'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
5 Apple products you shouldn't buy right now (including this popular iPhone model)
Thanksgiving is a memory, Black Friday is a blur, and soon all that will be left of Cyber Monday will be reams of digital receipts and a pile of gifts to wrap. 2024 is racing to a close, and with only the final hurdles of the holidays and New Year's Eve -- that special time when we get to find out whether the numerals for the upcoming year can be transformed into effective novelty glasses -- before this year is at an end. But before all that, let's have a little review of Apple's year.
Also: The best Cyber Monday deals live now
2024 has been quite the year for the Cupertino company. The hardware has, as we've come to expect, been a hit; The Macs running the new M4 chips, the iPhone 16, and the great iPad refresh (although there's one you should avoid) have all delivered better performance for about the same prices as last year.
Now let's look at Apple tech that shouldn't be under the tree for the holidays.
The 'Naughty' list
Give these devices a hard pass:
- The standard iPad: With the iPad Pro, Air, and Mini all being quite fresh, it's easy to forget the old-school iPad. The current 10th-generation model was released back in October of 2022 and is up there as one of Apple's oldest products.
- iPhone SE: Apple released this handset in March 2022, and rumor has it that there won't be another one. Other rumors say it should have been refreshed this year, while others say it should be sometime in 2025. We'll see. It might be Apple's cheapest iPhone, at this point I'd suggest grabbing a refurbished or secondhand iPhone that's newer.
- Mac Studio: The M2-powered Mac Studio is no longer the beast it was, and given that it's hitting that 18-month-old mark and running on Apple Silicon that's two generations old, I suggest giving it a miss.
- Apple TV: Last updated in October 2022, this device is due for a refresh. When? Not this year, that's for sure.
- HomePod Mini: Released in October 2020, this is officially Apple's oldest product. While there's nothing wrong with it technically, it's hard to recommend dropping full price for a piece of hardware that's so old.
The 'Nice' list
1. Apple iMac
2024 iMac
The iMac gets a refresh to bring it up to speed with Apple Intelligence. With specs ranging from 8 CPU and GPU cores, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage priced at $1,299, all the way up to 10 CPU and GPU cores, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,899, there's a iMac to suit most workloads and budgets.
2. Apple Mac Mini
Apple smallest Mac gets an upgrade to the M4 and M4 Pro processors. And it's also the cheapest Mac you can buy, as a Mac Mini with the 10-Core CPU and GPU model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costing only $599.
3. Apple iPad Mini
2024 iPad Mini
The all-new 2024 iPad Mini replaces the three-year-old model with one powered by an A17 Pro chip that's Apple Intelligence ready, and comes in a range of colors (blue, purple, starlight, and space grey) and storage capacities (128GB, 256GB, and 512GB) to suit everyone. Prices range from $499 to $799.
4. Apple iPhone 16
iPhone 16
From a Camera Control button, an Action button, and the new A18 chipset, the iPhone 16 has been built from the ground up to handle AI workloads.
5. Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch Series 10
The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399 for GPS and $499 for cellular. It comes in three colors: jet black, rose gold, and silver aluminum. The new black Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at $799.
6. Apple M3 MacBook Air
Apple MacBook Air M3
Apple's MacBook Air has an M3 chip -- more oomph to tackle heavier-duty AI tasks.
Review: M3 MacBook Air: Apple's AI computer for the masses has arrived
Along with the updated processor, this MacBook Air can also power two external monitors with the lid closed, making it a great desktop replacement -- just add two screens!
With prices for the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air starting at $1,099, and the 15-inch version starting at $200 more, these systems represent some serious processing power for an extremely competitive price (especially when you consider these are Apple laptops).
7. Apple Vision Pro
Apple Vision Pro on a stand
Apple's newest product is the company's foray into mixed-reality spatial computing.
Also: 10 reasons the Apple Vision Pro is secretly brilliant
It's hard to bet against Apple, but a futuristic set of goggles with a starting price of $3,499 doesn't feel like the easiest thing to sell. Still, Apple is Apple, and if any company can convince consumers to part with large sums of cash (and developers to create apps for a new platform that could fall flat on its face), it's Apple.
8. 2nd-gen AirPods Pro (now with USB-C)
The AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) offers a major upgrade over the previous model, giving Apple's premium buds a massive lead over the competition. Apple has now refreshed the charging case to use USB-C rather than Lightning -- great if you have a new iPhone, but yet another cable or dongle to carry if not. Here are the highlights:
- Active Noise Cancellation reduces unwanted background noise.
- Adaptive Transparency lets outside sounds in while reducing loud environmental noise.
- Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking places the sound all around you.
- Multiple ear tips are included (XS, S, M, L).
- Touch control lets you swipe to adjust volume, press to direct media playback, answer or end calls, and press and hold to switch between listening modes.
- Sweat- and water-resistant for AirPods Pro and charging case.
- MagSafe Charging Case has a speaker and a lanyard loop.
- USB-C charging.
Also: Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) review: Two major upgrades, tamed by one familiar flaw
And now with the release of iOS 18.1, your AirPods Pro earbuds can function as clinical-grade hearing aids, bringing better hearing to tens of millions of people, and disrupting the lucrative hearing aids market.
9. Apple AirTag
Apple's AirTags are the perfect gift for someone who constantly loses things. You can add them to your luggage, attach them to your bike, your remote, or even your moving boxes -- the possibilities are endless.
Also: How to find out if an AirTag is tracking you
Well-made, robust, and with a replaceable battery, these will make misplaced keys or lost wallet things of the past.
FAQs
What is Apple Intelligence?
Apple Intelligence -- technology that leverages the processing power of Apple silicon to understand and generate language, providing personalized assistance and insights -- has been driving the latest wave of Apple hardware upgrades, with the new iMac and new Mac mini joining the new iPad Mini, the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro being promoted as the hardware to buy if you want access to Apple's vision for AI. Older hardware offers access to some of the features, but the experience will be somewhat patchy.