In today’s letter: Improving video calls; the iPhone camera battle; seeing the future in 5G; a smart-speaker showdown and more. But first ...

By Apple’s third pre-recorded event, things had become quite predictable: the sweeping drone shots of the Cupertino spaceship campus; an epic zoom landing on Tim Cook, hands arranged just so 🙏; finally, details about the new [insert product names].

It began with September’s Apple Watch and iPad event, followed by October’s iPhone 12 event and then this week’s Mac event. Sure, there was no brand new revolutionary product this year, but each of Apple’s different-sized screens (and even one no-screen device) got updates that will appeal to many—especially this year.

While the products themselves didn’t have much in common, you can zoom out to see three unifying threads quite clearly:

Hardware/software synergy. Apple boasted an iPhone 12 with 5G faster than any Android phone and my testing proved the same. The reason? Complete control, from the new A14 Bionic chip to cellular connectivity to iOS. For the iPad Air, Apple promised performance 3x faster than the top-selling Android tablet due to its new chip and operating system. And then the big one: MacBooks with Apple’s new M1 chip, which are considerably faster than their Intel-powered counterparts, have longer battery life—and can run iPhone and iPad apps.

Pricing for everyone. Seven iPhone models, starting at $399. Four iPad models, starting at $329. Three Apple Watch models, starting at $199. Two HomePods, starting at $99. A confusing amount of choices? Indeed, yet with more options than ever, Apple can lure more first-time buyers—and address those who don’t want to splurge during a tough year.

Sticky services. Now that you’ve bought your hardware, it’s time to pay. Got an Apple Watch you don’t plan to upgrade for years? Don’t worry, Fitness Plus, a Watch-only subscription workout plan, is coming. Already subscribe to Apple Music and Apple TV+? With Apple One, you can tack on more for a lower combined price.

So there you have it, after three hours of Apple events and 10 new products, the world’s richest electronics maker shows you its strategy to keep growing—and keep you spending. So now I’d like to hear from you: How much upgrading are you going to do this fall?

—Joanna, the Journal’s Senior Personal Tech Columnist, is based in her basement, surrounded by Apple review units

It’s going to be another long winter of working from home. Here’s a guide to help you up your Zoom game.

👉Read Nicole and Joanna’s full column here.

While all Apple’s iPhone 12 models got camera upgrades, the 12 Pro Max got the biggest zoom and low-light bumps. But do photos really show these improvements? To test that, WSJ’s Joanna Stern recruited a body painter to create the ultimate living portrait of 2020.

Pandemic Phishing: Cyberattacks originating in Russia and North Korea in recent months have targeted online accounts at seven companies researching Covid-19 drugs and vaccines, according to Microsoft—in some cases successfully.

Extra Time: The Commerce Department last week said that it won’t enforce its order that would have effectively forced Chinese-owned TikTok to shut down, citing a federal court ruling in Philadelphia.

Privacy Matters: The Federal Trade Commission has settled a case with Zoom over how the videoconferencing platform handles user privacy. The FTC alleged that Zoom for at least the past four years promised users a level of data encryption it didn’t provide.

SoftBank’s Sensei: Masayoshi Son again pulled Softbank from the brink. This time he had help. The unpredictable technology investor was coached out of the crisis by hedge fund Elliott Management, a major shareholder.

Competition Watch: Amazon faces fresh legal battles with the European Union after the bloc charged the online retailer with violating competition law in a new salvo in its scrutiny of U.S. tech corporations.

I have lived with 5G for a year, and I can now report this: Not much has changed. Literally. I’ve toggled it off in favor of the tried-and-true 4G LTE.

👉Read Timothy Martin’s full report here.

And for more on the global 5G rollout, check out:

• Pentagon Readies for Battle in a 5G Future

• Amazon, Microsoft Dial Up Efforts to Win Telecom Cloud Business

• Why 5G May Not Need a Killer App—for Now

I listened to “Rhapsody in Blue” 36 times so I could tell you: Apple, Google and Amazon’s new speakers, all released in the past few months, sound pretty dang good for their shelf-friendly size and $100 price tags.

👉Read Nicole’s full column here.

The libertarian-minded platform aims to challenge tech giants through a focus on free speech; surge in users since the election.

👉Read Jeff Horwitz and Keach Hagey’s full report here.

• The “Fin-influencer” Boom: Why Instagram and Tiktok Are the New Battlegrounds for Digital Banks (Sifted)

• Europe Is Adopting Stricter Rules on Surveillance Tech (MIT Review)

• Selfies and Sharia Police (Rest of World)

With the release of PlayStation 5, Sony could have a hit product this holiday season. Here’s how the Japanese electronics giant built the popular gaming system that would become the company’s crown jewel.

The 2020 election spurred social-media giants to adopt aggressive changes to how they police political discourse. Now the questions are whether that new approach will last and whether it should.

👉Read Emily Glazer and Sam Schechner’s full report here. And for more on election-related tech news, read:

• Silicon Valley Gets Another President Skeptical of Big Tech

• Biden’s China Tech Plan: Stronger Defense, Quieter Offense

• Twitter Says Labels, Warnings Slowed Spread of False Election Claims

• Facebook and Google Extend Bans on Political Ads

Walmart’s potential deal with TikTok may not only change the retail giant, it could reshape how Americans shop online. Video commerce, which allows users to shop while they watch viral videos, is already wildly popular in other countries.

When dogs like Bunny find their voice—and become demanding. 

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Brought to you by tech editor Robert Wall, tech news editor Bowdeya Tweh and personal tech editor Wilson Rothman. You can reach them by replying to this newsletter, and follow them on Twitter: @R_Wall, @bowknowsbiz and @wjrothman.