GoKawiil
Tech News
Alongside launching the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5, Apple has rolled out its complete range of first-party accessories. This includes multiple Silicone and TechWoven case options with MagSafe support in various colors for both new iPhone models, priced at $49 and $59 respectively.
A new wave of screenless wearable devices is gaining popularity as alternatives to mainstream smartwatches like the Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, and Pixel Watch. These minimalist gadgets focus on health tracking without a display, appealing to users who want fitness and biometric data without the distractions of a screen.
Apple's Watch Ultra 4 introduces a revamped sensor system with five-second heart rate readings, an improved pedometer, and a new Readiness feature that combines recent activity and sleep data. Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 counters with an expanded Vitals suite in its Health app, offering daily blood pressure estimates, a Heart Health Score, antioxidant readings, and trail-running hydration guidance. Both devices share core safety tools like Emergency SOS, fall detection, and alert sirens, though only Apple's watch adds crash detection.
Mophie's MagSafe 3-in-1 Charging Stand, which charges an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously, is now on sale at roughly 49 percent off its usual price. The stand's standout feature is a telescoping pole that lets the iPhone pad extend from 7.5 to 16 inches and tilt, and the charger is both MFi and Qi certified, delivering up to 15 watts to the phone and 5 watts each to the watch and earbuds. It ships with a 36-watt power supply and a 5-foot USB-C cable.
Counterpoint Research reports that worldwide smartwatch shipments declined 4% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2026, as consumers kept existing devices longer rather than upgrading. Huawei topped the market in total shipments, while Apple posted the strongest growth rate among the five leading brands. Counterpoint projects only 1% shipment growth for the full year.
In the latest 9to5Mac Happy Hour episode, hosts Chance Miller and Benjamin Mayo share hands-on impressions after a week testing the iPhone 18 Pro and new Apple Watch models, alongside first reactions to Apple's newly released operating systems, including macOS Golden Gate. The episode also touches on rumors that Apple may be developing its own game controllers for iPhone.
Early reviews of the Apple Watch Series 12 point to roughly two-day battery life, a notable improvement over previous generations, alongside upgraded health monitoring capabilities. The source material provided limited detail beyond these headline points, but the general reception appears positive.
Apple's Series 12 smartwatch introduces a single-tap hand gesture for navigating Smart Stack widgets alongside existing double-tap and wrist-flick controls. It also debuts a new Health Sensing System with 32 ECG electrodes, ring-arranged photodiodes, and larger LEDs, enabling heart rate readings every five seconds and HRV readings every five minutes, up from every five minutes and two hours respectively on Series 11. The new S11 chip also improves step-tracking accuracy and adds a real-time Steps complication to the watch face.
Apple's latest Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 keep familiar shapes but introduce a new underlying Health Sensing System aimed at improving health tracking accuracy. The Series 12 gets a roughly 2% smaller display area, a slightly wider case, Ceramic Shield 2 glass on aluminum models, and four new aluminum finishes including Dark Bronze and Light Gold. Ultra 4 retains its titanium build in Natural and Black finishes.
Apple's Series 12 keeps the same screen size and case dimensions as the Series 11 but adds a returning Ceramic case option in white or blue, Ceramic Shield 2 on aluminum models, and new color choices including dark bronze and radiant gold. The bigger change is an overhauled 'health sensing system' with a larger skin-contact area and more diodes, electrodes and sensors packed into the same footprint.
Apple's new Series 12 and Ultra 4 look identical to prior models but pack a new S11 chip with a secure microphone-processing exclave and a redesigned health sensor array for more frequent, accurate, and efficient readings. Larger EKG electrodes and upgraded photodiodes ship now, while several AI-driven health features remain unavailable until later this year.
Apple has released an early version of its redesigned Health app to developers testing iOS 27.2, ahead of a planned public rollout later in 2026. The update adds an Insights tab summarizing sleep, fitness and readiness trends, plus a Longevity tab featuring a 'Health Age' score and movement assessments for flexibility, strength and balance, with commentary from health experts tied to user data.