, teardown footage and Apple patents, it built a 3D model of the hinge and offered two possible explanations. The support bar may not retract far enough when the phone closes, pressing on the display, or curved guide rails in the hinge may rise into it.

Neither explanation is confirmed, iFixit says more investigation is needed, and Apple hasn't commented on its findings.

Costs and Coverage

iPhone Duo Repair and Replacement
This display issue	Replacement through AppleCare, AppleCare+ not required
Out-of-warranty inner screen repair	$999
Inner display repair with AppleCare+	$99 fee
Starting price	$1,999 for 256GB, up to $3,199 for 2TB

Apple's one-year limited warranty covers defects from normal use, and launch buyers also have a 14-day return window.

My Take

A cracked screen on a $1,999 phone within a week is a bad look, and "a small number" tells us very little until Apple shares real figures. What I do like is that Apple moved quickly on replacements and didn't make people buy AppleCare+ first. The $999 out-of-warranty repair price is the bigger long-term worry, since that's half the cost of the phone.

If you already own one, I wouldn't force the hinge, and I'd contact AppleCare if you notice any display problems. If you're still deciding, the return window is worth knowing about. Apple is also adding 28 more countries on October 30, so more owners are about to find out how their unit holds up. For more, browse our Apple, Foldable and iOS coverage.

Microsoft announced a new batch of Windows 11 Insider Preview builds on October 23, 2026, and the most interesting changes landed in Experimental build 26340.9767. It tracks Windows 11 version 26H2 and puts two small but useful conveniences into the Quick Settings flyout: controls for a connected phone and a built-in internet speed test. You can read the full details in Microsoft's release notes for the build.

Phone Controls in Quick Settings

Open Quick Settings from the taskbar and look for Mobile devices. With a supported Android phone connected, Microsoft says everyday actions are a click away:

• Do Not Disturb: turn it on before a meeting.
• Ringer mode: change your phone's ringer mode, such as switching to vibrate.
• Find your phone: play a sound to locate it nearby.

If you haven't connected a phone yet, Windows will walk you through setup. Microsoft is upfront that capabilities vary by phone platform and device configuration. Android gets the most complete set of controls, while iPhone support starts with a more limited, status-focused experience.

A Built-In Speed Test Without the Browser

The second addition is an internet speed test that runs and shows its results directly in Quick Settings, without redirecting you to a browser. You can start it from the new Speed test Quick Setting, from the Wi-Fi or Cellular flyout, or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray and choosing Test internet speed.

While the test runs, Quick Settings shows its progress, then reports download speed, upload speed and ping. Microsoft says this builds on a speed test it previously introduced for Insiders, and the new version keeps both the test and the results inside Windows.

Other Changes in These Builds

Build 26340.9767 also lets you filter Feature flags by enablement state on the Windows Insider Program settings page, and adds a toggle for the Windows logo key + Plus shortcut that launches Magnifier. It fixes two problems from the previous update as well: explorer.exe failing to load after sign-in, and a false "wrong password" message on the login screen.

The companion Experimental (26H1) build 28120.3302 is the one for Start menu fans. It adds more Start menu customization, including size options, along with separate camera, microphone and location permissions for individual desktop apps.

New Insider Builds (October 23, 2026)
Build 26340.9767	Experimental channel, Windows 11 version 26H2. Quick Settings phone controls and speed test.
Build 28120.3302	Experimental (26H1) channel. Start menu customization and per-app desktop permissions.
Build 26220.9757	Beta channel, Windows 11 version 25H2. Does not include the Quick Settings changes.

Availability and Rollout

The phone controls and speed test are in the Experimental channel only. The Beta build that shipped the same day doesn't include them. Even inside Experimental, Microsoft uses Controlled Feature Rollout, which starts with a subset of Insiders and ramps up over time, so not everyone will see Mobile devices right after updating. Microsoft also reminds testers that features in these builds might change, be removed, or never release beyond Windows Insiders.

My Take

These are small changes, and I mean that as a compliment. Ringing your phone or flipping Do Not Disturb is a quick action you shouldn't need a separate app for, and a speed test that stays inside Windows beats opening a browser tab. The Android-first approach stands out too, since iPhone users only get status information for now.

The catch is the usual one. This is the Experimental channel, and Microsoft is clear that nothing here is guaranteed to ship. I'd expect some version of it to land eventually, but I wouldn't plan around it yet. For more, browse our Windows, Microsoft and Android coverage.

Apple sent out media invitations on October 19 2026 for its next hardware event, a special in-person showcase in Los Angeles on Wednesday October 28, kicking off at 10:00 a.m. PDT. Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak teased the event with the tagline "Pro and Tell," pointing squarely at the Mac lineup. This is Apple's second dedicated hardware event this autumn, following the October 13 Welcome Home showcase, and it sets up the company's premium computing portfolio ahead of the holiday season.

OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro

The headline expectation for October 28 is a fundamentally re-engineered MacBook Pro. Supply chain reports indicate Apple will bring OLED display technology to its premium laptop for the first time, replacing the existing mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR panels with deeper blacks, higher contrast, and improved power efficiency.

The more significant change is touch input. Apple has resisted touchscreens on macOS laptops for well over a decade, and that position appears to be ending here. The new MacBook Pro is expected to support touch gestures alongside traditional trackpad navigation, working in concert with macOS Golden Gate's adaptive interface scaling for finger taps, pinch-to-zoom, and toolbar interactions. Earlier rumours had suggested the device might launch under a new "MacBook Ultra" name, but Apple is retaining the established MacBook Pro branding, which is the right call for continuity.

M6 MacBook Pro and M6 iMac

The event is also expected to expand Apple's M6 silicon across the Mac lineup. The M6 chip made its first appearance in the entry-level Mac mini last month, and October 28 should bring it to two more machines. A refreshed 14-inch baseline MacBook Pro powered by the standard M6 is expected for mainstream professional workloads, alongside a refreshed 24-inch iMac with updated acoustic drivers, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and improved unified memory configurations to replace the M4 and M5 generations.

OLED iPad mini

The compact tablet lineup is also expected to get attention. An OLED iPad mini has been on the rumour circuit for some time, and this event looks like the moment it arrives. The update is expected to eliminate the rolling shutter display artefacts that have affected previous iPad mini models, boost outdoor peak brightness, and bring newer Apple silicon for full Apple Intelligence and Siri AI compatibility.

Software and Shipping Timeline

Apple seeded Release Candidate builds of iOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, watchOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2, and visionOS 27.2 yesterday, which is the clearest signal yet that new hardware is imminent. Supply chain analysts project devices will begin shipping to customers on Friday November 6 2026, putting them on doorsteps well before the holiday shopping window opens in earnest. We will have full coverage of everything announced on October 28.

Samsung has quietly added another phone to its Galaxy F70 range in India, and this one is more interesting than a budget launch usually is. The Galaxy F70 5G was announced on October 18, 2026, and it goes on sale October 20 at 12 PM IST through Flipkart and Samsung's India online store.

The headline is the price. The 4GB + 128GB model starts at ₹19,999, and Samsung says launch offers bring the effective price down to ₹17,999. For that you get an AMOLED panel, optical image stabilization and Gorilla Glass, which is not a combination I expect under ₹20,000. With memory costs squeezing budget phones this year, I'm glad to see Samsung still spending on the display.

Super AMOLED Display and Tougher Build

The F70 5G has a flat 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display running at 90Hz, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. Samsung calls it the brightest sAMOLED panel in its segment, but it hasn't published a peak brightness figure, so I'd treat that as a marketing line until someone measures it.

At 7.5mm and about 192 grams, it's slim for a phone with a 5,000mAh battery. It also carries an IP54 rating, which covers dust and splashes but not a dunk in water. There's a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and the phone comes in Bold Black and Vivid Violet.

Exynos 1330 and Software

Power comes from the Exynos 1330, paired with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage that you can expand with a microSD card. That's a modest chip, so think everyday apps, video and social rather than heavy gaming. My one gripe is the 4GB base model. It will work, but I'd want the 6GB version, which costs ₹22,999.

The phone runs Android 15 with One UI 7.0 out of the box, and I haven't seen Samsung state an update commitment for it, which matters if you keep phones for years. On the feature side you get Circle to Search, Google Gemini, Samsung Wallet, Quick Share, Voice Focus and Samsung Knox security.

50MP OIS Camera Setup

The rear setup is led by a 50MP main sensor with OIS, which Samsung brands No Shake Cam. Stabilization is the feature I'd care about most at this price, since it helps with low light shots and steadier handheld video. The other two rear cameras are a 5MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro, and honestly those are there to fill out the spec sheet more than anything. The front camera is 13MP.

Battery and Charging

The 5,000mAh battery supports 25W wired charging, which is fine rather than fast. Samsung sells the charger separately, so if you don't already have a compatible adapter, factor that into the cost.

Samsung Galaxy F70 5G Specifications

Display & Design
Display	6.7" Full HD+ (1080 x 2340) Super AMOLED, 90Hz
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, IP54
Build	7.5mm thick, about 192g, side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Colors	Bold Black, Vivid Violet
Platform & Hardware
OS	Android 15 with One UI 7.0
Chipset	Exynos 1330 (5nm)
RAM / Storage	4GB or 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, microSD expandable
Cameras
Rear	50MP main (f/1.8, OIS) + 5MP ultrawide + 2MP macro
Front	13MP
Power & Pricing (India)
Battery	5,000mAh
Charging	25W wired (charger sold separately)
4GB + 128GB	₹19,999 (₹17,999 with launch offers)
6GB + 128GB	₹22,999

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy F70 5G costs ₹19,999 for 4GB + 128GB and ₹22,999 for 6GB + 128GB. Bank discounts and launch offers bring the effective starting price to ₹17,999, and exact offers can vary at checkout. Sales start October 20 at 12 PM IST on Flipkart and the Samsung India online store. As far as I can tell, Samsung has only announced it for India, so there's no US price or release to report.

My Take

This is a sensible phone. Super AMOLED, OIS, Gorilla Glass Victus and IP54 for under ₹20,000 is a strong value pitch, and it's the kind of spec sheet that usually costs more. The compromises are easy to spot: the 4GB base RAM, two throwaway extra cameras, a charger you have to buy, and launch software that isn't the newest. If those don't bother you, the F70 5G is worth a look. We've covered Samsung phones for years, so if you want more context, browse our Samsung coverage and our 5G phone news.

 

Apple opened pre-orders for the iPhone Duo on Friday October 16 2026 at 5:00 a.m. PDT, making it official across more than 70 countries and regions. This is Apple's first foldable smartphone, and it starts at $1,999. Customer deliveries and in-store availability begin one week later on October 23. We wrote back in July about analyst concerns over limited launch supply, and those concerns appear to have been well-founded given how quickly early delivery slots moved.

The Design

The iPhone Duo is a book-style foldable. Closed, you get a 5.4-inch outer cover display that covers roughly 90 percent of the usable screen area of an iPhone 18 Pro. Open it flat and you have a 7.6-inch inner folding display that is 50 percent larger than an iPhone 18 Pro Max screen, with a minimal central crease. Apple says the unfolded Duo is the thinnest iPhone chassis it has ever built.

The hinge is precision stainless steel and titanium, and the device carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance up to six metres for 30 minutes. It launches in two finishes: Star White and Night Sky.

Silicon, Battery, and Cameras

The A20 Pro chip powers the device alongside a dual-cell battery distributed across both halves of the chassis to balance weight. It supports 25W Qi2 wireless charging, MagSafe accessories, and rapid wired charging.

The camera system is adapted specifically for the foldable form factor. A 48MP Fusion main camera and a 48MP Fusion ultra-wide cover the rear. The front camera setup is where it gets interesting: a Center Stage camera on the outer cover display automatically frames selfies in portrait or landscape without needing to rotate the phone, while an under-display FaceTime camera sits beneath the 7.6-inch inner screen for hands-free video calls when the phone is propped open in laptop posture.

iOS 27 Multitasking

iOS 27 on the Duo is built around the larger canvas. Full Split View lets you run two full-sized apps side by side or drag and drop content between them. StandBy mode runs persistently on either the inner or outer display even when unplugged, turning the device into an interactive desk clock, photo frame, or widget dashboard. Siri AI can be pinned alongside active documents to summarise on-screen content and run multi-step automations across apps.

Pricing and How to Buy

iPhone Duo 256GB	$1,999
iPhone Duo 512GB	$2,199
iPhone Duo 1TB	$2,399
iPhone Duo 2TB	$2,599

Carrier trade-in promotions from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon offer up to $1,200 in bill credits over 36 months when trading in an iPhone 14 Pro Max or higher. Apple Card Monthly Installments offer 0 percent APR over 24 months with 3 percent Daily Cash back upfront. Apple Upgrade via Klarna starts at $57.99 per month on a 24-month lease with annual upgrade eligibility.

Official accessories launching alongside include the iPhone Duo Folio with an integrated kickstand at $99 and the two-part iPhone Duo Case at $49. Pre-orders are live now at Apple.com with delivery and in-store availability from October 23.

Apple held its Welcome Home hardware event in New York on October 13 2026 and officially entered the smart display category with the Apple HomeView. Priced at $299, it goes directly at the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub with a pitch built around multi-user facial recognition, Apple Intelligence-powered Siri, and the kind of privacy architecture you would expect from Apple. Pre-orders are open now with general availability on November 13 in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. European availability is on hold pending regulatory approval around Siri AI.

Design and Display

One of the more thoughtful display features is distance-aware responsive scaling. When you are across the room, HomeView renders large glanceable clocks and widgets. As you walk closer, the interface transitions into detailed interactive controls automatically. It is a small detail that makes a real difference for a device that needs to work from the kitchen counter and from the couch.

The tabletop model comes in Silver, Starlight, Rose Pink, and Space Gray with colour-matched braided power cables. For hallway and entryway installations, a wall-mounted model in Space Gray and Silver is available with custom flush and wired power mounts from Schneider Home starting at $59.95.

Six-Person Facial Recognition and Personalised Siri

The headline feature is multi-user facial and voice recognition for up to six household members. This is where HomeView separates itself from the competition most clearly. Rather than a shared generic profile or manual account switching, HomeView adapts the entire interface the moment it recognises who has walked up to it. Each person sees their own calendar appointments, to-do lists, favourite music, and communication widgets, without exposing anything private to other family members.

When paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, Siri can cross-reference personal Messages, check travel itineraries, and run multi-step routines with full personal context. Queries started on HomeView sync via iCloud to Siri on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, keeping the conversation going across devices.

Audio, Smart Home, and Privacy

Audio is handled by two full-range drivers in the display housing for spatial sound separation, with a down-firing woofer and dual force-canceling passive radiators in the base for bass. As a Matter and HomeKit controller, the device manages connected accessories and can stream up to nine live camera feeds simultaneously.

Privacy is handled at the hardware level. Camera and microphone streams are isolated inside the A18 chip's Secure Exclaves hardware boundary, preventing the operating system from accessing biometric sensor data directly. Personal data from Messages and Calendar is only decrypted when an enrolled user is actively recognised and their paired iPhone has been

 

Google officially expanded its wearable lineup on October 12 2026 with the Fitbit Edge, a $179.99 fitness band that fills a gap that has existed in the portfolio for a while. It sits between the minimalist screenless Fitbit Air and the full Wear OS Pixel Watch, offering smartwatch-tier health sensing and AI coaching in a lightweight band form factor with a week of battery life. The replaceable battery is the detail worth leading with, because nothing else on the market at this price does that.

Design and the Replaceable Battery

The Fitbit Edge is machined from recycled aluminum with a curved AMOLED colour touchscreen on the front, 5 ATM water resistance and IP68 dust protection for open-water swimming down to 50 metres, and USB-C fast charging that restores a full day of battery in under 15 minutes. Standard battery life is up to seven days.

The replaceable battery module is the headline differentiator. Rather than engineering the tracker to a fixed lifespan tied to lithium cell degradation, Google has built an officially serviceable internal power cell that can be swapped through authorised repair channels. For a device people wear daily and charge nightly, that is a meaningful sustainability decision and a practical one for anyone who plans to own it for more than two years.

Health Sensors

The sensor stack is the most comprehensive Google has put into a non-Pixel Watch device. Continuous multi-path optical heart rate monitoring sits alongside an on-wrist ECG for atrial fibrillation detection. A dedicated skin temperature sensor combines with SpO2 and heart rate variability data to generate daily readiness and sleep scores. The Health Guardian suite, available through Google Health Premium, monitors biometric baseline shifts for blood pressure markers, insulin resistance indicators, and overnight breathing disruptions.

GPS, Activity Tracking, and Gemini Coaching

Standalone multi-satellite GPS and an altimeter are built in, so runners and cyclists can track pace, distance, and elevation without carrying a phone. Automatic activity detection has expanded from 10 to over 100 workout types, with contextual machine learning doubling detection accuracy to reduce missed exercise logs. Gemini powers the personalised health coaching layer, analysing exercise history, recent sleep, and recovery metrics to offer adaptive suggestions in conversational language. Google Wallet contactless payments and smart alarm wakeups round out the daily convenience features.

Pricing and Availability

Fitbit Edge — Matte Black	$179.99 at Google Store
Fitbit Edge — Champagne Gold	$179.99 at Google Store
Fitbit Edge — Polished Silver	$179.99 at Google Store

Pre-orders are open now on the Google Store and Amazon. General retail shipments start later this month. Each purchase includes six months of Google Health Premium access, which gives you the full Health Guardian monitoring suite from day one.