Apple hardware and Sonos upgrades lead a 15-device review roundup

Two weeks of testing span new iPhones, watches, earbuds, Macs, audio gear, VR hardware, cameras and accessories.

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A reviewer holds a red iPhone horizontally to take a photo.

TLDR

Engadget recaps 15 device reviews published across two weeks. Apple’s batch includes the camera-focused iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12, AirPods 5 and new Mac mini and Mac Studio models, while Sonos returns with Ace Ultra headphones and a Beam Ultra soundbar with up-firing drivers. The broader list covers Valve’s Steam Frame, HTC smart glasses, Samsung’s Galaxy S26 FE, Beats headphones, DJI’s repairable 360 camera, a smart toaster and several accessories.

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A concentrated September hardware cycle produced 15 Engadget reviews in two weeks, ranging from Apple’s latest devices to Sonos audio gear, VR hardware, cameras and accessories. The publication’s recap is a map of those verdicts rather than a single product comparison.

Apple accounts for five of the reviewed devices. Engadget identifies camera changes as the iPhone 18 Pro’s biggest specification upgrade. The Apple Watch Series 12 expands health tracking and adds audio features that were not yet available at review time. Both AirPods 5 versions now include active noise cancellation, although the reviewer argues Apple does not need two models. New chips lift the Mac mini and Mac Studio, but both computers cost more.

Sonos returns with headphones and a soundbar

The Sonos Ace Ultra addresses a central limitation of the original Ace by operating as a standalone member of a Sonos system. Engadget says that integration works well even in early access. The Beam Ultra soundbar adds up-firing drivers, allowing it to produce physical Dolby Atmos height effects rather than relying only on virtualization.

Those are review conclusions, not just specification changes: the roundup presents the Ace Ultra as the version the first Ace should have been, while the Beam Ultra’s driver layout is the meaningful technical upgrade.

The rest of the list ranges widely

Engadget’s other reviews include Valve’s Steam Frame standalone VR headset, HTC Vive Eagle smart glasses, Samsung’s Galaxy S26 FE, Beats 360 headphones, the DJI Osmo 360 II camera, Turtle Beach’s Rematch Switch 2 controller and a Keychron Thunderbolt 5 dock.

The list also reaches beyond conventional computing gear with Breville’s Eye Q Toaster. Taken together, the recap is most useful as a catch-up guide: readers can jump from the broad verdicts to the individual tests that match the product category they actually care about.

Apple hardware and Sonos upgrades lead a 15-device review roundup

Two weeks of testing span new iPhones, watches, earbuds, Macs, audio gear, VR hardware, cameras and accessories.

1 Source, 3h ago, first seen 3h ago

TLDR

Featured Source

Apple hardware and Sonos upgrades lead a 15-device review roundup

TLDR

Sonos returns with headphones and a soundbar

The rest of the list ranges widely

Apple hardware and Sonos upgrades lead a 15-device review roundup

TLDR

Sonos returns with headphones and a soundbar

The rest of the list ranges widely

1 Source

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Sonos returns with headphones and a soundbar

The rest of the list ranges widely

Sonos returns with headphones and a soundbar

The rest of the list ranges widely

Combined views

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1 Source

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