AirPods are the gift teens want most this holiday season. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Anyone at a loss for what to get a hard-to-buy-for teenager need look no further than the Apple Store. Specifically, AirPods. That’s a conclusion of a survey done by a market-research firm.
Surprisingly, this same firm sees slowing interest in Fortnite.
ColorWare can make a set of AirPods Pro uniquely yours. Photo: ColorWare
Apple sells AirPods Pro in any color you want, as long as it’s white. But ColorWare brings some style to these in-ear headphones. The company offers 64 color options, and shoppers can decorate each AirPod differently.
A massive improvement over the original. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Consumer Reports has issued its verdict on Apple’s AirPods Pro — and it’s a positive one. The nonprofit consumer-testing publication praised the AirPods Pro as sounding “really good.” It also lavished praise on the sound-cancelling tech and the earbuds’ transparency mode.
However, it still thinks you could do better with Samsung’s Galaxy Buds.
Caviar went with a minimalist mod on this one. Photo: Caviar
Tired of looking like a dang peasant with your old AirPods?
The crazy luxury Apple-modders at Caviar have the perfect upgrade ready for you with their new AirPods Pro Gold Edition. After making some pretty wild mods to the original AirPods, including a $20,000 diamond version, Caviar’s latest masterpiece actually looks pretty classy, if you like that Saudi prince type look. And with a price tag of nearly $68K, you’d have to be a Saudi prince to afford them.
Tap the AirPods Pro battery case to show the charge status LED. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
The AirPods Pro come in a Qi-enabled wireless charging case, which means you can just drop it onto a charging mat, grab them a while later, and everything is topped up and ready to go. But the LED indicator on the case blinks off soon after you start charging. What’s up? How do you find out if your AirPods are full yet?
Retro, snakeskin and camo are just a few of the Slickwraps Skins available for AirPods Pro. Photo: Slickwraps
Although AirPods Pro still come only in white, users can add color with Slickwraps Skins. These are thin layers of vinyl that decorate not just the in-ear headphones but also the case, and there are dozens of options.
Apple's size of the wearables market keeps growing. Photo: Elago
Ensure your AirPods always have a safe place to stay with the brilliant Wrist Fit Adapter for Apple Watch. It slides onto almost any band and carries your beloved buds wherever you go.
Which is better? Feature-packed, or sleek and simple? Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
Apple’s AirPods are brilliant. They’re incredibly convenient, sleek and offer pretty good sound. They also add a layer of functionality you don’t get with many other Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. And I’m not even talking about the new AirPods Pro.
So, now that Apple expanded the AirPods line to include both the standard AirPods, and the pricier (although more feature-packed) AirPods Pro, choosing the right option might not seem so clear. How do you choose the AirPods that are best for your life?
Yep. AirPods just got better. Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
With AirPods Pro, Apple makes us oddly happy about shelling out for an upgrade. In fact, the new high-end wireless earbuds feel like a steal at $250. You might even say they’re fandabbydosey. (Our fearless leader Leander did. In fact, he can’t stop raving about AirPods Pro.)
Immerse yourself in our reviews and early impressions of one the most exciting Apple products in recent memory in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine. We also packed the issue full of how-tos for AirPods Pro and other Apple products. Plus, you’ll get the latest Apple news (including the lowdown on the just-launched Apple TV+ streaming service).
Apple's new AirPods Pro earbuds are a super-great update to the original. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Hot dang, Apple’s still got it. The new AirPods Pro are fantastic.
They’re truly great headphones, and every major new feature improves on the old AirPods in big and significant ways.
The sound is fantastic — a big upgrade.
Their active noise cancellation is as good as Bose and Sony headphones (and maybe even better). Finally, you can use AirPods on airplanes.
Transparency mode is weird magic.
Best of all are the new Force Sensor touch controls, which take a minute to get used to but are way better than tapping. They’re my favorite new feature, and I burst out laughing with delight when I got the hang of it.
We buy original and second-generation AirPods and make the whole process quick and easy. We also cough up real cash, so you can spend it anywhere you like.
Breaking news: Apple's pretty great when it comes to marketing. Photo: Apple
Question: How do you get billboards for a new product up as quickly as possible after launch, without spoiling Apple’s perfectly orchestrated unveiling? Answer: You put up the billboard, then add the product afterward.
If that sounds like way too much effort, we’re guessing you won’t be hearing back from Apple about your marketing job application anytime soon.
This week on The CultCast: AirPod Pros! You want them, we got them. We’ll tell you what’s new, what’s good, what’s not, and how they compare to the regular AirPods. We’ve got lots to say…. Plus: The first Apple TV+ reviews are trickling in, and, well … they’re not great.
Our thanks to Belkin for supporting this episode. Belkin cables are built to last and supported with a five-year warranty. If you’re tired of broken, burned-out cables, switch to Belkin, and save 30% off your order with code CultCast at checkout.
Just a few cents' worth of silicone can ruin your new $250 earbuds. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Why am I returning my AirPods Pro just a day after receiving them? If the AirPods Pro don’t fit in your ears, then tough. There’s pretty much nothing you can do about it short of returning them to Apple.
However, if you’re prepared to wait, there might be some hope.
AirPods Pro are so popular Apple is struggling to keep up with demand Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
It has taken me just over a day to realize AirPods Pro are the best accessory I’ve ever purchased from Apple. They sound terrific, work exceptionally well with other Apple products, and feel great.
They might be pricier than their siblings at $249. But with new features like active noise cancellation and Transparency mode, they’re worth every penny.
The AirPods Pro come with three pairs of tips. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
If you ever sat with a pair of earbuds, and a handful of interchangeable silicone tips, and felt a sense of apathy and confusion creep over you, then you’re going to love the new AirPods Pro Ear Tip Fit Test. This clever new feature uses the AirPods Pro’s own microphones to test how well the variously sized silicone tips fit in your ears.
It works really well. The only problem is, the results could be bad news.
Most of us lovingly look after our newest Apple devices to ensure they last as long as possible. iFixit pulls them apart in the name of science. Its latest teardown victim? AirPods Pro.
You won’t be shocked to find that there’s loads of tiny tech inside Apple’s newest earbuds. But you might be surprised to see how different they are to regular AirPods on the inside.
Will people buy both? Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Tim Cook thinks Apple’s awesome new AirPods Pro are “complementary” to the original AirPods. No, he’s not just referring to the fact that there is a space in the market for both products. He thinks many AirPods Pro customers will buy and own regular AirPods as well.
And you know what? Given Apple’s amazing track record in the “hearables” area, I don’t have any problem believing he might just be right.
Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri got on the phone with investors after the numbers came and provided some surprising details on how Apple hit a new high for Q4 revenue despite slowing iPhone sales. While everyone has been focusing on Apple’s booming services business, one of the company’s other product categories has transformed into its true growth engine.
European Commission could get even tougher on tech in 2020 Image: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Apple earnings report for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2019 met the most bullish of Wall Street expectations this afternoon with a Q4 record high of $64 billion in revenue and $3.03 earnings per share.
Apple’s stock price started soaring in after-hours trading on news of the positive earnings. With the iPhone 11 on sale for just 10 days during Q4, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave credit to Apple’s booming service business and the Apple Watch and AirPods for pushing the quarter to record heights.
We're still very much in the dark. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
You don’t need to dig into the Settings app every time you want to change the noise canceling settings of your AirPods Pro. There are two other ways to toggle setting which are much, much faster. Let’s check them out.
Get ready for another record breaking quarter. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple is ready to unveil its last earnings report of 2019 this week, and investors are anxiously waiting to hear some good news on iPhone sales.
All early indications point to sales of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro performing even better than expected. But because the new devices were only on sale for the very tail end of the quarter, they might not have given Apple the growth Wall Street is desperate to see.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri are set to divulge all the details for Apple’s fiscal Q4 2019 earnings on Wednesday, October 30, at 2 p.m. PDT. Per usual, Cult of Mac will be analyzing all the data right when it drops and there are a couple of areas and metrics that are key to keeping Apple’s stock price soaring.
Control your AirPods Pro by squeezing the stems to play or pause music and noise cancellation. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Your AirPods Pro controls are cleverly incorporated in the earbuds’ stems. The stems are touch-sensitive, and various squeezes or strokes will play or pause music, adjust the volume, answer phone calls, launch Siri, change noise cancellation settings and more.
Here’s how AirPods Pro controls work, and how to customize their settings.
The only thing scary about AirPods Pro is how good they are. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The best-selling headphones in the world are now even better. AirPods Pro come with an all-new design that’s now sweat-resistant and capable of blocking out background noise for the first time.
They cost just $50 more than regular AirPods with a Wireless Charging Case. But they’re so much better. Here are our AirPods Pro first impressions.
The line for AirPods Pro in Shanghai. Photo: Apple
Did you forget to order AirPods Pro earlier this week? You can now pick them up in Apple Stores worldwide.
The brand-new buds improve upon one of Apple’s best accessories by adding active noise cancellation and a sweat-resistant design. You can also look forward to improved sound and a better fit.