14 Cool New Gadgets to Keep on Your Radar

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more Another week down, and, per usual, a bunch of new tech and gadgets have been announced. This past week, Apple introduced its first foldable iPhone (as well as new Apple Watches and AirPods), Fosi Audio revealed “the world’s smallest portable CD player,” and Sony revived an older pair of ANC headphones. But that’s just scratching the surface. Below, we’ve rounded up all the most interesting new releases and announcements you might have missed from the past week. Apple iPhone Duo The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable iPhone. It features a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display, making it work like an iPhone and iPad mini all rolled into one. But the real beauty of the Duo is its specialized software, which lets it work in various orientations (and keeps the hinge crease barely visible). The Duo runs on the same A20 Pro chip as the iPhone 18 Pro and uses a 48-megapixel Dual Fusion camera system. Also, an under-display FaceTime camera keeps the inner screen fully uninterrupted. Starting at $2,000, it’s also Apple’s most expensive iPhone. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max look much like last year’s iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. But Apple upgraded both with its new A20 Pro chip and a second-generation vapor chamber, which gives both performance gains, faster charging and longer battery life. With the iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple gave it a physically larger battery so it lasts even longer. Both models feature a smaller Dynamic Island that can display three Live Activities (up from two). Most notably, the 48-megapixel main camera supports variable aperture, so you can control aperture (as well as a few other advanced controls) for the first time on an iPhone. Unfortunately, Apple also increased the base price of both iPhone Pros. The Apple Watch Series 12 is quite similar to last year’s Series 11 in a lot of ways. The two smartwatches have the same 2,000-nit displays, look identical and come in the same two sizes (42mm and 46mm). However, the Series 12 packs a new processor (S11 chip) that enables some new Apple Intelligence and Audio Intelligence features. More notably, the Series 12 has upgraded optical and electrical heart-rate sensors that power a new Health Sensing System. This helps the Series 12 more accurately track steps, as well as support a new Readiness feature, which takes into account your recent activities, vitals and sleep patterns, and lets you know how “ready” you are for future workouts. Additionally, for the first time in the Series 5 (released in 2019), Apple sells the Series 12 in a ceramic version. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 looks and works identically to last year’s Ultra 3. But, just like the Series 12, it’s been updated with Apple’s S11 chip, upgraded heart-rate sensors and new Health Sensing System. This enables the new Readiness feature, as well as more accurate step counting. It also supports new Apple Intelligence and Audio Intelligence capabilities. Maybe most meaningful to its core users, the Ultra 4 has up to a 50-hour battery life (84 hours in Low Power mode), which is notably longer than the Ultra 3’s 42-hour battery life. The AirPods 5 are the successors to the AirPods 4. They have the same open-ear design (meaning that lack a silicone earbud tip, so you can better hear outside noise) and come in two different models: one with a wireless charging case, and one that doesn’t. However, unlike the AirPods 4, both AirPods 5 models now support active noise cancellation. And, thanks to a new multiport acoustic architecture and software tweaks, the AirPods 5 promise to deliver up to 50 percent better active noise cancellation (and a more natural-sounding transparency mode) compared to AirPods 4. Starting at $129 (w/o the wireless charging case), the AirPods 5 are now the most affordable AirPods that Apple sells. The Audio-Technica ATH-AL5NC are wireless open-back headphones. They pack 53mm dynamic drivers that the brand claims generate “a wide, detailed soundstage with pure, natural sound.” They also support LDAC, the highest-resolution Bluetooth codec, which lets them stream 24-bit/96 kHz wireless audio. (They also support AAC and SBC codecs.) Audio-Technica claims the ATH-AL5NC were created for “hi-fi enthusiasts, remote workers, gamers, and other listeners who value exceptional sound quality, lasting comfort, and awareness of their surroundings.” Fosi Audio’s Disc Nano is the company’s first-ever portable CD player. Like other modern options, it features a rechargeable battery and built-in Bluetooth, allowing you to stream CDs to wireless headphones and speakers. What sets the Disc Nano apart is its distinctive half-exposed design. That’s right, the CD isn’t fully protected while it’s playing. This unique design choice lets Fosi Audio market the Disc Nano as the “world’s smallest portable CD player.” Also neat, the Disc Nano has a MagSafe ring mount that allows it to attach to compatible devices, including most smartphones. The MCR 60n packs a full hi-fi stack into a single compact unit — built-in CD player, MM phono stage, HDMI eARC, and 65W + 65W of amplification into 4 ohms. Powered by HEOS, it streams from Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music HD and more, while AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and Roon Ready certification cover virtually every source. High-resolution audio support up to PCM 384kHz/32-bit and Dirac Live upgradability give vinyl-to-streaming listeners serious room to grow. The Sony WH-1000XM4C is the brand’s new midrange option for noise-canceling headphones. They are essentially the same as the 2024-released WH-1000XM4, as they have identical hardware, use the same 40mm drivers, and include the same QN1 processor for active noise cancellation. Naturally, Sony tweaked a few things. It gave them access to a 10-band equalizer (instead of the XM4’s 5-band equalizer) and added more custom options when creating a sound profile. They also come in a new lavender finish, in addition to the standard silver and black options. The other compelling feature? Price. The Sony WH-1000XM4C costs $300, $50 less than the original XM4 when it launched six years ago. The Sony WH-CH730N is the company’s budget-friendly pair of wireless headphones with active noise-cancellation. They are the direct successor to the WH-CH720N, which was released in early 2023. Compared to those predecessors, the WH-CH730N has a more modern and ergonomic design, and a significantly longer battery life (now up to 75 hours with ANC turned off). They have the same 30mm dynamic drivers, but Sony tweaked their tuning so the new headphones should sound a little better. The headphones come in five different colors: black, white, pink, blue and oat (beige). Dali is a Danish hi-fi manufacturer that’s best known for its high-end loudspeakers that are quite expensive (think, more than a car). But, as of late, the company has catered to its more budget-conscious fans, releasing the Kupid, its most affordable pair of bookshelf speakers (costing $600/pair), as well as introducing its Sonik loudspeaker range. Now, with the Basik Sub, Dali is introducing a natural partner for both speaker lines for listeners who want more bass. It’s a compact active subwoofer featuring an 8-inch down-firing long-stroke woofer with powerful Class-D amplification. And it comes in five colors to match the Kupid or Sonik 1 loudspeakers. Insta360’s Luna Pro is a lighter and more affordable handheld gimbal camera than the brand’s flagship Luna Ultra. The main difference between the two is the number of lenses. The Ultra has dual lenses, while the Pro has one. But that main lens and sensor combo, which is a Leica Summicron lens (f1.8/20mm) backed by a 1-inch sensor, is the same. This allows the Luna Pro to capture 8K/30 and 4K/120 videos. It even captures true 4K vertical (9:16) video, which is an upgrade over the Ultra, positioning the Pro as a bargain for content creators shooting Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or TikToks. The Michi Prestige S430 is Rotel’s flagship stereo power amplifier, built around a Class AB circuit rated at 390 watts per channel into 4 ohms. An oversized, in-house-manufactured toroidal transformer and a large reservoir capacitor bank deliver the current stability that demanding loudspeakers need. Balanced XLR and RCA inputs, dual 5-way binding posts and a front-panel display with selectable meter views round out a component engineered to anchor a serious two-channel system. The Michi Prestige P430 is a serious two-channel preamplifier built around an ESS Sabre ES9028PRO 32-bit DAC and a balanced, ultra-low-noise signal path. It handles virtually every source — vinyl via a moving magnet phono stage, TV audio through HDMI ARC, computer audio with DSD256 support via PC-USB, and wireless Bluetooth with aptX HD and AAC. Balanced XLR inputs and outputs, Roon Tested certification and ±10 dB tone controls round out a feature set aimed squarely at the serious home hi-fi listener. About the Author: Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. With a passion for consumer tech and hi-fi, he tracks everything from headphones and turntables to smartphones and wearables. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.