Tech Vitals Apple’s September keynote just wrapped, and there’s plenty to talk about. From AirPods that track your heart rate to iPhones with pro-level cameras, here’s my take on what stood out—and what didn’t.

Better noise cancellation. Built-in workout tracking. USB-C charging.

The new AirPods Pro 3 ($249) pack a surprising punch. Apple claims they now have the world’s best in-ear Active Noise Cancellation, plus a heart-rate sensor for workouts.

I love my AirPods, but the fit has always been a little hit-or-miss for exercise. If this new design stays put better, I’ll eventually pick them up. Honestly, they’re still the best deal in wireless earbuds.

Three new models this year: Series 11, SE, and Ultra 3.

The big win is more battery life. Apple also teased hypertension notifications, pending FDA approval, a step toward making the Watch an even better health device. The display is also more scratch-resistant (something my Ultra 2 could’ve used).

This was the star of the show for me.

It’s available for preorder now, shipping September 19. If I buy anything this year, it’ll be this.

Sleep score is finally built into Apple Health. That’s nice, but I’m sticking with Athlytic for now, it still provides deeper insights than Apple’s native app.

This is where things got messy.

I don’t get it. The Air feels like compromise: weaker cameras, smaller battery, still $999. Unless Apple pulled off a miracle in battery life (unlike the old Minis), I’m not convinced.

Solid updates:

I actually like the new color lineup: black, purple, blue, green, and white.

My 16 Pro still feels perfect though, scratches and all.

Apple leaned hard into pro features this year:

Colors are bold this time, theorange is my favorite. Price starts at $1,199, preorders opened last Friday.

I’m not upgrading. I’m making smarter financial choices right now, hold me to that. iOS 26 beta has already made my current phone feel new again.

This year’s keynote felt incremental in some places and ambitious in others. AirPods got smarter, Apple Watch is edging closer to being a medical device, and iPhones are chasing pro creators harder than ever.

But for me? I’ll stick with my 16 Pro and maybe grab the Ultra 3.

What about you? Are you upgrading this year—or sitting this one out?

I’m probably going to dial back the newsletter and podcast to bi-weekly. While I’ve proved to myself that it is doable, it is not sustainable over the long term.

A good reminder that you don’t have to do something just because someone says you do. Many of the people proclaiming that you need to “do it all” have large teams helping them with social media.

As a solo creator and business owner, I just can’t keep up. I also am not making enough money yet for it to be feasible to hire help.

No amount of chatGPT automations or Apple Shortcuts can really replace the fact that it is just too much for me right now.

Along the lines of doing less and slowing down. I listened to the Tim Ferris show with guest Cal Newport, author of the book Slow Productivity.

I’m not even close to being done with the book yet, it is honestly a pretty dry read so far but this podcast episode had some real gems.

One of the key pillars of the book is to obsess over quality. This one hits home because it is all too easy to be caught up in posting for the sake of posting, not even thinking about if you are improving or not, but continuing to make content to feed the algorithm.

Of course the counter argument there is that if you sit around and do nothing that you may never get to post at all.

Personally I’m trying to find a balance that is sustainable. Some schedule where I can take my time to actually get better each time. I think after 270 videos, I can say that quantity has ceratinly helped me get better on camera.

I’m less certain if it has done anything good for my scripting, ability to keep a video flowing while writing, my B-roll and videography skills, and editing and motion graphics for sure have not improved nearly as much. In fact these are areas that I will often compromise on in order to keep up with a weekly cadence.

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