Call me biased, but Apple has created some insanely great technology products this year which is one of the reasons they’re responsible for 7 out of the 10 mentioned in this article. Sonos still gets my vote for the best and easiest to setup WiFi home theatre and music system and the latest Sony OLED flatscreen television is simply stunning. Open up your checkbooks and dive in.

Apple TV 4K

The new Apple TV 4K launched in September offers some new features that elevate it to the best television and app streaming device on the market. First of all, it now plays movies and TV shows at 4K Ultra HD resolution with Dolby Vision and HDR10 allowing brighter highlights and expanded range of colors on TVs that also have HDR. The new A10X Fusion processor (same CPU as the iPad Pro) and 3GB RAM provides twice the performance of the previous model which translates into better streaming and gaming performance. News and sports live streaming is now available with NBA, MLB, Bloomberg TV. Rumors that Amazon Prime Video would be available this fall are still lingering, but nothing yet. The base model 32GB model is $179 and the 64GB model is $199.

iPhone 8

The iPhone 8 (4.7”) and 8+ (5.5”) and the iPhone X (5.8”) were announced this summer and began shipping in September. The iPhone 8 models include an A11 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture with an embedded M11 motion coprocessor, 12MP camera, optical image stabilization, six-element lens, quad-LED TrueTone flash, autofocus, Live Photos mode with stabilization, body and face detection, 4K video recording at 24, 30 or 60 fps, slo-mo and time-lapse video with continuous autofocus, 7MP FaceTime camera with 1080p hd video recording and a fingerprint sensor built into the Home button. 

In addition, the larger iPhone 8+ model includes 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, optical zoom and digital zoom up to 10x and portrait mode capability. 

For those seeking to upgrade their existing iPhone 6 +, 6s+ or 7+, the new iPhone 8+ feels and works the same as your old phone and retains the Home button feature. Both are available in gold, silver and space gray with the 64GB model priced at $699 and the 256GB model at $799.

iPhone X

iPhone X (pronounced “ten”) marks the tenth anniversary of Apple’s iPhone. It also rebrands the iPhone with the letter X in much the same way that Mac OS X rebranded their operating systems. Apple has been quietly rethinking, or “Thinking Different”) over the past few years with their naming conventions with the iPad, MacBook and iMac. Will there ever be an iPhone 9? I don’t think so, just as there will never be a Windows 9. So now it’s letters over numbers. So, thanks Apple for confusing us even more. I’m sure we’ll get over it.

The iPhone X introduces new technologies and features into their tenth anniversary addition that insanely great. It now features a Super Retina HD 5.8” OLED Multi-Touch display and a fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating with FaceID facial recognition (which eliminates the TouchID Home button). Technical features include; A11 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture, neural engine, embedded M11 motion coprocessor, 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, optical and digital zoom up to 10x, portrait mode, dual optical image stabilization, six-element lens, quad-LED True Tone flash, Panorama (up to 63 MP), sapphire crystal lens cover, hybrid IR filter, 4K video at 24, 30 or 60 fps, slo-mo and time-lapse video, front facing True-Depth 7MP camera with Portrait mode, Retina Flash, auto HDR with body and face detection. It is available in space gray and silver and weighs in at 6.14 ounces (about one ounce less than the iPhone 8+). For those who desire the latest technology and are willing to learn how to use it, this is the best smartphone on the market today. The 64GB model is $999 and the 256 GB is $1149. In the last ten years, Apple has successfully transitioned us from buying a laptop to a smartphone for roughly the same amount.

AirPods

For all of you who spend five minutes untangling your iPhone headphones after pulling them out of your pocket, a simple, yet expensive solution has arrived. The new AirPods are lightweight, wireless headphones that seamlessly pair with your iPhone and iCloud synced devices (iPads, iMacs, MacBooks). AirPods can also be used with other smartphones and Bluetooth devices through normal pairing procedures. They feature dual-microphone and noise-cancelling technology that uses subtle vibrations making it on of the best remote-input devices on the market.

When you are listening to music through your AirPods and remove one of them from your ear, an optical sensor pauses the music and then resumes when it is placed back in your ear. To actuate Siri, just double-tap either AirPod and you can perform tasks (text message, email, directions, etc.) and she will reply clearly into your ear. 

The white plastic case fully charges the AirPods in 3 hours which provides 5 hours of use per AirPod. In addition, the case holds enough battery to recharge them for 24 more hours. The case weighs 1.34 ounces (38 grams) and each AirPod is .14 ounces (4 grams). At $159 their pricing is inline with offerings from other wireless headphone manufacturers.

Apple HomePod

The HomePod includes an A8 chip, six-microphone array, seven horn-loaded tweeters array, high-excursion woofer and internal low-frequency calibration microphone (automatic bass correction) surrounded by a seamless mesh fabric. It uses an advanced algorithm that continuously analyzes the music and dynamically tunes the low frequencies for smooth, distortion-free sound. The beam forming tweeters precisely focus the sound from narrow beams all the way to true, consistent 360 degree audio, creating an immersive sense of space no matter where the HomePod is placed. The Apple-designed A8 chip provides real-time modeling of the woofer mechanics and buffering that’s even faster than real time. Through advanced echo cancellation and beamforming technology, the upmixing of direct and ambient audio allow the microphone to hear you over the music. With a seamless connection to Apple Music, you can now access 40 million songs with a simple voice command. HomePod does more than play music. It is also a hub for controlling your smart home accessories, from lights to thermostats to door locks. Weighing in at 5.5 lbs and 6.8 inches high, it is offered in white or space gray at $349.

iMac Pro

The long-awaited 27” iMac Pro with 5K display (available in December) has an 8-core CPU with 32GB of DDR4 ECC RAM memory, 1TB SSD, Radeon Pro Vega 56 graphics processor with 8GB of HBM2 memory, 1080p FaceTime camera, 4 USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, 3 USB 3 ports, SDXC card slot, 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, built-in stereo speakers, 4 microphones and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The included wireless Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Mouse 2 are included in the $5000 baseline price. The base model iMac Pro can be upgraded with an 18-core 4.5GHz turbo-boosted Xeon processor ($4000), 16GB High-Bandwidth Radeon Pro Vega graphics card ($2000), 128GB 2666 MHz DDR4 ECC RAM ($2700) and 4TB all-flash SSD storage ($3600) for a grand total of $17,299, a small price to pay for the fastest consumer computer on the planet.

Amazon Echo

The all-new second generation Echo has a new speaker, new design and more fabric and wood veneer styles. It connects to Amazon Music, Spotify Pandora, audiobooks, radio stations and news briefs. With multi-room music capability, you can stream music in different rooms with compatible Echo devices. With hands-free calling and messaging, you can reach anyone instantly with just your voice (Alexa, call the cops). Through Alexa, the voice-activated smart assistant, you can check your calendar, weather, traffic and control your compatible smart lights, thermostats, garage doors, sprinklers and more. The Echo family includes the Echo Dot ($50), Echo ($100), Echo Plus ($150), Echo Spot ($130) and the Echo Show ($230).

Google Home

By saying, “Hey Google” you can ask any question or request an action and Google Home searches the internet for the answer. It also works with Chromecast to stream TV shows, movies and music on your smart television or speakers. Supported apps include Nest, wemo, Philips Hue, August, Leviton, LG, Lutron, iHome, Hive, Honeywell, Frigidaire, Ring, Smartica and tp-link. Streaming services include Netflix, HBO Now, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music and Google Play. The Google Home weighs in at 1.05 lbs and is 5.62 inches high and is offered in white and slate fabric for $129. Google Home Mini ($49) and Google Home Max ($399) offer the same features in a smaller or bigger size.

Sonos

Sonos single-handedly created the most convenient wireless multi-room sound systems available on the market today. The Sonos app is simple to setup and use, and a long list of streaming services like Apple Music, Amazon Music, Mixcloud, Napster, Pandora, SiriusXM and Spotify provide continuous streaming music throughout your home. It can even connect to your existing stereo to control previously built-in speakers and components. The product line includes the One Smart Speaker with built-in Amazon Alexa ($199), Play:1 ($199), Play:3 ($299), Play:5 ($499), PlayBase ($699), PlayBar ($699), Sub ($699), Connect ($349), Connect:Amp ($499) and Boost WiFi ($99). 

Sony OLED

Sony’s stunning OLED television (Model KD-55A1) OLED technology, originally pioneered by LG, creates really deep blacks and excellent contrast because every single pixel emits its own light. It uses LG’s OLED technology and improves the motion processing and contrast enhancement. It is 48” wide, 28” high and 3.5” thick and weighs 55 lbs. 

Currently retailing for $3499 but on sale at several retailers in the $2500 range. The best time to by a new Smart TV is in the middle of January after the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas when new models are introduced and the previous year’s model gets a significant price cut.

Next issue we’ll be visiting the exciting and surprising world of online dating, so go out and buy some of this new technology to improve your odds.