386 - Pumpkin Spice iPhone Season

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by Jill McKinley, Guy Serle, Eric Bolden, Jeff Gamet, Marty Jencius. The panel unpacks Apple's latest event: the iPhone 17 lineup, the sleek new iPhone Air, AirPods Pro 3 with heart-rate and live translation, and the Apple Watch Series 11 with new health features. Are these upgrades worth it—or just iterative polish? Tune in for analysis, debate, and laughs

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com

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Summary

In Episode 386 of In Touch With iOS, David Ginsburg is joined by a full panel—Guy Serle, Jill McKinley, Marty Jencius, Jeff Gamet, and Eric Bolden—to dive into Apple's latest "awe-dropping" event. The discussion covers the iPhone 17 lineup, including the Pro and Pro Max models powered by the A19 Pro chip, upgraded camera systems, and improved thermal cooling. Panelists debate upgrade cycles, storage needs, and even whether "pumpkin spice" (aka orange) should count as a phone color.

We also break down the debut of the iPhone Air, Apple's thinnest iPhone yet, with its titanium build, new C1X modem, and unique design choices (including that hump). Is it just a super-thin marvel—or half of a future foldable iPhone? Opinions differ!

Next up, the AirPods Pro 3 bring stronger noise cancellation, a heart rate sensor, and game-changing live translation features. The crew weighs whether these are must-have upgrades or evolutionary refinements. Finally, the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 take center stage, with blood pressure monitoring, sleep score features, and battery improvements sparking debate about health tracking and who benefits most from the new models.

Throughout the episode, the panel reflects on how Apple's hardware has entered an iterative phase—solid and polished, but less revolutionary. Still, with new colors, health sensors, and smarter features, there's plenty to discuss, speculate, and laugh about in this jam-packed post-event recap .

Topics and Links

In Touch With Vision Pro this week.

visionOS 26 available from Sep 15, with spatial widgets, new Personas and more

visionOS 26 Beta 9 Release Notes | Apple Developer Documentation

New Jupiter Environment in visionOS 26 Marty reviews the changes with visionOS 26 RC Beta Here's Apple Vision Pro's new Jupiter Environment

Beta this week.

Apple Seeds iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 Release Candidates

iOS 26: Here are Apple's full release notes

Apple Seeds watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 Release Candidates

Get Ready for Liquid Glass: You Can Download iOS 26, macOS Tahoe and More on September 15

Apple rolls out betas for iOS 18.7, macOS 15.7, and macOS 14.8

Xcode 26 RC beta now available for developers

In Touch With Mac this week

Apple Seeds macOS Tahoe Release Candidate

Here Are Apple's macOS Tahoe 26 Release Notes

Apple Event Aw Dropping 9/9/25

Links to Features Everything Apple Announced at Today's Event in 13 Minutes

AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Here's everything new

Apple debuts new C1X in-house modem, the successor to C1

Apple announces the iPhone N1 chip, its own custom silicon for Bluetooth and WiFi radios

Apple Event Press Releases

iPhone

Apple unveils iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the most powerful and advanced Pro models ever

Introducing iPhone Air, a powerful new iPhone with a breakthrough design - Apple

Apple debuts iPhone 17

Apple Watch

Apple debuts Apple Watch Series 11, featuring groundbreaking health insights

Introducing Apple Watch Ultra 3

Apple introduces Apple Watch SE 3

Hypertension alerts are coming to these existing Apple Watch models

AirPods Pro 3

Introducing AirPods Pro 3, the ultimate audio experience

AirPods Pro 3 don't include a USB-C charging cable in the box

AirPods Pro 3 get foam-infused ear tips in five different sizes

Comparisons

Compare iPhone models

Apple Watch Compare

Compare AirPods models

Awe Dropping: Here's everything Apple didn't announce today

Here's every new accessory Apple just launched

Jeff gives his thoughts on the event and was it good or not

Announcements

Macstock 9 has wrapped for 2025. Attendees will receive a link for the session recordings when they're ready in 30-45 days. If you missed Macstock we missed you! Why not purchase a digital pass to relive all the amazing presentations? Click the link below to purchase the digital pass. Macstock X has already been announced July 10,11,12, 2026 hopeful you all can join us.

Macstock IX Digital Pass

Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveg65, , BlueSky @daveg65 and the show @intouchwithios

Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's managing editor, and Smile's TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet Pixelfed @jgamet@pixelfed.social and Bluesky @jgamet.bsky.social‬ Podcasts The Context Machine Podcast Retro Rewatch Retro Rewatch His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at jencius@mastodon.social https://thepodtalk.net

Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him by email at eabolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.

Jill McKinley works in enterprise software, server administration, and IT A lifelong tech enthusiast, she started her career with Windows but is now an avid Apple fan. Beyond technology, she shares her insights on nature, faith, and personal growth through her podcasts—Buzz Blossom & Squeak, Start with Small Steps, and The Bible in Small Steps. Watch her content on YouTube at @startwithsmallsteps and follow her on X @schmern.

Chuck Joiner is the host of MacVoices and hosts video podcasts with influential members of the Apple community. Make sure to visit macvoices.com and subscribe to his podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @chuckjoiner and join his MacVoices Facebook group.

Ben Roethig Former Associate Editor of GeekBeat.TV and host of the Tech Hangout and Deconstruct with Patrice Mac user since the mid 90s. Tech support specialist. X @benroethig and all other social media @benroethig. Website: https://roethigtech.com/

Guy Serle is one of the hosts of the new The Gmen Show along with GazMaz and email Guy@mymac.com @MacParrot and @VertShark on X Vertshark on YouTube, Skype +1 Area code 703-828-4677