The Apple products you shouldn’t buy this month: November 2023 edition

OK, so with the iPhone 15 now out, along with a refreshed Apple Watch line, and new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops powered by the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, Apple is ready for the holiday season — and the company’s focus will be on having enough products in stock to satisfy as many orders as possible between now and the end of the year.

Also: MacBook Pro (M3 Max) review: A desktop-class laptop for an AI-powered age

Apple’s latest device refresh also means we can trim a lot of stuff off the don’t-buy list. Note that there are a whole bunch of iPads now on the list. This is because 2023 will be the first year since 2010 where there hasn’t been a new iPad released. What’s to blame for this? Well, it might be you, you as in the people buying tablets, or more accurately, not buying tablets. Data suggests that there’s been a close to a 15% drop in sales compared to the third quarter of last year. 

Are you all excited for the Vision Pro mixed reality headset? Well, don’t hold your breath there either as that’s not going to launch until early 2024.

The ‘Naughty’ list

13-inch MacBook Air: With an M2 version of the MacBook Air now available for only $100 more, it no longer makes any sense to pay full price for one based on the M1 chip. 
iPad Mini: Released in September 2021, it’s worth keeping in mind the age of this tablet. Two years is a long time in tech. Would you pay full price for an iPhone 13, which was released at the same time? No, you wouldn’t.
Joining the iPad Mini is the iPad Air Released in March 2022, this isn’t as old as the Mini — but it’s flown past that 18-month mark, making it a dubious buy for the price.
Let’s also add the 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pros to this list: These aren’t in a dire state, but with the M3 chips now out, the M2 chips now feel dated. 
iPhone SE: This handset is now over the 18-month-old mark, and while it could be 2024 before we see an update released, it’s worth bearing in mind that the current model was released in March 2022. 

The ‘Nice’ list

Apple iPhone 15 and 15 Pro Max

We have the much-anticipated refresh of the iPhone line. 

The standard iPhone 15 line gets the processor that’s currently in the iPhone 14 Pro line, a new 48-megapixel main camera, and USB-C, while the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max get a new A17 Pro chip, a titanium structure, and updated cameras, including a 5x telephoto.

Also: Every iPhone 15 model compared: iPhone 15 vs. Plus vs. Pro vs. Pro Max

Apple 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro

This lineup of laptops debuts the entire lineup of M3 chips — from the powerful M3 to the insanely powerful M3 Max.

Powered by the M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max chips, Apple’s most advanced chips for personal computers 
Up to 22 hours of battery life
8GB to 128GB of unified memory
512GB to 8TB of SSD storage
Liquid Retina XDR display
Ports galore, with up to three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SDXC card slot, an HDMI port, a MagSafe 3 port, and a headphone jack

Also: Apple’s M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chipsets: Everything you need to know

Apple iMac 24-inch

Apple’s iMac, with its 24-inch, 4.5K Retina display gets the M3 upgrade, bringing it into 2023. 

Apple M3 chip (no M3 Pro or M3 Max option)
24-inch 4.5K Retina display
8GB to 24GB of unified memory
512GB to 2TB of SSD storage
Super-thin all-in-one desktop 
Seven vibrant colors

Also: Apple’s M3 iMac disappoints 27-inch display devotees, but does anyone really need that?

Apple Watch Series 9

More power thanks to the S9 SiP chip, new features such as double-tap gestures, and a new brighter display comes to the Apple Watch.

S9 SiP chip
45mm or 41mm aluminum or stainless steel case
Up to 2000 nits display brightness
50-meter water resistance

Also: Apple Watch Series 9: Top 4 new features we’re excited about

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Apple’s flagship smartwatch gets an upgrade in the form of the new S9 SiP chip, more storage, and a brighter display.

S9 SiP chip
49mm titanium case
Up to 3000 nits display brightness
100-meter water resistance

Also: Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Ultra: Is it time to upgrade?

2023 Apple Mac Pro

This monster system finally got the Apple Silicon treatment. With a starting price of $7,000, it’s not cheap, but once you start adding the extras it’s a lot cheaper than its predecessor.

Apple M2 Ultra chip, with 24-core CPU and up to 76-core GPU
Up to 192GB of unified memory
32-bit Neural Engine
Up to 8TB of storage 
2 x HDMI
2 x 10Gb Ethernet
Rack- or desk-mounting options

2023 Apple MacBook Air

Apple’s “thin and light” laptop gets bumped up to a 15-inch display and an M2 chip.

15.3-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology
2880-by-1864 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch

8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
10-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine

2023 Apple Mac Mini with M2 chip

Apple’s “starter” Mac gets the M2 Apple Silicon treatment, bringing it into 2023.

Apple M2 or Apple M2 Pro chip
Two Thunderbolt 4 ports (M2) or four Thunderbolt 4 ports (M2 Pro) 

Two USB-A ports (up to 5Gb/s)
HDMI port
Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)
3.5mm headphone jack
8- to 12-core CPU
10- to 19-core GPU
8GB to 32GB unified memory
256GB to 8TB storage

Also: This $75 dock turns your Mac Mini into a Mac Studio (sort of)

2022 Apple MacBook Air Laptop with M2 chip

Apple’s M2-powered MacBook Air is a powerhouse of a laptop, offering a huge performance boost over the older Intel-powered MacBook Air, such as 15 times faster video editing — yes, video editing on a MacBook Air! — and up to 18 hours of battery life.

Review: Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022): Sleeker, faster — and pricier

The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display features over 500 nits of brightness, P3 wide color, and support for 1 billion colors
Next-generation M2 8-core CPU with 8-core GPU and 8GB of unified memory
Up to 18 hours of battery life
1080p FaceTime HD camera, three-mic array, and four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio
A MagSafe charging port, two Thunderbolt ports, and a headphone jack
Weighs just 2.7 pounds

2nd-gen AirPods Pro

The second-generation AirPods Pro offer a major upgrade over the previous model, giving Apple’s premium buds a massive lead over the competition.

Also: AirPods Pro might be an inexpensive solution to your hearing loss

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 sound all around you
Multiple ear tips (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 includes a speaker
The case features a lanyard loop

Also: Adaptive Audio listening mode is coming to AirPods Pro 2

AirTag

Blowing away the competition, Apple’s AirTags are the perfect gift for someone who constantly loses things. You can add them to your luggage, 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.