It’s the most wonderful time of the year, if you love glass slabs and connected watches. Apple revealed three new iPhones this week – the iPhone XS, the iPhone XS Max, and the iPhone XR – along with a new Apple Watch that has more health-tracking features than it ever has before.

But this was also an “S” year for iPhones, which means the most significant updates to the phones are internal ones, rather than radical exterior redesigns. Sure, the iPhone XS Max has the biggest phone display Apple has ever shipped; but its body is the same size as an iPhone 8 Plus. That means that Apple has to work a little bit harder to prove to consumers that its brand-new A12 Bionic chip, its camera improvements, and its tightly integrated hardware and software are worth the $1,000-and-up price tag for its flagship phones. Arielle, Lauren, and Mike discuss the hardware event and the new wares themselves on this week’s podcast.

Check out our coverage from the event; we also have all the details on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, the iPhone XR, and the Apple Watch Series 4.

Recommendations this week: Lauren recommends buying a phone case – any phone case – so your phone doesn’t end up shattered like hers is. Arielle recommends these new sneakers from Rothy’s, which you can read more about in her exclusive deep dive on the making of the new kicks. Mike recommends a podcast called Stoner. It’s about rare gemstones. Just kidding.

Send the Gadget Lab hosts feedback on their personal Twitter feeds. Arielle Pardes is @pardesoteric. Lauren Goode is @laurengoode. Michael Calore can be found at @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. Our theme song is by Solar Keys.

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