3 Apple devices you probably shouldn't buy this month (and 9 that are safe for now)

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Apple’s 2025 holiday lineup is likely complete, but rumors persist.
• New iPad Pros and MacBook Pros launched after the latest refresh.
• Vision Pro gets a speed boost with the new M5 chip.

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Here we are, in the final stretch of 2025. While the yearly iPhone release is, without doubt, Apple’s most lucrative product, the holiday season is also an important revenue stream for the company. Every year, tens of millions of iPhone, iPads, and AirPods, not to mention a fairly hefty number of Macs, are wrapped up and placed under Christmas trees.

Not only is it important for Apple to refresh its lineup, but getting stock levels to a place where they can deliver products to people who need them without too much in the way of overproduction.

Also: Best early Black Friday Apple deals 2025: 25+ sales out now

All the big hitters have been updated, from the iPhone and AirPods and iPad to the MacBook Pro and even the Vision Pro. While that on the face of it might seem like it covers everything, there are plenty more Apple updates rumored for 2025 and early 2026. These could include a budget iPhone 17e, an updated Home Hub, a HomePod Mini 2, an Apple TV, a MacBook Air, and an updated AirTag.

That’s a lot left to update.

So, what’s safe to buy now to put under the tree, and what’s best avoided until next year?

The ‘buy at your peril’ list

While I’m fairly confident that Apple is done, there could still be some surprise updates.

1. AirTags 2: The updated hardware is expected to have better range, longer battery life, and features to make it harder to use for stalking.
2. HomePod mini 2: This is expected to get a performance, networking, and sound quality upgrade.
3. Apple TV 4K (4th gen): Faster processor, more built-in storage, and better and more reliable networking.

The ‘good to buy’ list

These Apple devices are worth buying now, since it’ll be a while before we see significant hardware upgrades.

1. iPhone 17 series

The iPhone 17 is now available, sporting a faster A19 and A19 Pro processor, a better camera, and better battery…

Also: Should you upgrade to an iPhone 17 Pro from last year’s model? I am – here’s why

The reviews almost write themselves by now. For those with too much money, Apple now offers the iPhone 17 Pro Max with 2TB of storage for a reassuring $1,999. There’s also a new iPhone model, the ultra-thin (well, excluding the big camera bulge at the top) iPhone Air, which seems to replace the iPhone Plus line and attempts to unify Apple’s buzzwords.

2. Apple Watch Series 11, SE 3, and Ultra 3

The entire line of Apple Watches has been upgraded, focusing on health metrics, especially hypertension alerting (a feature that’s also coming to older Apple Watches). Again, these are in the preorder state at the time of writing.

Also: I tried the Apple Watch Series 11, Watch Ultra 3, and SE – what the keynote didn’t tell you

There’s a new Apple Watch at every price point, from $249 for the SE 3 to $899 for the Ultra 3 with the neat titanium Milanese band.

3. AirPods Pro 3

The AirPods Pro 3 get some big upgrades, including improved noise cancellation, better audio quality, increased battery life, and a new feature — heart rate detection. This is an interesting shift for Apple since it moves some of the core functionality found in the Apple Watch to another device.

Also: With AirPods Pro 3, Apple pulled off something I thought impossible in a pair of earbuds

Are you excited to get your hands on the new AirPods Pro 3? I am, too, but you could save a few bucks by waiting until the Black Friday deals roll by. Traditionally, this is a product that gets discounted.

Who knows? You might save yourself $50.

4. iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro

The iPad Air, kitted out with the M3 chip, received a refresh in March. Prices start at $599 for the 11-inch version and $799 for the 13-inch version. At the time, the iPad also got a performance boost thanks to the A16 chip. Prices for this tablet start at $350.

Also: The 5 best iPads of 2025: We’ve tested every iPad available – these are the best ones

Updated M5-powered iPad Pro tablets are now also available for preorder, and prices start at $999 for the 11-inch model and $1,299 for the 13-inch model.

5. MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro line get a somewhat confusing refresh. A new 14-inch base model gets the M5 treatment, while higher-end 14- and 16-inch models stick with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. The 14-inch M5 model starts at $1,599 and is available for preorder now.

Also: I compared the M5 MacBook Pro to older Mac models – here’s my buying advice in 2025

6. Mac Studio

Apple’s pro-grade alternative to the Mac mini also saw a serious processing boost in March 2025, with the M4 Max and M3 Ultra offered in a range of configurations. Prices start at $1,999 but can reach $14,099 for a fully tricked-out system.

Also: I replaced my Windows PC with a Mac Studio for a week – here are my takeaways so far

7. iMac

The M4 iMac received a refresh to bring it up to speed with Apple Intelligence in October 2024. With specs ranging from an eight-core CPU and GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage priced at $1,299, all the way up to a 10-core CPU and GPU, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,899, there’s an iMac to suit most workloads and budgets.

8. Mac Mini

Apple’s smallest Mac got an upgrade in October 2024 to the M4 and M4 Pro processors. It’s also the cheapest Mac you can buy, as a Mac Mini with the 10-core CPU and GPU model, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage costs only $599.

9. iPad Mini

The 2024 iPad Mini was introduced in October 2024, replacing the three-year-old model with one powered by an A17 Pro chip that’s Apple Intelligence-ready. The device comes in a range of colors — blue, purple, starlight, and space gray — and multiple storage capacities — 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. Prices range from $499 to $799.

Tariff costs, trade wars, and cost reductions

Tariffs still dominate the news. One moment they’re on; next they’re off; then they’re on again with a list of ifs, buts, and exceptions that may or may not stick around.

According to Apple’s July 31 earnings call, tariffs have cost the company approximately $800 million for the last quarter, with this figure expected to rise to $1.1 billion for the current quarter.

Is Apple shouldering that tariff burden? Maybe not.

Apple has added $100 to the price of the iPhone 17 lineup, but tried to make things more opaque by stirring up the storage capacities. But storage prices are cheap — roughly, the industry average price is about $16 for 128GB, and around $35 for 256GB — so that doesn’t account for all of the price. 

Also, Apple has switched up the chassis from titanium to aluminum, and titanium is considerably more expensive than aluminum, around 2.5 to 3 times more per pound depending on the alloy — so that’s quite a saving for a company making millions of iPhones.

So, is Apple swallowing the tariff costs? I’d say no, the consumer is paying, but they just don’t notice it.

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