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Tag: AirPods

  • 15 Surprisingly Good Black Friday Gift Ideas for the Tech Lover in Your Life

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    If you’re looking to get a gift for someone into tech, you know it can be challenging to figure out what to buy. This year for Black Friday, the most interesting deals aren’t necessarily the flashiest. They’re the practical, delightfully nerdy tools people will actually use.

    This isn’t a list of the cheapest tech—in fact, some of these things aren’t even on sale for Black Friday. Instead, it’s a list of the best tech to give someone you actually like. These are product ideas that solve real problems and would be a welcome gift for any tech aficionado.

    Image Credit: Jason Aten

    The Paper Pro Move is just a few months old, and I’ve been reviewing it since it came out. I think it’s fair to say it’s the most thoughtfully designed “mini” device of the year. It shrinks reMarkable’s new color e-ink canvas to a 7.3-inch display—roughly paperback size—while keeping the adjustable front light, Gallery 3 color, and reMarkable’s signature paper-like writing feel. The pixel density jumps to 264 PPI, making text sharper than even the full-size Paper Pro.

    If someone on your list takes field notes, travels light, or found the original 11.8-inch Paper Pro too unwieldy, this is the one to get. The catch: it’s brand new, so no straight discounts.

    Who It’s For: Note-takers, creatives, commuters, field workers, and anyone who writes more than they type.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: The official bundle discount ($50 off) on the Move + Marker Plus + Type Folio.

    2. Anker Nano Power Bank (10K, 45W)

    Anker’s best pocketable charger is on one of its best sales ever. The Nano Power Bank has an integrated retractable USB-C cable—no more scrambling for cords—and a 10,000 mAh battery that can refuel most phones twice. The best feature is the 45W output, which is powerful enough to charge a MacBook Air or Nintendo Switch.

    Who It’s For: Travelers, commuters, students, and anyone who lives out of a sling bag.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: $39.99 (down from $59.99) at Amazon and Anker.

    3. Sony A7 IV

    Sony’s A7 IV remains one of the most balanced, capable, and reliable full-frame cameras you can buy—especially for the price. It features a 33MP sensor, excellent low-light performance, industry-leading autofocus, and oversampled 4K video. It’s not the newest body in Sony’s lineup, but that’s the point: it’s the rare camera that’s good at everything without costing flagship money.

    Who It’s For: Enthusiast photographers, hybrid shooters, vloggers, and anyone moving up from an APS-C camera.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: $1,998 for the body ($700 off), at B&H Photo.

    4. Nespresso Vertuo Creatista

    Image Courtesy, Nespresso

    This year, the Nespresso Vertuo Creatista arrives on Black Friday with a compelling case: it blends the instant convenience of pods with a legit steam wand for lattes, cappuccinos, or flat whites. Not only that, but it all comes inside a polished stainless-steel body that looks more like a countertop espresso machine than a pod brewer. Its 2-liter water tank, auto-eject capsule system, and built-in frother make it a one-button way to satisfy both espresso and latte cravings. 

    Who It’s For: Coffee lovers who want café-quality espresso, cappuccinos, and lattes at home without learning the art of tamping and pulling shots—ideal for apartment dwellers, new homeowners, or anyone upgrading from a standard drip pot.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: As low as $418.98 at Amazon (Down from $699.95 list price).

    5. Sonos Arc Ultra + Sub

    If it’s time to give yourself or someone you love a home-theater upgrade, this is the one. The new Arc Ultra shrinks the soundbar while improving its bass and clarity thanks to Sonos’s “Sound Motion” transducer tech. Paired with the Sub (Gen 4), it delivers room-filling sound and best-in-class dialogue enhancement. As a result, movies sound dramatically better, especially voices—the Arc Ultra’s center channel is exceptional.

    Who It’s For: Movie lovers, home-theater enthusiasts, and anyone who struggles to hear dialogue.
    Best Deal for Black Friday:     $1,499 for the bundle from Sonos and major retailers (about $500 off typical pricing).

    6. EcoFlow 140W Rapid GaN Charger

    EcoFlow has quietly become one of the most compelling accessory makers, and the Rapid 140W GaN charger is a perfect example. It’s compact, supports USB-C PD 3.1, and can charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro at full speed. Multiple USB-C ports (plus USB-A) make it a one-brick solution for phones, laptops, watches, and earbuds. Because it uses GaN technology, it’s also small enough to throw in just about any bag.

    Who It’s For: Anyone trying to simplify their bag—or ditch the tangle of chargers behind their desk—will appreciate this.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: $74.99 at EcoFlow.com.

    7. July Carry On Suitcase

    Image Courtesy, July

    July has become our favorite suitcase brand, and for good reason. The curved polycarbonate corners are more durable than standard designs, and the “SilentMove” wheels are among the smoothest—and quietest—of any carry-on. Seriously, they’re so good that they were the first thing my wife commented on when we packed for our recent trip to Lisbon in a July Carry-On. Not only that, but the CaseSafe models have built-in Apple Find My support, as well as an ejectable power bank.

    Who It’s For: Frequent travelers, business flyers, and anyone upgrading from a cheap spinner.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: $220 for the Carry On Light.

    8. M4 MacBook Air

    Apple finally fixed the MacBook Air’s only real drawback by making 16GB of RAM standard. The new M4 chip is faster, more efficient, and supports dual external displays—a first for the Air with the lid open. For students, writers, office workers, and just about everyone else, this is the best all-around laptop you can buy. Right now you can get pretty great deals on the MacBook Air from Amazon and other retailers.

    Who It’s For: Students, office workers, creators, and anyone replacing a laptop older than four years.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: $899 at Amazon and B&H.

    9. AirPods Pro 3

    AirPods Pro 3 look familiar, but the updates are pretty big: a built-in heart rate sensor, better waterproofing (IP57), improved bass, and 8 hours of battery life with ANC. The fitness-tracking alone makes them the easiest upgrade recommendation for any runner or gym-goer.

    If you want to save just a little more money, the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are on sale for only $110 online at Walmart.

    Who It’s For: Fitness lovers, commuters, and anyone still using AirPods from 2019.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: $219.99 on Amazon.

    10. Whoop MG

    Image Credit: Jason Aten

    The Whoop 5.0 MG is a significant upgrade for the platform, with 14-day battery life and new medical-grade features, including FDA-cleared ECG and blood-pressure trend monitoring via its conductive clasp. It keeps Whoop’s distraction-free design while offering excellent data accuracy for sleep, recovery, and strain. If you’re not into ECG and BP trend data, the standard Whoop 5.0 has the same long battery life for less.

    Who It’s For: Athletes, sleep trackers, health-conscious users, and anyone who wants the most accurate data without wearing a smartwatch.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: $299 “Life” Membership (normally $359). If you don’t need the medical features, the standard 5.0 Peak membership is $199.

    11. Sony WH-1000XM5

    Sony’s WH-1000XM5 remain the gold standard for noise-canceling headphones. They deliver exceptional ANC, 30-hour battery life, lightweight comfort, and dramatically better microphone quality for calls. Sony’s tuning is warm, detailed, and fatigue-free—ideal for long flights or hours-long focus sessions. At their annual Black Friday price, they’re one of the best headphone deals you’ll find.

    Who It’s For: Frequent flyers, commuters, remote workers, students, and anyone who needs silence on demand.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: $298 (down from $399) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.

    12. Kindle Paperwhite (2024 Signature Edition)

    Amazon’s refreshed Signature Edition brings a faster processor, snappier page-turns, a larger 7-inch display, 32GB of storage, wireless charging, and an ambient light sensor that adjusts automatically. For pure reading, nothing beats the Paperwhite’s combination of screen quality, battery life, and portability.

    Who It’s For: Avid readers, travelers, students, and anyone trying to get off their phone at night.
    Best Deal I’ve Found: $154.99 (normally $199) at Amazon.

    13. Level Lock Pro

    Image Courtesy, Level Lock

    The Level Lock Pro keeps the same invisible, inside-the-door design as the Level Lock+, but upgrades nearly everything internally: native motion sensing for faster auto-unlock, full Matter-over-Thread support, and Door Sense—a physical status indicator that tells you if the door is open or closed. It remains the best “you can’t tell it’s a smart lock” option on the market and continues to support Apple Home Keys.

    The Pro is new and isn’t on sale for Black Friday, but the Level Lock+ is. If you’re willing to sacrifice Matter support and Door Sense, it’s a great deal.

    Who It’s For: Apple Home users, smart-home fans, minimalists, and anyone who hates bulky keypad locks.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: No discounts on the Pro itself, but the Level Lock+ is $229—saving you $120 if you don’t need the new hardware features.

    14. Nanu Arc Alarm Clock

    Image Courtesy, Nanu

    The Nanu Arc is a design-forward, phone-free alarm clock with a mechanical chime—striking an actual metal bar—that creates a calming, gradual wake-up sound. It’s beautifully made, repairable, battery-powered (USB-C), and designed to keep your phone out of the bedroom without sacrificing elegance or functionality.

    Who It’s For: A perfect gift for the “digital detox” crowd—or anyone who wants to stop waking up to their phone.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: $254 (normally $299), one of the only discounts Nanu products see all year.

    The original Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses look like classic sunglasses but add surprisingly good open-ear audio, hands-free POV photo/video capture, and on-device Meta AI tools. The audio quality is surprisingly good, and being able to capture moments without holding up a phone changes how you record memories.

    Who It’s For: Travelers, parents, creators, and early adopters who love capturing candid moments.
    Best Deal for Black Friday: $239 (20% off), for the original version.

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    The final deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

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    Jason Aten

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  • Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station Review: The Best 3-In-1 Charging Stand for iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods

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    I’ve been onboard the wireless charging train for nearly a decade, and still remember being excited to finally have a device I could try it with when I bought my iPhone 8 in 2017. Wireless charging felt like magic,despite the fact that it was slow and unreliable, that it wasn’t all that unusual to pick up your phone to find it was both way too hot and hadn’t charged at all. We’ve come a long, long way since then.

    The most recent innovation is Qi2.2, the latest version of the Wireless Charging Consortium’s MagSafe-based standard that requires chargers to feature a magnetic ring and be capable of outputting up to 25 watts of power to Qi2.2-compatible phones. That’s really good for wireless charging, although without some additional cooling, you can’t expect it to hit that rate for very long, if at all.

    Enter the new Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station, one of the first Qi2.2 chargers on the market—and priced like it’s the only one, at $230. At first glance, it’s no different than any other 3-in-1 stand that you can hang iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods on for simultaneous charging. Yet there’s more to it than that: it’s got a cooling fan to keep your phone from throttling the charging rate. It also has a touchscreen, so you can check the charging power going to each device. You can also see that same info in an app that lets you tweak settings, set the time (its timeout screen shows a clock), and even update its firmware.

    Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station (3-in-1, MagGo, AirCool, Dock Stand)

    Anker’s 3-in-1 Prime Wireless Charging Station great multipurpose wireless charger held back by an obscene price.

    • Very fast wireless charging
    • Cooling fan keeps your phone chilly
    • Useful integrated display
    • Tilting Magnetic charger
    • Solidly built
    • Onscreen clock loses time easily
    • Too expensive

    That’s all a lot, but the good news is that the Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station works well, especially when it comes to its big banner feature of fast wireless charging for your smartphone. I confirmed with my partner’s iPhone 16 that this charger can get up to 22.5W, as Apple says it and others in the 16 line can. And my own iPhone 15 Pro, which isn’t explicitly capable of that, still reached about 17W and held it for long-ish stretches. That’s all according to the stand’s own display; there’s not a good way to check it, otherwise. But the end result was a phone that could fully charge nearly as fast as when I charged with USB-C, yet was still cool—and sometimes cold—to the touch when I pulled it off the charging pad.

    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    These sorts of charging stands—the kind with two stalks, one for a phone and one for an Apple Watch and a wireless charging pad for AirPods—aren’t usually pretty, but Anker sure tried! It’s sturdy and weighty, and the company used soft touch materials for the base and magnetic pad for iPhone charging. Its stalks are encased in shiny, reflective metal, the base has nicely grippy feet, and its display seems to sit beneath glass.

    The phone pad is thick to accommodate the cooling fan and sports vents at the top and bottom to eject hot air through, and you can tilt it up and down for better viewing. The Apple Watch charger, like the AirPods pad, charges at up to 5 watts. Powering this apparatus are a braided USB-C cable and a 65W Anker USB-C wall adapter.

    See Anker Charging Stand at Amazon

    There’s a screen and a fan

    Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station 5
    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    I am a sucker for screens on devices that don’t usually have them, even when they’re extraneous; thankfully, the one on the Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station is anything but. Besides offering key info about the charging wattage of each device sitting on it, you can also cycle through a few options to set things like the charging mode, the time and date, and screen brightness. The clock function is a little under-baked; it doesn’t account for daylight savings time in the U.S. (which happened to start while I was testing it), and if you unplug the device and plug it back in, it loses the time completely. You know, like a stove clock. Thankfully, all you have to do is connect to the charger via the Anker app and the time corrects itself. As for the display, it was barely visible under the bright fluorescents of IFA 2025, where I first saw it, but, thankfully, it’s perfectly visible in normal indoor lighting conditions.

    Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station 2
    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    As for those charging modes, they are Ice Mode, which sets the phone charging pad’s cooling fan to full blast; Boost Mode, which is a balanced charging mode in which the fan doesn’t run as high; and Sleep Mode, which turns the fan off and is probably best if you use the charger at your bedside. It’s nice to have the choice, but also, the fan is already so quiet even in Ice Mode that I didn’t bother changing it after testing the various options.

    App for Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station
    © Screenshots by Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    It’s my firmly held belief that the screen is good enough that the Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station never needed an app at all, but the Anker app connects to it, so we might as well talk about it. When using the app, you’ll connect to the charger via Bluetooth, giving you a screen that shows you a picture of the Prime Charging Station, current output wattage, voltage, and amperage, and a “Real-Time Data” line graph. Tap on that, and you can see a few hours’ worth of charging history for each of the charging points.

    The Price Is Too Much

    Anker Prime Wireless Charging Station 3
    © Wes Davis / Gizmodo

    It’s great that Anker has decided to come out of the gate swinging with its first Qi2.2 charging station. The Prime Wireless Charging Station is inarguably nice and certainly worth more than your average no-name Amazon charger. And the company seems like it’s really trying to justify the price with the features that this thing comes with. I really like this charging stand and don’t mind calling it one of the best 3-in-1 charging stands you can buy today.

    The thing that Anker has to contend with here is that the vast bulk of its value is derived from the raw convenience of its tree-style form factor, not from its fast charging, its cooling fan, its touchscreen display, or any of the other niceties. It’s just too convenient to have one easy place to plop an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods case at the end of the day, and the bar to improve on that is a lot higher than I think any of Anker’s extra features reach. I just can’t see myself paying $230 for this.

    Anker seems to know that’s perhaps too much, and has already discounted the charger to $150 (as of this writing) within less than two months of it being announced. But that’s still more than what competing 3-in-1 Qi2.2 chargers cost; see Belkin and its own cooling fan-equipped Qi2.2 charging stand for $130, or Kuxiu, with its tri-fold Qi2.2 travel charger that’s fanless and much more vulnerable to thermal throttling in my testing, but also only costs $100. I think you’d have to be a real Anker super fan to buy the Prime Wireless Charging Station for full price or anywhere close to it. Still, it’s a great device, and it’s totally worth checking its price during Black Friday.

    See Anker Charging Stand at Amazon

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    Wes Davis

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  • The best Thanksgiving Black Friday deals for 2025: Save on AirPods, PS5 consoles, Disney+ and more

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    The food coma may be strong right now, but it’s wise to check out the internet for the best Thanksgiving Black Friday deals you can get this year. With Black Friday no longer being a one-day affair, that means you can find excellent discounts online even on Thanksgiving when all brick-and-mortar locations are closed. It’s also wise to shop early for anything you think might sell out — that category typically includes a lot of tech, like AirPods, game consoles, new video games and more. Check out our curated list of the best Thanksgiving deals you can get right now below.

    Best Thanksgiving Black Friday deals

    Apple AirPods Pro 3 for $220 ($29 off): Apple’s latest flagship wireless earbuds are the ones to get if you have an iPhone and any other Apple gear. They have improved sound quality, impressive ANC improvements, extra features like Live Translation and even better battery life. Most other AirPods are also on sale, including the AirPods 4 and AirPods Max.

    Read more: The best Apple Black Friday deals on iPads, AirPods, Apple Watches and more

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    iPad A16 for $274 (21 percent off): The entry level iPad doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, but that didn’t bother us when we reviewed the new slate. We found the speed to be plenty for what most people need an iPad for: casual gaming, streaming, browsing, answering some emails. We wish the display was laminated and had some anti-glare coating. But this is the lowest-priced way to get your hands on a current-model iPad. Also at Walmart, Target and Best Buy.

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    Disney+ Hulu bundle — $60 for one year: The Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) bundle is on sale for $5 per month for one year (for a total of $60) through December 1. New and eligible returning subscribers can take advantage of this deal, and considering the bundle typically costs $13 per month, this deal represents more than a 50 percent discount on the standard monthly price.

    Read more: The best Black Friday streaming deals: Save on Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max and more

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    Apple TV+ — 6 months for $36: Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for Black Friday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

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    Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle for $499: Black Friday Nintendo sales were announced and, unsurprisingly, there aren’t many true deals out there this year. There are no straight discounts on the Switch 2 console, so your best bet is to pick up a bundle that saves you some cash on a Switch 2 game. One of the best is the Mario Kart Wold bundle, but Pokémon fans should consider the Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundle, too. Also available at Walmart.

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    Amazon Smart Plug for $13 (48 percent off): Those who use Alexa often will get the most out of this smart plug. We like that it’s super simple to set up and can turn almost anything with an on-off switch “smart,” allowing you to control it via your phone or with Alexa voice commands.

    Read more: The best Black Friday deals for $50 or less

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    Philips fabric shaver for $13 (32 percent off): Consider this the Black Friday tech deal you didn’t know you needed. If you have shirts, sweaters, pants, even blankets that have pilled over time, this handy little fabric shaver can get them looking more like new again. I bought this on a whim after wishing I could refresh some of my most-loved wardrobe staples without spending hours pulling pills off myself. Philips’ fabric shaver has delivered and then some, and my clothes look much fresher than before.

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    Meta Quest 3S VR headset for $250 ($50 off): We consider this to be the best VR headset for newbies or those on a budget. It’s comfortable to wear for long sessions, has solid performance, comes with excellent controllers and you’ll have access to a large app library with it.

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    Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $248 ($158 off): While the new XM6 headphones have replaced these as Sony’s flagship cans, that doesn’t mean the XM5 aren’t worth buying. They were our top pick for the best wireless headphones for years before the XM6 came around, and they still have excellent ANC, great sound quality, long battery life, a comfortable fit and handy extra features like multipoint connectivity.

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    LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon A New Hope 25th Anniversary Collectable 75375 for $68 (20 percent off): This is a set that any Star Wars fan will love to build and then love to display once it’s complete. The 921-piece set features a fully-detailed Millennium Falcone, buildable stand and nameplate.

    Read more: The best Lego Black Friday deals for 2025

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    Anker Laptop Power Bank (25K, 100W) for $88 (35 percent off): A top pick in our guide to the best power banks, this Anker brick is kind of a one-and-done device. It has enough capacity to charge all sorts of devices from smartphones to laptops to handheld gaming consoles, and it has two built-in USB-C cables so you don’t even have to remember to bring your own to use it. Also available at Anker.

    Read more: The best Anker Black Friday deals on power banks and other charging gear

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    Engadget

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  • Florida man arrested of hiding AirPods under woman’s vehicle to track her, police say

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    A man was arrested after he was accused of using AirPods to stalk a woman, according to the Winter Springs Police Department. On Tuesday, a woman told police she was in fear for her life after a man had been harassing her for some time. The suspect, Luis Rendon, was accused of constantly messaging and calling the victim using private or blocked numbers, the victim told police. He was also accused of sending her Zelle payment requests to her bank, using the “memo” box as a form of text message. Police said Rendon got a job where the victim worked “to be around her,” forcing the victim to change schedules. The victim told police that Rendon would come outside of her apartment in the middle of the night and threaten her to come out. Things escalated after Rendon started messaging the victim, claiming to know her whereabouts at all times and who she was with, according to police. The victim decided to have her vehicle inspected because she felt Rendon was following or tracking her.Upon inspection, an Apple AirPod case and earbuds were found inside a gray plastic bag, neatly tied into a ball and tucked away in the undercarriage of her vehicle.Police explained this device includes a tracking feature that enables users to monitor “MyDevices” by connecting it to the owner’s phone. Police spoke with Rendon about the claims against him, and he ultimately confessed to them. He told police he liked her and wanted to know where she was going. He was placed under arrest for stalking and invasion of privacy, according to police.

    LONGWOOD, Fla. —

    A man was arrested after he was accused of using AirPods to stalk a woman, according to the Winter Springs Police Department.

    On Tuesday, a woman told police she was in fear for her life after a man had been harassing her for some time.

    The suspect, Luis Rendon, was accused of constantly messaging and calling the victim using private or blocked numbers, the victim told police.

    He was also accused of sending her Zelle payment requests to her bank, using the “memo” box as a form of text message.

    Police said Rendon got a job where the victim worked “to be around her,” forcing the victim to change schedules.

    The victim told police that Rendon would come outside of her apartment in the middle of the night and threaten her to come out.

    Things escalated after Rendon started messaging the victim, claiming to know her whereabouts at all times and who she was with, according to police.

    The victim decided to have her vehicle inspected because she felt Rendon was following or tracking her.

    Upon inspection, an Apple AirPod case and earbuds were found inside a gray plastic bag, neatly tied into a ball and tucked away in the undercarriage of her vehicle.

    Police explained this device includes a tracking feature that enables users to monitor “MyDevices” by connecting it to the owner’s phone.

    Police spoke with Rendon about the claims against him, and he ultimately confessed to them. He told police he liked her and wanted to know where she was going.

    He was placed under arrest for stalking and invasion of privacy, according to police.

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  • iOS 26 Just Made Driving Like an Asshole a Lot Easier

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    There are lots of ways to drive like a complete and utter douche bag; Teslas, for instance! Autopilot, the company’s driver assist, is an express ticket to distracted driving that has resulted in some truly Darwinian moments. Case in point: this porno that was shot while Tesla’s unfinished, almost-kind-of-self-driving software was at the wheel. Lovely. No notes. Or, wait, how about these trucks that “roll coal,” which is numbnuts code for intentionally spewing black diesel smoke everywhere? Nice! Very cool. Thanks, America.

    There are subtler ways, though, like driving with wireless earbuds in, which is not only inadvisable but actually illegal in some states. While there’s obviously nothing preventing anyone from popping their wireless earbuds in and driving like that, there’s at least one UI quirk in iOS that nudges would-be distracted drivers in the right direction. When you get into a car you’ve previously connected to via Bluetooth, your phone audio will often automatically switch to the car instead of your wireless earbuds if you happened to be listening to something at the time you turned your car on.

    You can obviously just switch it back and go about your asshole journey of driving with wireless earbuds in if you want to, but then at least you’re truly electing to be an unsafe driver each and every time you fire up the trusty steel battering ram. Maybe not anymore, though, thanks to iOS 26. With a new setting called “Keep Audio with Headphones,” you can make sure that even when your car’s Bluetooth is within range, your wireless earbuds (be they AirPods or others) will remain playing in your ears and not on your car speakers.

    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    On one hand, I get it. Sometimes the audio switches when you’re not even in your vehicle if your car happens to be on, and you don’t want that very important call you’re on to be trapped inside your car, where you are not currently located. Or maybe, you’re a passenger and you want to completely f**king ignore the person who is driving. In that case, I just want to say I am sorry, I’ve been there. I promise things will get easier once you graduate high school. But, also, let’s be honest, for people who want to listen to their wireless earbuds while driving, this is a major win. Finally, less screwing around and more Rogan-esque anti-vax misinformation piped straight into the ol’ flesh desert where your mind used to be.

    I know that there’s a less-than-0% chance that Apple intended to release a feature that makes distracted driving easier. If I had to imagine, engineers are probably trying to avoid the jump scare of having the audio switch to your car without asking it to, which is, at least in theory, an issue worth tackling. Or, I don’t know, maybe they actually want all of us dead after the mass criticism of Liquid Glass. Who’s to say, really?

    This would normally be the point where I tell you how to activate said new feature, but, uh… don’t do that. Sure, auto-switching isn’t always going to be ideal, but sometimes the annoyance we have is better than the mass safety hazard we invented, and as tempting as tuning out all of that very annoying auditory information on the road may be, a little concentration can (despite popular opinion) actually be a good thing.

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    James Pero

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  • AirPods Pro 3 Review: Skating to Where the Puck Is Going, Not Where It Has Been

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    Almost three years after Apple introduced the original AirPods Pro 2 (updated with USB-C in 2023) with category-defining sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC), I can safely say that just about every company making ANC wireless earbuds has caught up or surpassed them, and often with buds that are sold for less than $250. Basic wireless earbuds features—good audio, good ANC, and good battery life—are table stakes, and each of these is improved on AirPods Pro 3. Apple’s third-gen ANC wireless earbuds are an excellent gen-over-gen upgrade and an even bigger leap if you’re coming from first-gen AirPods Pro.

    But what’s more interesting is seeing how Apple transforms the AirPods Pro 3 into a health and fitness-centric wearable and a vessel for AI features like Live Translation. To borrow a quote that’s often misattributed to Wayne Gretzky, AirPods Pro 3 “skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.”

    AirPods Pro 3

    Apple’s third-gen ANC wireless earbuds improve all the basics and lay the foundation for going beyond audio with health and AI features.

    Pros

    • Even better fit
    • Terrific sound
    • Improved ANC
    • Longer single-charge battery life
    • Simultaneous heart rate tracking and music
    • On-device Live Translation works
    • IP57 rating

    Cons

    • Less total battery life with case
    • Heart rate tracking only works with Fitness app
    • Live Translation only supports five (six if you count UK English) languages at launch

    Design and comfort

    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    I’ve never had complaints about the comfort and fit of AirPods Pro 2, so I was skeptical whether I’d feel any difference with AirPods Pro 3, which feature smaller buds with a more angled design, and foam-infused eartips. I’ve been using AirPods Pros almost daily since the originals came out in 2019, so I have a pretty good idea when the little white pieces of plastic that I stuff into my ears feel off—in a good way. AirPods Pro 3 sit deeper in my ears (your ears might be different), and the stems are just slightly farther away. I’ve been using the preinstalled medium-sized eartips on AirPods Pro 2 without issues, but just to see whether I’d get more noise passive noise cancellation from the new foam-infused eartips, I tried the small size tips, and lo and behold, they seemed to block out just a bit more environmental noise. So definitely try a size down if you’re feeling like ANC could be better. Apple also includes an XXS size eartip (for a total of five sizes) this time around. (There’s no USB-C cable in the box anymore, though, but who doesn’t have a dozen of them lying around?)

    Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review 1
    AirPods Pro 2 (left) vs. AirPods Pro 3 (right). © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    There are other subtle external changes, too. The inner vent is smaller; the outer vents are larger; and there’s one more covering the heart rate sensor next to the eartip. The buds are also rated IP57 sweat- and water-resistant, which means they can be immersed in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes and can survive heavier rain and dusty conditions. AirPods Pro 2 are only IPX4-rated, which is good for only splashes, and light rain and sweat.

    Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review 2
    AirPods Pro 2 case (left) vs. AirPods Pro 3 case (right).  © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    The charging case is largely the same, save for some small tweaks. Most people won’t notice this (I almost didn’t), but the case is a teensy bit larger in all directions. Apple told me that the redesigned geometry of the buds required a slightly bigger case to ensure they’d slip in with the same satisfying clicks and snaps. Loose-fitting cases for older AirPods Pro should still be compatible with the AirPods Pro 3, but the ones that are snug might not, and you may need a new case. I don’t do cases for my AirPods, so I’m fine sticking a cute keychain on the cases’ built-in lanyard loop. The case also no longer has a physical button on the backside. Matching the AirPods 4 (with and without ANC) case, the AirPods Pro 3 case has a touch-sensitive button just below the battery indicator LED. Double-tapping it puts the wireless earbuds into pairing mode, and double-tapping it three times factory resets it.

    Sound quality and active noise cancellation

    Like any tech company, Apple takes every opportunity to boast about how it reengineered its products to offer even better this or that. For AirPods Pro 3, Apple says the wireless earbuds use a “new multiport acoustic architecture” for better sound across all frequencies—highs, mids, and lows. I’ll leave the scientific tests to the audiophiles at SoundGuys and RTings, but to a regular Joe like myself, they sound virtually the same compared to AirPods Pro 2. That’s not a knock—AirPods Pro 2 sound great—but we’ve reached a ceiling for sound quality in wireless earbuds. If there’s any discernible difference, it’s that the lows are just a bit cleaner, especially if you’re using the AirPods Pro 3 in motion like running. Many of the bass-heavy tracks in the Power Hour playlist on Spotify sounded deeper with less distortion, and vocals sounded just a smidge clearer. I thought some of my favorite new songs from Linkin Park’s latest album, “From Zero,” including “Stained” and “IGYEIH,” would sound miles better, but alas, they sound about the same. There wasn’t much that Apple needed to improve in terms of sound quality, so I’m not surprised at all that any audible differences are minor. I’m fine with not messing with the already great sound. It’s better than Apple forcing some kinda AI enhancement to remaster songs for the modern age and potentially ruining them.

    Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review 9
    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    Transparency mode is also more natural-sounding. Compared to other similar modes on other wireless earbuds that I’ve tried, like the Pixel Buds 2 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and Nothing Ear, I’ve always found Transparency mode on AirPods Pro 2 to sound the cleanest. Background noise is blended with music in such a way that it doesn’t sound like a synthetic mode with tinniness or reverb that I’ve noticed on other wireless earbuds. On AirPods Pro 3, I could hear voices and ambient sounds mix more seamlessly with my music. It’s subtle, but very nice!

    ANC is a different story. Apple says it improved active noise cancellation by two times compared to AirPods Pro 2, and by four times compared to the first-gen AirPods Pro and AirPods 4 with ANC, which have the same level of noise cancellation. I don’t have the tools to measure and verify that ANC claim, so again, I’ll let the audio experts tackle that, but I can tell you the ANC (with the best-fitting eartip for my ears) is noticeably stronger in blocking out background noise. As I type this, I can’t hear the whir of the Dyson Airblade fan from 10 feet across the room or even the battery-powered pocket fan on my desk. I didn’t hear my cat, Kiwi, meowing like a maniac earlier when it was her dinner time. Outside, on the subway, the screeches and rumblings of the train were more drowned out compared to my AirPods Pro 2; I felt less irritated not having to hear a guy singing bad karaoke for two stops. All of this is to say, the ANC on AirPods Pro 3 is indeed better than on any other AirPods. Is it the best there is in any wireless earbuds? Better than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2nd Gen) that my colleague James Pero says have “amazing ANC” and are best in class? Probably not—AirPods Pro 3 don’t completely eliminate external sound—but they’re gonna be more than enough for most people. Crank the volume up past 50% when you’re listening to music and you’re gonna hear less environmental noise.

    Heart rate tracking

    Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review 5
    AirPods Pro 3 have a built-in heart rate sensor. © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    The biggest new addition in AirPods Pro 3 is the heart rate sensor. If you don’t have an Apple Watch, you can use it to track your heart rate and calories while using the Fitness app. The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, released in February, were Apple’s first pair of wireless earbuds with a built-in heart rate sensor, but they fell short of being useful because you couldn’t simultaneously track your heart rate and listen to music. Many reviewers also found the heart rate readings to be inaccurate compared to an Apple Watch, chest strap, or even smart rings like Oura.

    Apple confirmed to Gizmodo that the heart rate sensor inside AirPods Pro 3 is completely different technology compared to the Powerbeats Pro 2 and wasn’t based on it. Weird, how Beats is owned by Apple, but developed its own inferior tech. You’d think there would be more synergy between the two companies internally.

    Either way, I’m happy to report that you can listen to music and get a real-time heart rate reading while using the AirPods Pro 3. I didn’t have a chest strap monitor to compare the AirPods Pro 3 with, but there’s a low deviation between the heart rate sensor in the wireless earbuds compared to an Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 10. Before, during, and after three outdoor walks and two 2-mile runs, I did back-to-back checks on the heart rate readings between the three wearables and found there was generally a beats per minute (bpm) difference between 1 and 5. Sometimes the AirPods Pro 3 and Apple Watches recorded the exact same heart rate. This heart rate variability is considered normal; anything higher than 5 bpm would have been reason to worry about the accuracy of the sensor in the AirPods Pro 3. Of course, there’s always going to be some difference when you’re measuring heart rate in your ear versus on your wrist or chest. There’s also the matter of making sure the heart rate sensor on the AirPods Pro 3 is properly covered by your ear’s front flap, or tragus. A poor fit could result in inaccurate heart rate readings, so keep that in mind.

    Heart rate reading on Apple Watch Series 9 vs. AirPods Pro 3
    Heart rate reading on Apple Watch Series 9 vs. AirPods Pro 3 © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo

    You’re probably thinking: if you have an iPhone, then you probably have an Apple Watch, so why would you need a heart rate sensor in AirPods Pro 3 as a duplicative feature? First, not everyone who has an iPhone owns an Apple Watch. Not everyone wants a smartwatch, though the new $250 Apple Watch SE 3 is gonna be a value that’s too good for fence-sitters to refuse. Second, the heart rate sensor in the AirPods Pro 3 is just a single stream of heart rate data. Apple says that combined with an Apple Watch, you’ll get multiple readings and the Health and Fitness apps will log whichever is the more accurate one. It’s not an average of multiple connected heart rate sensors, Apple says. I pressed the company on what exactly “more accurate” means, but it seems the company is keeping that info secret, only stating that the activity and calorie tracking reading is determined based on an AI model that was trained from over 50 million hours of data from its Apple Heart and Movement Study.

    Live Translation

    Companies have been trying to figure out how to shove real-time translations into wireless earbuds for years. Google first attempted live translations with its original Pixel Buds in 2017. To review them, I brought in two professional interpreters who had translated for UN conferences to help me test the accuracy and speed of Google Translate running on the Pixel Buds paired to a Pixel 2 XL. The results were not unexpected: the Pixel Buds were no replacements for live translations from humans. The live translation feature was convenient and helpful in a pinch, but clearly too literal in translations, and oftentimes incorrectly translated certain words or phrases. The professional interpreters were able to translate five times faster than waiting for Google to beam the translations from the cloud. Eight years later, Apple may have cracked it.

    AirPods Pro 3 Live Translation
    © Screenshots by Raymond Wong / Gizmodo

    Live Translation on AirPods Pro 3 is the same feature, but it actually (mostly) works—and in near real-time—from what I could gather. The number of supported languages at launch is short—English (UK), English (U.S.), French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain)—but Apple says it plans to add Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese (Simplified) by the end of the year. As somebody who’s been learning Mandarin Chinese and starting on Japanese, I was bummed I couldn’t try out either. I’ll have to revisit Live Translation when those languages are added.

    I tested Live Translation in Spanish and French, though in most cases the Spanish was of the Mexican variety. Turning on Live Translation is easy, and there are several ways to do so. You can squeeze the stems of both buds, and your iPhone will launch the Translate app. You don’t need to have the app open, but you’ll get live transcriptions for both the language that’s being translated and that you’re translating into. You can use a Siri Shortcut and map it to the Action button on a supported iPhone. Or you can simply say, “Siri, start Live Translation.” I found this to be the worst of the three ways, with the voice assistant constantly translating “live translation” into a language after the command. Siri also repeatedly got confused about where the start and end of a sentence I asked to be translated was. Clearly, Siri is still not as intelligent as it could and should be by. Google’s Gemini seems to misunderstand me a lot less on the Pixel 10 and Galaxy Z Fold 7.

    I first tested translating Spanish with my friend Christian, who speaks it as her first language. We had a brief conversation about what types of food and activities there are to do in my neighborhood. She said the translations were about 95% accurate. There were some instances where the AirPods Pro 3 microphones failed to pick up on a few words that both of us said. For example, I tacked on “Thanks, honey” at the end of the convo and the buds just didn’t hear that part. I don’t know if I spoke too quickly or too softly or what. It’s not a dealbreaker unless you’re mentioning something really important.

    In classic Apple style, Live Translation has its nice attention to detail. When activated, ANC turns on and the beamforming mics in AirPods Pro 3 kick in to isolate the voice of the speaker directly in front of you so you can focus on what they’re saying. If the other person is wearing AirPods Pro 3 (or Pro 2 or AirPods 4 with ANC), they’ll get the same experience.

    Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review 4
    Squeezing both stems turns on Live Translation. © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    Then, I tried Live Translation with a fruit stand seller speaking Mexican Spanish, while Christian monitored the live transcriptions on my iPhone. I asked, “Can I get some fresh orange juice?” and the AirPods Pro 3 read back (and transcribed in the app), “¿Puedo conseguir un zuma de naranja fresco?” Christian told me that while that was correct because Live Translation was translating English to Spanish (Spain), she would have gone with “jugo” for juice instead of “zuma”, which is more common in conversational Spanish. Maybe one day, Apple Translate and Live Translation on AirPods Pro will be able to automatically detect accents and regional vocabulary, and personalize translations to them. For now, Live Translation seems to work mostly as advertised.

    The best part of Live Translation is that it all works on-device—no internet connection is required. I tested it with the Wi-Fi turned off and translations worked just as quickly. Of course, you will need to download the languages to your iPhone, so you will eat up some storage, but also your conversations (audio and transcriptions) are never saved on the device or anywhere in iCloud or the cloud, and Apple promises that it doesn’t use any Live Translation data for training its AI models. That’s a relief, because I don’t need Apple or any AI knowing the very stupid conversations I like having with my international friends.

    Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review 3
    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    Another fun way I found to use Live Translation was while watching YouTube videos. I loaded up a video from a Spanish-speaker and turned the volume loud enough for the AirPods Pro 3 to pick up the audio and translate it back in real-time. All of a sudden, videos in Spanish became more accessible without having to glance down at the bottom of the screen and potentially missing what was happening. I compared the voice translations coming through the buds and the Translate app to the on-screen subtitles and auto-dubbed version from YouTube, and they seemed to track closely. AI voice translations are rapidly breaking down language barriers for video content and I’m all for enabling more people to view and connect with videos regardless of their native tongue. What I’m not sure about just yet is using AI to deepfake or reproduce a person’s voice (and sometimes even sync it to lip movements). Google’s Pixel 10 phones have a feature called Voice Translate that does real-time voice translations (also on-device) during phone calls, but it clones your voice with near pitch-perfect tones and inflections. It’s cool, creepy, and a month after reviewing the devices, I’m still not sure whether it’s necessary. Google frames Voice Translate as “hear the voices you love, not a robot,” but this is gonna be something consumers will decide whether it goes too far. Fortunately, you don’t need to worry about deepfaked voices with AirPods Pro 3 and Live Translation—you get two female voices and a male one to choose from.

    Battery life

    Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review 8
    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    There are two ways to look at battery life for wireless earbuds: you can get longer battery life from a single charge for the buds and fewer hours total with the charging case, or less continuous listening time with the buds and more total hours with the charging case. On AirPods Pro 2, the buds could last up to 6 hours with ANC and get up to 30 hours total with the case—that’s five additional charges. On AirPods Pro 3, Apple bumped up the buds an extra 2 hours to 8 hours on a single charge, but reduced the total amount of battery with the case to 24 hours—so you only get two extra charges.

    That’s an upgrade if you prefer more continuous listening time, like for a long-haul flight. But it’s a downgrade if you want more battery life on the go. This split between continuous listening battery life and total battery life with the case is equal to Sony’s WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds. Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) get up to 6 hours with ANC and only 24 hours total with the case.

    This change may mean trips to the outlet sooner than before. I really wish Apple had sped up the fast charging. A 5-minute charge still provides only 1 hour of listening time, just like on AirPods Pro 2.

    Still great for audio, but the future is health and AI

    Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review 11
    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    There are some other features that are nice, like the ability to press the stem of a bud to click the shutter when you’ve got the Camera app open; good if you’re a vlogger or want to snap a photo with your iPhone propped up from afar. AirPods Pro 3 also have a newer Ultrawide band chip inside the charging case that lets you find them using Precision Find My from 1.5x farther away, according to Apple. I’ve maybe used Precision Find My only a handful of times with my AirPods Pro 2, so it’s not a big addition for me, but if you’re always misplacing your wireless earbuds, it could come in handy.

    Apple is also doing more for hearing health and assistance, with the hearing test that you can take during setup for the AirPods Pro 3 now being scientifically validated.

    Combined with the upgraded basics for sound, ANC, battery life, and durability, AirPods Pro 3 are an even better wireless earbuds package than the AirPods Pro 2. The price is still the same $250 MSRP, but if the deep sales on AirPods Pro 2 in the past years are any indication, AirPods Pro 3 may drop drop $200 or $150 this holiday season. Yes, there are probably better-value ANC wireless earbuds out there, but they’re not buds that are designed to pair and switch seamlessly between Apple devices. Nor will other wireless earbuds have the same tight integration with Apple services, like the heart rate tracking and Live Translation that are only possible with iPhone and the Fitness app. If you’ve got an Android phone, you’ll get all the better core wireless earbuds features, but you won’t get the health and AI stuff, and that’s where the puck is going. With AirPods Pro 3, you’re getting a front-row seat to where things are headed. I would bet money that once Apple gets its Apple Intelligence-powered Siri back on track, that’s when we’ll really see AI in AirPods open new doors.

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    Raymond Wong

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  • AirPods Pro 3 Hands-On: All the Upgrades Seem to Check Out (So Far)

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    Whereas the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 11, and Watch Ultra 3 are pretty much internal spec bumps compared to the previous generations of those respective smartwatches, the AirPods Pro 3 wireless earbuds are actually reengineered inside and out, but you’ll have to look closely to spot the changes. The charging case also ditches its physical pairing button.

    After Tuesday’s “Awe Dropping” Apple Event, where Tim Cook and company announced the remarkably thin iPhone Air, feature-stuffed iPhone 17 Pros, and the aforementioned trio of Apple Watches, I had some personal time to experience the AirPods Pro 3. These are the replacements for the AirPods Pro 2 introduced in 2022 (and then upgraded with USB-C in 2023). So we’re talking about a new version for Apple’s three-year-old wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC).

    You can read all the techie detail about how Apple reengineered the drivers and acoustics and all that stuff here or on Apple’s product page. We also wrote up a helpful comparison on how the AirPods Pro 3 compare to the AirPods Pro 2. What neither can tell you is what it’s like to wear the AirPods Pro 3 in your ears and try out the new Live Translation feature and the built-in heart rate sensor. That’s my job, so let’s get to it.

    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    As with my other hands-on, these are merely first impressions. I had about 45 minutes to try the AirPods Pro 3 out. At first glance, the AirPods Pro 3 in their charging case don’t look new at all. There were rumors that the case would get smaller, but the case is about the same size as the one for AirPods Pro 2. Flipping the case over to the back, you’ll notice there’s no more pairing button. Apple removed it and replaced it with an invisible touch-sensitive one on the front. Press and hold it for two seconds to put the AirPods Pro 3 into pairing mode, and then press and hold longer to do a factory reset. The charging light LED is still present.

    Apple Event iPhone Apple Watch AirPods 05
    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    The AirPods Pro 3 earbuds themselves are subtly different and designed for better comfort. First, there’s now an extra size for eartips in the box—XXS—for a total of five. Second, the bowl of the buds is more compact. And third, the eartips fit tighter to the buds. Together, these changes all help situate each bud deeper and more snug inside of your ears. One side effect is that the stems seem to stick out more. I immediately noticed this for some reason. I don’t know; I’m very sensitive to how things stuck inside my ears look. Needless to say, the AirPods Pro 3 fit very comfortably in my ears, and although I’ve never had problems with the AirPods Pro 2 buds falling out, I did shake my head, and the AirPods Pro 3 buds felt quite secure.

    Sound-wise, Apple says it’s improved the quality, especially with active noise cancellation performance. I listened to a few songs on Apple Music, including some recent favorites on repeat, like “Dive” by Olivia Dean and “Euphoria” by Keshi, and they sounded very clear with clean and deep bass, and crisp vocals. Apple had four HomePods simulating various environmental noises, like the hum of an airplane and a noisy street. I immediately noticed the stronger ANC in reducing the background noise. Apple says that it’s increased ANC by 2x on AirPods Pro 3 compared to AirPods Pro 2, and by 4x compared to AirPods Pro and AirPods 4 with ANC. That’s impressive, and I look forward to testing how the ANC holds up in the real world. Simulations, after all, aren’t always representative of real life.

    Live Translation Demo

    Apple Event iPhone Apple Watch AirPods 02
    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    Now let’s talk about the live translation and heart rate sensor because, as our senior reporter James Pero said, AirPods Pro 3 is clearly Apple dipping its toes into transforming the wireless earbuds into much more than a gadget for listening to music.

    In a demo, Apple had a person on hand to speak Portuguese while the AirPods Pro 3 in my ears translated what he was saying into English. Live Translation is activated by using a Siri shortcut (Apple mapped it to an Action button on an iPhone 17 Pro demo unit) or by pressing and holding the stems of both AirPods Pro 3 buds. ANC kicks into gear to isolate the speaker’s voice, and then the translation begins. You can also pull open your paired iPhone to see the transcribed translations within the Translate app. Now, I don’t speak Portuguese, and neither did any of the other media in my hands-on group, so I can’t say with what accuracy the translations were. But I do have experience using the Translate app on iPhone for Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and French translations. It’s good, but not as accurate as Google Translate, especially for tonal languages like Mandarin. I will say that the live translations were nearly instant; the buds do use beamforming tech to home in on the voice of a person who’s directly in front of you, and some languages may require a few more seconds to get the correct context for a translation, but it seemed to work.

    The fine print for AirPods Pro 3 (if you’re getting them for Sept. 19) is that the Live Translation feature is launching in beta and is limited to five languages (English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish) at first. Apple says Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese (simplified) will be available by the end of the year.

    On the bright side, Live Translation is not exclusive to the AirPods Pro 3. The feature is also coming to AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 with ANC—the requirements being wireless earbuds with an H2 chip and ANC.

    Heart Rate Tracking Demo

    Apple Event iPhone Apple Watch AirPods 01
    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    Now, let’s talk about the heart rate sensor. This is not the same tech that Beats uses in its Powerbeats Pro 2 fitness buds, but Apple’s own sensor is based on tech from over a decade’s worth of learnings from the Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor. Ripped from Apple’s own press release, AirPods Pro 3 uses a “custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that shines invisible infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow.”

    I got a brief look at how the heart rate sensor integrates with the Fitness app for workouts. Worth noting, my heart rate in the video below is quite high from having little sleep, getting up at 5 a.m., and hopping in an Uber, and then Caltrain, and then Uber again to get to Apple Park. Oh, and then running around Apple Park for several hours, being extremely caffeinated from too many espresso shots, and Cupertino being extremely warm. That being said, I can’t say how accurate the heart rate sensor in the AirPods Pro 3 is compared to an Apple Watch. I’ll have to compare that when I get a pair of the ANC buds in for review.

    At $249, the AirPods Pro 3 seem to be a worthwhile upgrade over the AirPods Pro 2 if everything like the 2x ANC checks out. And if they’re anything like the AirPods Pro 2, Apple will likely support them with new features for several years. I’ll have more to share when I review them soon, but I’m not seeing any steps backward for now.

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    Raymond Wong

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  • Apple Reveals iPhone 17, iPhone Air, AirPods, Apple Watch | Entrepreneur

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    Apple held its biggest launch event of the year on Tuesday, with the tagline: “Awe Dropping.” At the event, Apple released the next generation of iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods, including the Apple Watch Ultra 3, AirPods Pro 3, and iPhone 17.

    “We’re taking the biggest leap ever for iPhone,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the event.

    Here’s what Apple announced, from the ultra-thin profile of the iPhone Air to satellite connectivity on the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

    Related: ‘We’re Very Open’: Apple CEO Tim Cook Says He Wants to Buy Startups. Could Your Company Be Next?

    Apple Introduced the iPhone Air and iPhone 17

    The new iPhone lineup includes four new phones: the iPhone Air, 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max.

    Apple revealed its highly anticipated $999 iPhone Air, the “thinnest iPhone ever” — at 5.6 millimeters, it’s the slimmest iPhone yet. Apple also claims that the 6.5-inch phone is the most durable of all iPhones and benefits from an improved internal chip. It’s the most power-efficient iPhone ever made, with a powerful camera and an all-day battery life.

    iPhone Air. Credit: Apple

    Meanwhile, the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro is “the most powerful iPhone yet, by far,” according to Apple. The phone has a unified outer body that uniformly dissipates heat from the battery, preventing overheating. Apple also said that the phone offers “the best battery life ever in an iPhone,” with 39 hours of video playback.

    Related: How Much Does Apple Pay Its Employees? Here Are the Exact Salaries of Staff Jobs, Including Developers, Engineers, and Consultants.

    Apple said the event was filmed with an iPhone 17 Pro, demonstrating the capabilities of the phone in real time. The $1,199 iPhone 17 Pro Max has a larger screen than the Pro, but features the same capabilities, including increased power and battery life.

    iPhone 17 Pro. Credit: Apple

    The standard iPhone 17 features a 6.3-inch display with thinner borders for a wider screen. The display is more readable in direct sunlight, and the phone has twice the scratch resistance. Charging is now faster than ever: Ten minutes of charge can result in 8 hours of video playback.

    iPhone cameras are also improving, with better resolution and a wide field of view for the front-facing camera. Apple noted that users took 500 billion selfies last year, more than any other smartphone.

    iPhone 17. Credit: Apple

    Pre-orders for the new iPhone lineup start Sept. 12. The new phones will be available starting Sept. 19.

    What’s New With the AirPods Pro 3

    Cook said that this year, Apple was building on innovations with AirPods Pro, including the hearing aid function introduced last year that transformed the buds into assistive devices for people experiencing mild to moderate hearing loss.

    Related: Your Old Apple AirPods Can Soon Act as an Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid, According to the FDA

    At the event, Julz Arney, senior director of fitness technologies at Apple, introduced heart rate sensing for AirPods. Custom sensors on the AirPods allow the earbuds to track heart rate independently of a smartwatch, Arney explained.

    AirPods Pro 3. Credit: Apple

    The AirPods Pro 3 also deliver twice the active noise cancellation of previous generations. Apple claimed that the AirPods deliver the world’s best active noise cancellation of any in-ear headphones.

    The earbuds also offer live translation, transforming words from one language into another in real-time. For example, if someone speaks a different language, the AirPods will lower their voice and deliver a real-time translation.

    The AirPods Pro 3 cost $249 and will be available on Sept. 19. Preorders begin Tuesday.

    Here’s How the Apple Watch Is Changing

    Apple introduced the $399 Apple Watch Series 11, which comes with a thorough list of health features, including state-of-mind tracking for mental health.

    In a new development, Apple is taking on hypertension, or high blood pressure, with a new feature that tracks irregularities in blood pressure over time. Apple expects to notify one million people of hypertension within the first year alone.

    Apple Watch Series 11. Credit: Apple

    The company is also introducing a new sleep score based on duration of sleep, how many times a user wakes up throughout the night, and regularity of sleep over time. The new sleep score function applies to the budget-friendly $249 Apple Watch SE 3.

    The $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3 is also packed with new features, including satellite connectivity. Even when a user is off the grid, they can use their Apple Watch to get help in case of an emergency. The watch features 42 hours of battery life and also has hypertension notifications.

    Apple Watch Ultra 3. Credit: Apple

    Cook called Apple Watch “the most popular watch in the world.”

    The Apple Watches can be pre-ordered today and will be available starting Sept. 19.

    Apple held its biggest launch event of the year on Tuesday, with the tagline: “Awe Dropping.” At the event, Apple released the next generation of iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods, including the Apple Watch Ultra 3, AirPods Pro 3, and iPhone 17.

    “We’re taking the biggest leap ever for iPhone,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the event.

    Here’s what Apple announced, from the ultra-thin profile of the iPhone Air to satellite connectivity on the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Sherin Shibu

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  • Everything Apple Announced Today

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    Another September, another Apple event. Today, Apple revealed its new iPhone 17 lineup in regular and Pro models, as well as the new and very thin iPhone Air. The company also showed off the new Apple Watches—Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE—and the refreshed AirPods Pro 3.

    There wasn’t much talk of software, or about Apple’s ongoing efforts to seamlessly integrate AI into all its products. But we got lots of hardware! Here’s everything Apple announced today.

    New iPhones

    There are four iPhones as usual, but Apple has changed things up quite a bit this year. Gone is the Plus model, and in its place is the iPhone Air, a new ultra-slim and lightweight iPhone that’s just 5.6 mm thick.

    The new iPhone Air, available in four colors.

    Courtesy of Apple

    You only get one camera on this model, though, and Apple seems to be using high-density silicon-carbon batteries. The company is claiming the same 27 hours of video playback that the iPhone 16 Plus was capable of, even though this phone is much thinner and presumably has a slimmer battery. We’ll see how it performs when we test it. There’s a new low-profile MagSafe battery pack to accompany it in case you’re worried (or Apple is worried) about battery.

    The iPhone 17 Pro models have a completely fresh look, with a new “Camera Plateau” design. The highlights here are a vapor chamber cooling system which helps regulate the heat generated by the beefier processor, and a 48-megapixel telephoto camera that hits 4x optical zoom and 8x “optical-like” zoom.

    The forged plateau creates extra space for components, like a larger battery.

    Courtesy of Apple

    All of these phones employ Apple’s new N1 wireless networking chip, which features Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support, though only the iPhone Air comes with Apple’s homebrewed C1X modem. That’s likely because the C1X doesn’t support millimeter wave 5G (only sub-6).

    Perhaps more exciting is the fresh 18-megapixel selfie camera, which supports the Center Stage feature that automatically adjusts the framing to keep you centered. It also has Dual Capture support, so you can send reaction videos all day everyday and call yourself a Twitch streamer.

    The base iPhone 17 starts at $799. The iPhone Air is $999, the iPhone 17 Pro is $1,099, and the iPhone Pro Max is $1,199. All iPhones will be available on September 19.

    And this wasn’t in the presentation, but iOS 26 will be available on iPhones old and new on September 15. —Julian Chokkattu

    3 New Watches!

    Compared to last year’s somewhat lackluster 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, this year sees a complete revamp, including a long overdue update of the company’s entry-level Watch SE. This year, the Watch SE has the latest S10 chip, which means that it finally has a lot of the features available on more expensive watches, like the sleep tracking and satellite messaging. Satellite messaging became available on the iPhone last year, and is now available on all three watches. You can text your family and friends when you’re off the grid via your watch. If your watch detects that you’ve crashed or had an incident, it will also send your location via satellite to emergency services and contacts.

    Apple Watch Series 11 is the ultimate health and fitness companion empowering users with new insights into sleep quality...

    Apple Watch Series 11.

    Courtesy of Apple

    The latest update to the Watch Series 11 and Watch Ultra 3’s vaunted series of health features is hypertension notification, which Apple expects to be FDA-cleared within the month.

    Over a period of 30 days, the watch’s optical heart sensor will check if you have symptoms of hypertension, which affects as many as one out of three of the global population and can cause everything from heart attacks to kidney disease to stroke.

    This is in addition to hardware upgrades like wide-angle OLED displays that we saw on last year’s Series 10, along with—this is huge—a full 24 hours of battery life on the Series 11 and up to 72 hours of battery life on the Watch Ultra 3 in low power mode. The Apple Watches have had notoriously poor battery life for a decade, and now you can (probably) wear your Apple Watch all through the night or for a weekend camping trip! Amazing!

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  • AirPods Pro 3 arrive with heart-rate sensing and live translation using Apple Intelligence | TechCrunch

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    Apple debuted the third-generation AirPods Pro at the “Awe-dropping” event on Tuesday, featuring heart-rate tracking, improved audio, and a smaller, more interactive charging case. 

    It’s been three years since Apple refreshed the AirPods Pro line, releasing the Pro 2 model in 2022. The new AirPods Pro are available for preorder today at a cost of $249. The headphones will arrive in stores on September 19.

    Image Credits:Apple

    One of the standout features of the AirPods Pro 3 is its heart-rate sensing capability, a first for the AirPods line. This addition will operate similarly to the Powerbeats Pro 2, using LED sensors to provide precise measurements. The collected data will sync with Apple’s Fitness app.

    The active noise cancellation, which reduces external noise, has been significantly improved. Apple says it removes twice the noise compared to Pro 2.

    A noteworthy upcoming feature is a live translation capability, thanks to Apple’s iOS 26 software update. This lets you have conversations in different languages, using your iPhone to translate while the phone plays one language and the AirPods handle the other.

    Other notable updates include smaller, more comfortable earbuds. Apple now offers foam ear tips in five different sizes, and the company claims it’s “the best-fitting AirPods.”

    Although the current model represents a solid improvement, considerable speculation has circulated before the event about the potential release of a second version of the AirPods Pro 3.

    Techcrunch event

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    This rumored high-end variant is expected to have a higher price point than the other version, with the significant hardware upgrade being an infrared camera capable of detecting hand gestures and delivering an improved spatial audio experience when used with Apple’s Vision Pro headset. 

    The second version of the Pro 3 model is predicted to launch in 2026.

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    Lauren Forristal

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  • When Is Apple Releasing the iPhone 17? Awe-Dropping Event | Entrepreneur

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    Apple is hosting its biggest launch event of the year on Tuesday in preparation for the release of the next generation of iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods.

    The tech giant gave the launch event the tagline “Awe Dropping” when announcing it last month.

    Here’s more about the Apple event, including how to watch and what new products and releases are expected.

    When Is the Apple Event?

    The Apple event is Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. PT or 1 p.m. ET.

    How Can I Watch Apple’s “Awe Dropping” Event?

    The event will be livestreamed online at apple.com and on the Apple TV app. You can also watch on YouTube, here:

    Related: How Much Does Apple Pay Its Employees? Here Are the Exact Salaries of Staff Jobs, Including Developers, Engineers, and Consultants.

    Is Apple Announcing the iPhone 17?

    Apple is set to introduce four new iPhone 17 models: the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

    The iPhone 17 Air will replace the Plus, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The ultra-thin phone will be Apple’s first new smartphone model in years and will be noticeably thinner—about one-third—than previous models. According to MacRumors, screen sizes will be 6.3 inches for the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro, 6.6 inches for the 17 Air, and 6.9 inches for the 17 Pro Max.

    The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to have improved cameras and enhanced battery life, according to Gurman. MacRumors suggests that the standard iPhone 17 will look similar to last year’s iPhone 16.

    How Much Will the New iPhones Cost?

    The price of the new iPhone 17 is unclear, but for comparison, Apple released the iPhone 16 last year at a price point of $799 for its base model, and charged $1,199 for the higher-tier iPhone 16 Pro Max.

    It’s uncertain if specific iPhone 17 models will get a price hike due to tariffs, which were 30% against Chinese imports as of Monday. Last month, Apple shifted some of its U.S. iPhone production to India as it strove to lessen its dependence on China.

    Related: Here’s What Was Discussed at President Donald Trump’s ‘High IQ’ Dinner With Tech CEOs, Including Apple’s Tim Cook and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella

    Is Apple Releasing a Foldable iPhone?

    According to a July JPMorgan investor letter, Apple is working on its first foldable phone to compete with Samsung and Google, but the iPhone maker will not introduce the foldable phone this year.

    Apple will instead debut the foldable devices in the fall of 2026, per the letter.

    What Is Apple’s New Liquid Glass?

    Liquid Glass is the name of a new translucent design element that Apple announced in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference. The element looks like glass on the screen and takes on the color of its environment.

    Apple is bringing Liquid Glass to the iPhone via translucent menus and a new lock screen with Liquid Glass time. Liquid Glass will roll out this fall, along with Apple’s new iOS 26 operating system.

    Related: Apple Is Reportedly Developing AI Smart Glasses to Compete with Meta and Google

    Is the Apple Watch Getting an Update?

    Apple is expected to refresh its Apple Watch line, adding new models like the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3, per Bloomberg. The Series 11 will feature a brighter screen, while the Ultra 3 will boast satellite connectivity, so users can remain connected, even when they’re off the grid without their phones.

    Are AirPods Changing?

    Apple will likely add a heart rate monitor to its AirPods Pro earbuds, allowing users to track calories burned without a smartwatch, per Bloomberg. The tech giant is leaning more into fitness with its earbuds this year.

    Apple is hosting its biggest launch event of the year on Tuesday in preparation for the release of the next generation of iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods.

    The tech giant gave the launch event the tagline “Awe Dropping” when announcing it last month.

    Here’s more about the Apple event, including how to watch and what new products and releases are expected.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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  • An iPhone event unlike the others: Apple is betting the house on hardware to weather the AI storm | Fortune

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    Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event is kicking off today at 1 p.m. ET, and yes, it will be livestreamed: You can watch it on Apple’s official YouTube channel, the Apple TV app, and Apple’s Events website—but, and I say this with love, unless you’re working remotely, you might want to be careful about watching videos at work. If you get caught, that’s on you. On the other hand, your boss loves Fortune. We promise. (If they’re confused or try to protest, simply show them this article.)

    Apple throwing a launch party for its new iPhones has become as synonymous with September as pumpkin spice everything, but this event is not quite like the others. Despite solid financial results, including record revenue in Q3, up 10% year-over-year, Apple’s had a mixed year in the markets as investor concerns about Apple’s AI capabilities have applied pressure on its stock. Apple, for some context, has chosen to pursue baking AI into its full software ecosystem that extends across devices rather than create a standalone app like ChatGPT or Claude or Perplexity, which you can access in dedicated apps and websites including, notably, on non-Apple devices. On top of that, Apple admitted earlier this year at its Worldwide Developers Conference that its promised Siri overhaul for this year wouldn’t arrive until 2026. That delay cost Apple roughly $75 billion in market value in a single day and prompted some analysts to question CEO Tim Cook’s leadership.

    All of this to say: Wall Street is absolutely zeroed in on the AI gold rush right now and has grown impatient with Apple’s timeline on this front, so you can bet analysts will be watching this event closely and counting the number of times Apple says “AI” or “Intelligence.”

    That said, unlike WWDC, Apple’s September events tend to be about new hardware. So here’s what we’re expecting.

    iPhone 17 Air: The return of an ultra-thin design

    Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reports that Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Air, representing the company’s most dramatic iPhone redesign in years. The device is expected to measure approximately 5.5mm thick compared to the iPhone 16’s 7.8mm profile. Achieving this ultra-thin form factor will likely require significant engineering trade-offs, including a single 48-megapixel rear camera system and reduced battery capacity, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

    Multiple reports suggest the device will gain ProMotion 120Hz display technology previously exclusive to Pro models, marking the first time this feature would appear in Apple’s mid-tier lineup. Pricing is rumored to start at $949, positioning the Air between the base iPhone 17 and Pro models. Wall Street analysts expect the Air could drive upgrade cycles among users with iPhone 13 or older devices, who represent roughly 40% of Apple’s installed base.

    iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro: First price increases in seven years expected

    Industry sources suggest Apple plans to raise iPhone prices for the first time since 2018 across most of its lineup. The base iPhone 17 is expected to maintain its $799 starting price, but the iPhone 17 Pro could increase to $1,199—a $200 jump from the current model, according to Morgan Stanley’s Erik Woodring. The price adjustment would reportedly come with doubled base storage at 256GB and improved camera systems featuring new 48-megapixel telephoto lenses with up to 8x optical zoom.

    Reports from supply-chain sources indicate the Pro models may introduce aluminum backs instead of glass, reducing weight while maintaining durability. New color options are rumored to include orange and blue variants alongside traditional options. Apple’s pricing power stems from its 90% customer retention rate, providing flexibility that competitors lack. Consumer acceptance of higher prices amid economic uncertainty remains a key variable for Apple’s fiscal 2025 performance.

    Apple Watch Series 11: Enhanced health-monitoring rumored

    According to Bloomberg, the Apple Watch Series 11 is expected to add blood-pressure trend tracking, which would monitor patterns over time rather than providing precise medical readings. The feature could detect trends that might indicate hypertension and prompt users to consult healthcare professionals. An updated S11 chip is anticipated to enable better performance and potentially improved battery life.

    WatchOS 26 is rumored to introduce new fitness features, including something called “Workout Buddy” designed to enhance exercise motivation. The Series 11 may also gain 5G RedCap connectivity from MediaTek, providing faster data speeds than current LTE-only models. These updates would represent meaningful improvements to a device that already commands roughly 50% of the global smartwatch market.

    Apple Watch Ultra 3: Satellite connectivity expected

    Industry reports suggest the Apple Watch Ultra 3 could become Apple’s first standalone satellite-enabled wearable, offering emergency SOS functionality and potentially text messaging in areas without cellular coverage. The feature would extend capabilities introduced on iPhone 14 and later models to Apple’s wearable lineup.

    Additional rumored improvements include enhanced 5G connectivity through RedCap technology and faster charging that could reach 80% capacity in 30 minutes. The Ultra 3 is expected to feature the largest Apple Watch display to date with improved brightness and viewing angles. These upgrades would address previous limitations while maintaining the Ultra’s focus on outdoor and adventure applications.

    AirPods Pro 3: Health sensors may enter earbuds

    Apple’s third-generation AirPods Pro are rumored to introduce heart-rate monitoring through LED optical sensors that track blood flow in the ear canal. The technology, previously tested in Powerbeats Pro 2, could provide more accurate readings than wrist-based monitoring due to superior blood flow detection in ears, according to industry sources.

    Temperature-monitoring capabilities may also debut, potentially offering more precise readings than Apple Watch sensors since ear canals maintain more consistent temperatures. The AirPods Pro 3 are expected to feature improved Active Noise Cancellation, enhanced audio quality through a faster H3 chip, and studio-quality microphone recording. Some features may arrive through software updates after launch, following Apple’s typical rollout strategy.

    AirTag 2: Enhanced range and privacy features expected

    The second-generation AirTag is rumored to address key limitations through an upgraded Ultra Wideband chip that could triple Precision Finding range from roughly 30 meters to potentially 90 meters. Privacy improvements are expected to make the speaker more difficult to remove, addressing stalking concerns that have affected the first-generation product.

    The AirTag 2 is anticipated to maintain compatibility with existing accessories while adding improved battery management and low-power alerts. The device would represent Apple’s response to criticism about the original AirTag’s potential for misuse, though law enforcement data indicates such cases affect a small percentage of total units sold.

    The wider implications, and what’s at stake for Apple

    These expected product announcements occur as Apple manages multiple business pressures. The company faces an estimated $1.1 billion impact from tariffs in fiscal Q4 2025, adding cost pressures as it navigates component price increases. Goldman Sachs expects iPhone sales to grow 5% in fiscal 2025 and accelerate to 7% in 2026, assuming successful execution of today’s rumored product launches.

    Analyst sentiment remains mixed. While Goldman maintains its buy rating with a $266 target, MoffettNathanson argues that 30 times next year’s earnings is expensive for a company with “solid but not exceptional” growth prospects. The consensus among 31 Wall Street analysts shows a moderate buy rating with an average price target of $239—roughly flat from current levels.

    Apple’s strategy appears centered on hardware innovation bridging the gap until AI capabilities mature in 2026. But this approach carries inherent risks: if these products fail to drive expected upgrade cycles, the company could face continued underperformance relative to its AI-obsessed peers in Silicon Valley, many of whom are advancing their strategies and technologies more aggressively than Apple. Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft and others are pouring billions into AI facilities, and talent—and soon, hardware. Success for Apple would depend on whether consumers will accept higher prices for incremental improvements while Apple develops its next generation of software capabilities.

    For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.

    Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.

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    Dave Smith

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  • Apple May Take AirPods Pro 3 Beyond Audio

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    It’s been a long time coming, but it looks like Apple is finally ready to release the next pair of AirPods Pro. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the AirPods Pro 3 will likely be among the major product releases at next month’s annual iPhone 17 event. That’s big news for anyone who turns to Apple for wireless audio, but the new active noise cancellation (ANC) buds could be an even bigger deal for anyone who’s interested in Apple as a player in health-focused wearables.

    On top of improved ANC and the (unlikely) inclusion of cameras, Gurman reports that AirPods Pro 3 will have heart rate monitoring built into the wireless earbuds. For context, that’s not a huge technical breakthrough, since Apple is already deep into the health tracking game with the Apple Watch and its ability to collect sleep, stress, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen data. It would be, however, a big deal for how Apple positions its AirPods and also how we view wireless earbuds in general.

    As great as wireless earbuds have become over the years, there’s only so much room for growth. Companion apps have helped to personalize EQ, while AI has helped to pave the way for features like adaptive ANC that adjusts noise cancellation based on the volume of your surroundings, but neither of those things has necessarily changed the game—not to mention, they’ve now been around for several years. A pair of wireless earbuds that harnesses the power of the Apple Watch? That’s a different story. And clearly Apple sees the vision of wireless earbuds that can do a lot more—and I do too.

    Gizmodo Can AirPods take a page from the Apple Watch? © Florence Ion / Gizmodo

    It may seem far-fetched to think that your wireless earbuds can fill in as a health wearable, but in lots of ways, it makes perfect sense. For one, wireless earbuds are something you have on your person all the time, which makes them almost as ubiquitous as your phone and a perfect conduit for hoovering up all your useful health data. Not only that, but people (thanks to features like Transparency, which allow you to hear your surroundings with earbuds in) keep their wireless earbuds in for long periods of time, even during health-centric activities like exercising. As long as they’re on us and essentially right up against our bodies, they might as well be doing something other than playing podcasts, right? And if they can monitor our heartbeat, why not do other stuff like temperature or stress levels? I doubt the capabilities would stop just at heart monitoring.

    Apple obviously hasn’t said anything about adding health sensors to the Apple Watch explicitly, but Tim Cook has alluded to the importance of health tracking as a category in recent years. In 2019, Cook spoke to Mad Money’s Jim Cramer, saying, “I believe if you zoom out into the future, and you look back, and you ask the question, ‘What was Apple’s greatest contribution to mankind?’ it will be about health.” That’s a lofty claim from Cook, but it illustrates just how serious Apple is about wearables and about their potential to move Apple forward beyond Macs, iPhones, and iPads. That emphasis on health tracking, by the way, has worked for Apple in the past.

    Before the Apple Watch became the health-tracking powerhouse it is now, it was a relatively aimless device—not quite a phone fill-in, not quite a watch, and definitely not a hit among initial Apple fans. Then came Apple’s emphasis on health and the ability to monitor steps, cardiovascular health, accident detection, and more. All of a sudden, the Apple Watch went from idling to solidifying its status as a critical tool for potentially saving your life. AirPods aren’t exactly in need of saving like the Apple Watch, but they are in search of a new audience, and what better way to push the envelope than by taking a set of features we clearly love and porting them over to a device we use every day?

    As good an idea as that is on paper, Apple still needs to execute. The Powerbeats Pro 2 already have heart rate monitoring, but the execution of that feature is less than ideal, to say the least. For one, you can’t play audio and monitor your health at the same time, which feels like a dealbreaker for most people who plan to wear AirPods while exercising. That being said, if Apple works out the kinks, it could give people one huge reason to go out and upgrade their wireless earbuds and an even bigger reason to buy into Apple’s dream of becoming one of the most important health tech companies out there.

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    James Pero

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  • The $129 AirPods 4 Have Features the $549 AirPods Max Don’t

    The $129 AirPods 4 Have Features the $549 AirPods Max Don’t

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    If Apple wanted to bury the fact it’s leaving its most expensive headphones as the least technically capable in its lineup, it didn’t do a very good job.

    It all started promisingly. At Apple’s September Glowtime event, CEO Tim Cook teed up VP of hardware engineering Kate Bergeron for the big reveal by stating that the company’s much-loved AirPods family had “significant updates across the entire lineup.” And with four years under their belt since their debut, it felt like the supposedly flagship AirPods Max had to be top of the billing.

    Instead, that honor was bestowed upon the AirPods 4—Apple’s cheapest AirPods at $129, and now with the option of noise cancellation for an additional $50. Among other additions, Bergeron announced they would now come with the “power of the H2 chip,” the most advanced headphone chip from Apple, which was first introduced in the AirPods Pro 2 in 2022.

    That chip delivers some significant upgrades, too. Apple said at the time that the H2 chip in the AirPods Pro 2 cancels “twice as much noise” compared to the original Pro. Now, in the AirPods 4, Apple writes in its press release that H2 delivers a “major improvement in sound quality” and that it unlocks a whole host of “intelligent features that change the way users take calls, interact with Siri, and so much more.”

    A lot of these features are down to the advanced machine-learning capabilities of the H2 chip, and Bergeron touched on a few of them in her enthusiastic introduction of the AirPods 4. Features like Siri Interactions, which allows you to respond to Siri by nodding or shaking your head; “the magic of Adaptive Audio,” said Bergeron, which blends noise cancellation and transparency modes to best suit your environment; and also Conversation Awareness, which dips your audio down when it hears you talking to someone, then raises it again after.

    That’s not even all of them. There’s also Personalized Audio, shorter “Siri” summoning and Voice Isolation for clearer calls.

    Better sound, better ANC, better features? That sounds like a very tempting package indeed. But when it came to the H1-packing AirPods Max, Apple quickly swept all that good stuff under the carpet, throwing a handful of new colors and a USB-C connection our way in the hope we’d forget about everything that had just come before.

    Photograph: Courtesy of Apple

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    Verity Burns

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  • Here’s When Apple Plans to Release New iPhones With AI | Entrepreneur

    Here’s When Apple Plans to Release New iPhones With AI | Entrepreneur

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    The newest iPhones could go on sale in less than a month.

    Apple is planning the launch of its next generation of iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches on Tuesday, September 10, according to a Friday report from Bloomberg chief correspondent Mark Gurman. The phones will reportedly go on sale on September 20.

    The key difference between the iPhone 15 introduced last year and the new generation expected in September is Apple Intelligence, a host of AI tools that upgrade Siri, allow the voice assistant to directly access third-party AI like ChatGPT and add AI-generated emojis, among other features.

    Related: Morgan Stanley Analysts Named Apple a Top Pick Stock and Doubled Their iPhone Expectations — Here’s Why

    Apple introduced its specially branded AI in June. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will get Apple Intelligence in the fall, and the iPhone 16 lineup is expected to follow suit.

    The latest iPhones will also have bigger screens for Pro models and enhanced camera features, per the Bloomberg report. Apple will also upgrade AirPods and Apple Watches at the event.
    Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

    Analysts have predicted that this fall could be a lucrative upgrade cycle for Apple — it could be even bigger than when the iPhone 12 came out in 2020 with 5G as a selling point. iPhone 12 sales reached 100 million within seven months.

    AI is “more compelling than anything we’ve seen since,” analyst Gil Luria of D.A. Davidson told Reuters.

    Morgan Stanley analysts named Apple a top-pick stock in July, calling Apple Intelligence a “clear catalyst” for current iPhone users to upgrade.

    Related: Apple’s AI Has a Catch — And It Could Help Boost Sale

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    Sherin Shibu

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  • Apple: iPhone X, HomePod, AirPods ‘Vintage,’ Soon ‘Obsolete’ | Entrepreneur

    Apple: iPhone X, HomePod, AirPods ‘Vintage,’ Soon ‘Obsolete’ | Entrepreneur

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    Three groundbreaking Apple devices — the iPhone X, HomePod, and original AirPods — are now considered vintage. And the clock is ticking on how long they will be eligible for repairs.

    Apple added the three to its vintage product list on Monday, meaning that it stopped selling the products more than five, and less than seven, years ago.

    Apple customers who use these devices are now facing a limited window when it comes to repairs. Apple Stores and authorized repair shops will only offer service for the iPhone X, HomePod, and original AirPods for up to two more years max, depending on the parts available.

    Related: Will Apple AI Convince You to Upgrade Your Old iPhone?

    The three products are all instantly recognizable as a major shift or addition to Apple’s product lineup.

    The $999 iPhone X was the first Apple phone to switch from TouchID to FaceID, allowing users to unlock the iPhone X with a glance and swapping out a home button for an entirely touch-activated screen. Apple assured customers that it kept its facial scans out of the cloud to make the feature more secure.

    Apple now has the majority of smartphone market share in the U.S., with about 53% of the market.

    Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during the launch of the iPhone X on September 17, 2017. (Photo by Qi Heng/Visual China Group via Getty Images)

    The $349 HomePod was Apple’s first smart speaker; some users have called it a “significant and risky investment.” Apple sold an estimated three million HomePods in the U.S. by 2018, according to a Consumer Intelligence Research Partners report.

    Since the original HomePod’s release, Apple has expanded the product line with the 2020 HomePod mini and the 2023 HomePod 2nd Generation.

    Related: What’s Next for Apple After Vision Pro? Home Robots: Report

    The $159 original AirPods were Apple’s way of “reinventing” wireless headphones, per the company’s 2016 press release.

    Apple introduced an “innovative” charging case and a double-tap feature that allowed users to tap their AirPods to access Siri.

    Devices on the vintage list end up in Apple’s “obsolete” category after they pass the seven-year mark. At that point, Apple withdraws hardware service and service stores can no longer order replacement parts.

    Related: Apple iPhone 7 Settlement: How to Make a Claim By Deadline

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    Sherin Shibu

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  • Here’s What the Furby and Other Gadgets Look Like in a CT Scanner

    Here’s What the Furby and Other Gadgets Look Like in a CT Scanner

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    Technology has become so ingrained into our lives that we often don’t stop to think about the electronics—small, delicate, and powerful—that have to work in perfect harmony to make our favorite gadget work. In my case, I would have never imagined that Apple’s Lightning charger, a bane of my existence, would have as many tiny wires as a tree has roots.

    The engineers over at Lumafield are all about inspecting the electronics that make our world hum. To do so, they run all sorts of devices—as well as the occasional bag of Cheetos and sometimes bugs—through CT scanners.

    As the folks at Lumafield point out, you can run gadgets through CT scanners to detect internal defects and imperfections in electronics, such as misaligned components and faulty shoulder joints, without taking them apart and potentially destroying them.

    Besides helping the people who make and repair these gadgets find potential flaws, a CT scan can also give the public a look at how much goes into making these seemingly “simple” devices work. Take the 2023 Furby update, for instance, whose ears appear to move randomly.

    “The CT scans show a pair of rack-and-pinion assemblies responsible for the ear movements. These assemblies are connected to linear actuators and uniquely shaped cams with wobbly paths. As these cams rotate, they transform the motor’s constant rotation into seemingly random back-and-forth movements,” Lumafield wrote in its Furby analysis.

    Click through to check out what some other popular gadgets look like under the CT scanner. You may be surprised at how complex they are under the hood.

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    Jody Serrano

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  • Amazon: Save On Apple Airpods Pro, Airtags, Apple Watch – Doctor Of Credit

    Amazon: Save On Apple Airpods Pro, Airtags, Apple Watch – Doctor Of Credit

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    A few deals on Apple products from the Big Spring Sale event (links below contain our affiliate):

    • Apple Airpods Pro (2nd gen) for $179.99
    • Apple Airtag (single pack) for $24
    • Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) in color white for $189
    • Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS 41mm] for $329

    Let us know what other deals you notice.

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    Chuck

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  • Which AirPods Should You Buy?

    Which AirPods Should You Buy?

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    If you’re hunting for your first pair of AirPods, you may have a few questions, such as proper cleaning methods and how to tinker with certain settings. We’ve got some answers to a handful of common questions about AirPods.

    Do Airpods work with Android?

    Yes, you can use AirPods with non-Apple devices, since they use the standard Bluetooth protocol. But you’ll lose out on features like Siri integration, ear detection (it won’t automatically pause audio when you take an AirPod out), and the ability to customize shortcuts on the double-tap feature. However, headphones from Beats usually offer broader support for Android.

    Can you buy a single AirPod?

    Yes. If you lose an AirPod, you can buy a replacement for the right or left AirPod through Apple. AppleCare+ doesn’t cover lost or stolen AirPods, so it will cost you. You can use Apple’s “Get an Estimate” tool to calculate the possible cost. The same applies if you lose the Charging Case. Your replacements will be new versions.

    Why is only one AirPod working?

    If you can’t hear audio in an AirPod, make sure your case is fully charged. Then place both AirPods in the case and charge them for 30 seconds. From there, open the charging case and use your iPhone or iPad to check that each AirPod is charging (there should be a lightning bolt icon next to both). Put both AirPods in your ears and test the audio. If that doesn’t work, you should reset your AirPods.

    Why isn’t the AirPods case charging?

    Start by checking your connections. If you have the AirPods or AirPods Pro, make sure the cables are fully plugged into the case and power adapter. Allow your AirPods to charge for at least 15 minutes (you should use one of Apple’s cables). If you have the AirPods Max, allow them to charge for at least five minutes. Then, open either the case on the AirPods or AirPods Pro or the Smart case on the AirPods Max and hold them near your iPhone or iPad. You should then see the charging icon appear when looking at the battery status. If that doesn’t work, you should contact Apple Support.

    If you lose an AirPod, can you find its location?

    If you have the AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (all versions), and AirPods Max, you can track your AirPods using the Find My app. (You can’t, however, track an empty AirPods case unless you have the 2nd-generation AirPods Pro.) Make sure the feature is turned on by going to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the “I” icon, and scroll down to turn on Find My Network. If it’s already on, go to the Find My app, and under the Devices tab, tap on your AirPods. From there, you’ll see the exact location of both your left bud and your right bud. If they aren’t near you, tap Get Directions and it’ll automatically open their location in Maps. If you’re nearby, you can also press Tap Sound to listen for beeps. If you have AirPods Pro (2nd generation) along with an iPhone 11 or newer, you can also use Precision Finding.

    If your AirPods show “No location found” or “Offline,” this means they’re out of range or need to be charged, so you’ll only see their last known location. At that point, you might be able to get directions, but you won’t be able to use Find Nearby or play a sound. You’ll get a notification on your Apple device if they do come back online.

    Can you clean AirPods?

    Yes. You can use a soft, dry, lint-free cloth to wipe down the AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max. But there are other additional steps you can take, depending on the type of AirPods you have. Apple has steps on how to properly clean each version here.

    Why won’t AirPods connect to my device?

    If your AirPods won’t connect, you should start by checking that your iPhone, iPad, and Mac are all updated to the latest version of their respective operating systems. Then, make sure both AirPods are charging, Bluetooth is on (Settings > Bluetooth), and double check that AirPods appear in your list of devices via Settings and that they’re selected. If they aren’t on the list, hold the button on the back of the charging case until the status light flashes white and follow the onscreen instructions.

    How do you get rid of the crackling or static sounds on AirPods Pro?

    If you’re hearing crackling or static sounds from your AirPods Pro, make sure you’re running the latest software. You should also check that your connected device is nearby and that there is no wireless interference or obstructions between you and your iPhone, iPad, or Mac (like walls or floors, a lot of Wi-Fi activity, wireless speakers, etc). If none of these are issues, try listening to audio from a different app to see if it’s the app causing the problem. Otherwise, you can look into the AirPods Pro Service Program for sound issues.

    Why isn’t Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) working?

    Double-check that you’re running the latest software version on your Apple devices. When both AirPods Pro are in your ears, check that ANC is turned on (you can go to Settings > AirPods Pro > Noise Control on your iPhone). You should also check if Adaptive Audio is on. It helps to clean the microphone and speaker since earwax and debris can build up over time. If it’s still not working, you can look into Apple’s AirPods Pro Service Program for sound issues.

    Can you turn off Siri Notifications?

    Yes, if you don’t want Siri annoyingly reading aloud text messages and other notifications while you’re trying to listen to music or a podcast, you can turn them off. You can read step-by-step instructions here.

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    Brenda Stolyar

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  • Popdust's 2023 Ultimate Gift Guide

    Popdust's 2023 Ultimate Gift Guide

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    There are officially two weeks left until Christmas Day…and with Hanukkah underway already, you may be scrambling for that last-minute perfect gift. It’s not always easy, especially when you’re shopping for the chronically online person whose always buying themselves a “little treat”, you often wonder: “What do I get the person who has it all?”

    I know my friends have this issue when shopping for me because I am not shy about treating myself. Being a material girl in a material world also means that I know the perfect gift for everyone in your life. If you’re waiting for your next paycheck to do some final holiday shopping this year, and are in need of some brilliant inspo- you’ve come to the right place.

    Here are our picks for our 2023 holiday gift guide!

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    Jai Phillips

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