AirPods 3

You can preorder the newly updated Beats Solo Buds headphones June 18 and expect shipping to commence June 20, Apple subsidiary Beats by Dre said.

At just about half the cost of AirPods 3 and ready-made to pair with Apple devices with long battery life and a truly tiny case, the new buds could be a tempting get for a lot of folks. And big sound is promised, too, according to the video below.

UPDATE: As noted above, Beats Solo Buds became available to order today, Tuesday, June 18, and should ship starting Thursday.

At Cult of Mac, we love great audio. So when a computer setup comes along on social media showing off a killer system, we love to feature it. Today’s M3 Pro MacBook Pro setup kicks out the jams — we also love obscure references to cult-favorite bands of yesteryear — with Audioengine A2 Plus speakers and a Kanto Sub6 subwoofer.

So, as nice as the MacBook Pro’s six speakers may be, they don’t have a chance against that sound system.

Some computer setups just seem to have it all. Today’s featured workstation sports a new M3 Pro MacBook Pro with hefty amounts of memory and storage, plus a speedy Thunderbolt 4 dock connected to a well-curated selection of peripherals. Even the gear stands and furniture are especially nice.

Belkin unveiled its new BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad with MagSafe Wednesday, offering a compact way to charge iPhone and AirPods on the road.

Totallee, known for its minimalistic iPhone cases, rolled out new cases Tuesday for AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and AirPods 3.

They’re “on brand” for Totallee in that they’re lightweight, protective and branding-free. And they’re also made of 100% recycled plastic, the company said.

Your old AirPods aren’t what they used to be. The speakers can get gummed up, degrading the audio performance. But the Belkin Cleaning Kit for AirPods can take care of the problem.

This might save you the cost of buying a new pair of Apple earbuds.

There’s something especially convenient about having a multi-device charging station on your nightstand. Or you could place at the edge of your desk or on a table by the front door. It’s a place you can charge your iPhone, AirPods charging case and Apple Watch all at once if need be.

Ugreen sent me its version to test out, the 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Station. It’s a good charger for most people — especially because it’s MFi-certified for MagSafe. That means you get a full 15 watts for MagSafe iPhones and 5W apiece for an AirPods charging case and Apple Watch.

But the device isn’t without minor drawbacks.

Reviews of Apple’s new AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) are rolling in. The overwhelming consensus? The design is only slightly changed from the first-generation buds, but almost everything else is improved, with a few minor caveats.

They’re better than the original where it counts most: Higher sound quality, stronger ANC, more controls, longer battery life and an improved wireless charging case.

In short, given that the wildly popular AirPods Pro launched way back in 2019, it’s time for an upgrade for most people.

Should AirPods Pro owners upgrade to AirPods Pro 2?

The new set boasts a host of upgrades that could easily be worth it for many people — especially because the price hasn’t increased — and may even tempt owners of the relatively new and well-reviewed AirPods (3rd generation).

Apple is rolling out a new beta firmware for the AirPods, AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Max with improvements to Automatic Switching.

The firmware carries the build number 5A5282d and version number 5.0.

Apple’s latest AirPods 3 is down to just $149.99 on Amazon — a sweet $29.01 discount from its retail price of $179.

In Cult of Mac‘s AirPods 3 review, we found them to be the best earbuds in Apple’s lineup. And this is the lowest price the earbuds have dropped to in the last month.

Amazon has an answer for what to do with that gift card you received over the holidays. The recently released AirPods 3 are once again selling for their lowest price ever: $139.99.

And there are significant deals on AirPods Pro and AirPods 2 as well.

AirPods make great gifts … especially when they’re nearly half off. You can get AirPods 2 for less than $90. That’s as low as they’ve ever been.

And there are deals on every type of Apple’s signature earbuds with significant savings. Even on the newest model.

What I’m about to write is so shocking you might want to sit down: AirPods 3 are the first Apple wireless headphones I’ve ever owned. I never saw a need to pay the Apple Tax when I had cheap wireless earbuds that were good enough.

But I changed my mind for the newest model. Here are all the reasons I’m happy about the purchase. And the one reason I’m not.

Apple’s recently released AirPods 3 have a longer battery life than either AirPods 2 or AirPods Pro. But a teardown of the new truly wireless headphones finds batteries that can’t fully explain the extra time between charges.

Watch a video of the teardown showing why along with some other internal details of AirPods 3.

The first wave of AirPods 3 reviews just came out, and they’re full of good news for those considering Apple’s latest truly wireless earbuds. Sound quality draws praise, as does battery life. But reviewers don’t seem as happy about the lack of active noise cancellation. And some would have preferred silicone ear tips.

Read on for reviewers’ specific comments about AirPods 3.

Apple used part of its “Unleashed” event on Monday to announce a major refresh of it signature earbuds. The new AirPods 3 feature spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and dynamic head tracking and come with a redesign that makes them look more like AirPods Pro (although without the silicone ear tips).

They won’t be Cupertino’s entry-level earbuds, though, as the company said AirPods 2 will remain in the lineup.

Apple is expected to introduce the third-generation of AirPods this week. But the current version of these truly wireless headphones reportedly won’t be discontinued. This might result in AirPods 2 dropping in price.

It would be quite a change, as Apple’s earbuds are some of the most expensive on the market.

The wait for Apple’s next-generation iPhone lineup could end in less than a month. A new report, citing information from a Chinese retailer, claims iPhone 13 will make its big debut on September 17, followed by AirPods 3.

Cupertino has previously staggered its fall events over September, October and November. But according to some sources, it will unleash a barrage of hardware within just a few weeks this time around.

We’re expecting big refreshes for iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as a new iPad and iPad mini, third-generation AirPods, and more.

Apple’s next-gen AirPods, the third iteration of the company’s regular AirPods, will go into production next month, Nikkei Asia reported Wednesday.

This would be the first upgrade for Apple’s standard issue AirPods since the second-gen version debuted March 2019. The original AirPods made their debut in December 2016.

There’s a growing consensus among tipsters that, despite what what said earlier, AirPods 3 will not debut at the Apple April event. It seems the company’s next generation of truly wireless earbuds aren’t going to reach customers until later in 2021.

The massive growth days of the AirPods may already be over, according to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a new note to clients seen by Cult of Mac, Kuo said he anticipates a year-over-year decline in AirPods shipments in 2021. If true, this would be the first year in AirPods history that sales didn’t experience explosive growth.

Real-world images of the third-generation AirPods allegedly leaked out Wednesday. These could give an early look at the in-ear headphones that might launch before the end of March.

The pics supposedly show that AirPods 3 won’t borrow a major feature of AirPods Pro.

Get your wallets ready, because Apple will supposedly launch an array of new products on March 23. On the docket for the event will supposedly be an updated iPad Pro, AirPods and Apple TV, as well as the debut of AirTags.