Today’s Apple Event is dubbed “an ‘S’ year”, so the big reveals weren’t groundbreaking, but there’s some real substance there.

Here’s my take:

iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR

I will likely stick to my iPhone X this year. No really compelling reason to upgrade to a XS. Speed, slight camera spec bump, gold, larger size… none are needs or even big wants.

Though that would mean fixing my malfunctioning screen on my current model, so maybe I just talked myself into it.

Apple Watch Series 4

Now this I want. This I need. I’m still wearing an Apple Watch (often referred to as “Series 0”) which is the first iteration of the product. It’s over 3 years old now, but is now 4 generations behind. This means it will not support watchOS 5, is extremely slow compared to newer models, does not have GPS, a lower-brightness display, low tolerance to water, older bluetooth, and no cellular connectivity (though I doubt I would spring for cellular versions, anyway.)

One of the best features of Series 4 for me is the new suite of health and heart-related functions. Heart-rate monitoring has taken a huge step up with both high and low heart rate monitoring, ECG report generation, and generally better Health app integration. As I get older this becomes more of a big deal for me.

I wear my Apple Watch almost every day now, so an upgrade here makes sense.

Overall, this was an important event that unfortunately was spoiled by some Apple leaks that might have lessened the impact of some of the announcements for everyone. Apple is moving forward on some of their products here, with another event rumored for October for some iPad and Mac-related announcements. That’s the one I’m really excited about, though my bank account is not.