5 new gadgets to keep on your radar in October 2026

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October is already shaping up to be a pretty busy month in terms of technological news. Apple’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, is finally available, and Samsung has new Galaxy Tab S12 tablets aimed at people who like to draw, take notes and edit their photos. Microsoft is also launching a new version of its Surface Pro, and HP is finally offering us its first Googlebook. On top of that, Amazon has completely refreshed its Kindle lineup, including its Kindle Colorsoft.

Of course, just because something is new doesn’t mean it’s worth buying right away, especially when that new device is going to cost you over $1,000. Sure, a bigger screen is nice, but it needs to be good for more than just movies. A new laptop that connects to your phone should be able to do more than just mirror your notifications. To help you navigate all the new technology coming out in October, we’ve put together this handy list of devices to watch.

Each of the gadgets below has at least one feature that could really change the way you use it every day, whether that’s running two iOS apps at once on the iPhone Duo or simply enjoying your favorite books on the slimmer Colorsoft Kindle. These gadgets could very well be your next great tech purchase.

Samsung’s new tablets are first on the menu this month, and the Galaxy Tab S12+ and S12 Ultra will arrive in US stores on October 7. The S12+ starts at $1,199.99 and has a 12.6-inch screen, while the S12 Ultra starts at $1,399.99 and increases that screen size to 14.6 inches. Sure, that’s a lot to spend on a tablet, but if you like working from your tablet, whether drawing or just taking notes, the S12+ and S12 Ultra come with an S Pen in the box.

The biggest draw here will obviously be for creative users who want to work with a larger canvas. In addition to the larger screen, the S12+ and S12 Ultra will also launch with Photoshop preloaded, which is a first for Android tablets. The app is also optimized to work with the S Pen, and Samsung even offers four months of Photoshop for free. If you’ve ever wondered if an Android tablet could replace your laptop, you’ll know that having the right apps is very important – and Photoshop is very important if you do a lot of drawing or image editing.

Samsung’s Multi Window feature sweetens the pot for the S12+ and S12 Ultra. This feature allows you to divide the display into three different sections, which will allow you to watch a video while you draw, or even take notes during a live lecture. Of course, not all apps support Multi Window, so you’ll need to figure out which of your daily drivers support it if you want to get the most out of the feature.

After years of leaks around the form factor, Apple is finally releasing its first foldable iPhone. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 and pre-orders in the US will open on October 16 before the device releases on October 23. When closed, the phone gives you a generous 5.4-inch exterior screen. Opening it will expand the device to a copious 7.6-inch screen. Of course, at almost $2,000 – or more, depending on which model you use – you’re paying for all that display. So many people will wonder what they can actually do with all that extra space.

Fortunately, Apple has packed the phone with features that should make multitasking easier. Features like Split View, which lets you run two apps side-by-side on an iPhone for the first time, should make it easier to multitask. You can even use Split View to open two windows of the same application, like Safari. Apple will even let you save pairs of apps together, so if you have groups that you use together a lot, you can always come back to them very easily later. If you’re considering getting the iPhone Duo, we recommend familiarizing yourself with how to multitask on a foldable phone to get the most out of the larger screen.

It’s not just Apple’s apps that are ready for the new design. Netflix, Zoom and Slack will benefit from the flip screen, with Zoom allowing you to see everything that’s being shared as well as other people on your call at the same time. One of the only downsides to the iPhone Duo is the fact that Apple Pencil support won’t arrive until later this year.

Microsoft’s 12-inch Surface Pro, 2nd Edition launches October 13 in select markets. The fanless Windows PC supports a detachable keyboard and will start at $1,149.99. This time around, Microsoft has integrated Qualcomm’s Snapdragon

This new chip also means faster graphics, with Microsoft promising an increase of more than 60% over its first-generation 12-inch Surface Pro. The main selling point here is the flexibility of the device. You can activate the keyboard whenever you need to write an email or work directly on a document. Once you’re done, simply remove the keyboard to turn the Surface Pro 12 into a tablet that you can use to read, draw, or even watch TV shows and movies. The Surface Pro 12 is a solid option for anyone who wants the best of a tablet and laptop without having to choose one or the other.

The new Surface Pro also comes with Microsoft Ink Canvas preloaded. This pen-focused app lets you draw, annotate, generate AI images, and even summarize text. The biggest downside here is that the already expensive starting price will be higher if you want Microsoft’s snap-on keyboard and Slim Pen. That’s because Microsoft sells both separately from the Surface Pro 12 itself.

We’ve been hearing rumors about a new kind of laptop from Google for years, but HP’s first iteration, the Googlebook 14, is one of the first to finally give us a glimpse of what to expect from Google’s Chromebook replacement. The new device is available on HP’s website as well as Best Buy. It starts at $1,199.99, although most configurations currently available cost $1,299. Inside, you’ll find Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processor. HP has paired this powerhouse with a 14-inch 3K OLED touchscreen display that supports a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. It also comes with a 5-megapixel IR-enabled camera and four built-in speakers.

Of course, one of the main reasons to keep an eye on the Googlebook 14 is how closely it will work with your Android phone. Google’s Quick Access and Cast My Apps features will allow you to open your phone’s files directly from the laptop’s file browser, and you will be able to run all supported phone apps directly on the laptop without having to reinstall them. This should offer Android users something similar to Apple’s Handoff features, which allow users to move what they do on their iPhone or iPad to their Mac and vice versa.

Google Books is built on top of Android, although Google has carried over some of the desktop basics directly from ChromeOS. They are considered more premium devices, however, which is why Googlebooks cost more than Chromebooks. But if you want a laptop that pairs with your Android phone like a Mac does with an iPhone, then the HP Googlebook 14 is one to watch.

Black and white Kindles are great for reading novels, but comics can lose a lot of their style without the color that brings them to life. To help you out, Amazon has released the original Kindle Colorsoft. Now, the latest Colorsoft arrives on October 28 and brings some nice changes to the table. The standard model starts at $289.99 with 16GB of storage, while the $319.99 Signature Edition doubles that to 32GB and comes with an aluminum chassis. The device is part of Amazon’s redesigned Kindle lineup, giving it a flush front display with a bezel that matches the exterior color of the device.

It looks like most of the changes have been made to this display, as Amazon has added micro-baffles to the light guide to reduce stray light that can wash out colors. The company also added nitride LEDs that improve color and brightness, as well as a thinner optical coating that it says should give readers better clarity. The new Colorsoft – as well as other new Kindle models – is also a millimeter thinner and 30% faster at opening books than older models.

The Signature Edition also gives you auto-adjusting front lighting and double-tap page turning. However, it does not support traditional wireless charging. Instead, the Signature Edition uses a pin-based connection method, which also allows it to connect to Amazon’s new $79.99 box, which adds back the physical page-turn buttons that Amazon had previously removed.