AirPods Pro - page 3

If you’re in the market for Apple earbuds, second-gen AirPods Pro with a USB-C case are the earbuds to beat. And this hot new AirPods Pro sale slashes the $249 list price down to just $199.99 … and it comes with AppleCare+!

Plus, if you order by 11:59 a.m. Pacific on Wednesday, December 20, you can take delivery by Christmas.

The only (potential) drawback is that this AirPods Pro deal is for Costco members only. But never fear: If you’re not already a member, Cult of Mac Deals offers a great deal on a Costco membership that will let you save money on Apple gear every day of the year.

Apple will revamp its AirPods lineup in 2024 in an effort to boost sales and clarify offerings, a new report indicates.

AirPods 4 should arrive next year, with two versions replacing current lower-priced earbuds models. And AirPods Max will receive some long-awaited updates, although the pricey over-ear headphones won’t get a major revamp.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: After a quick spin through the news of the week, we get down to business with our second round of picks for the best and worst tech and entertainment of 2023.

Also on The CultCast:

• Would you pay 99 bucks for a USB-C case for AirPods Pro? I think the price is outrageous, but not everyone is so sure.
• Apple just raised the bar for authorities who might want to spy on your iPhone’s push notifications.
• A new iPhone security feature will soon make it harder for thieves to wreck your life.
• And the latest on how Apple might be forced to open up iPhone to appease regulators.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

While Best Buy offers great deals on MacBooks, iMacs, Macs mini and iPads in its Apple Sales Event for the holidays, you can also score good deals on iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods. See the selection below, or check out the whole sale here.

You can replace the Lightning charging case for your AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C one without also having to buy new wireless earbuds.

But the $99 price for the case is high enough to raise questions about the practicality of making the change.

Apple began selling refurbished AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds Friday. Those willing to buy a previously purchased unit save $40 off the regular cost.

These are Apple’s premium earbuds, and this is the first time the company has put refurb units up for sale.

Amazon is once again running an insane deal on the AirPods Pro 2, dropping them to their Black Friday price. You can get the earbuds for $189.99, a whopping $59 off their $249 MSRP.

With no AirPods Pro successor coming anytime soon, Apple’s 2nd gen earbuds are the best earphones you can get for your iPhone.

A gift that always goes down well with Apple fans, no matter the time of year, is a brand-new pair of AirPods. But it’s important to ensure you pick the right pair out of the four on offer if you really want to impress.

In our AirPods buying guide, we’ll help you choose between AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max — and highlight some of the best cases and charging accessories to go with them.

A crazy good deal on the new AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C case lets you save $60 off the retail price. And this despite the wireless earbuds being on the market for just over a month.

Apple’s new top-of-the-line wireless earbuds take advantage of all the latest new bells and whistles in iOS 17. Plus, they bring additional new features besides the port change, including additional dust resistance and the promise of high-res audio when paired with Apple Vision Pro.

Did you miss buying your favorite Apple gear or accessory during Prime Day earlier in the year? Worry not, as Amazon is back with its Prime Big Deal Days, offering hefty discounts on a hoard of Apple products and accessories.

There are great deals on MacBooks, AirPods, Apple Watches, iPads and other Apple accessories that make your favorite products much more affordable.

If you want to see a good example of high-end Mac computing, look no further than today’s elegant featured setup. Its powerful M2 Mac Studio desktop computer works alongside a PC gaming rig as they drive a curved OLED display for maximum contrast.

Throw in a rarely seen mechanical keyboard and a standing desk with a big Grovemade desk shelf, and we’re in business.

Apple could release charging cases that use USB-C for lower-priced AirPods in 2024, according to an unconfirmed report. A similar case for premium AirPods Pro 2 is expected at Apple’s September event next week.

And Apple might bring USB-C to AirPods Max next year, too, as part of a general move away from Lightning.

A well-lit and well-equipped computer setup can evoke peace and productivity at the same time. Today’s Mac Studio rig exudes a zen-like calm despite being a total powerhouse.

It features a well-mounted Studio Display, a slick mechanical keyboard with wrist rest, a sleek external drive as well as tidy pegboard storage for AirPods Max.

Using older magnetic chargers, lots of folks still charge their iPhones at a pokey rate of 7.5 watts. So it’s good news Spigen just rolled out its first 15W MagSafe device, the ArcField Wireless Charger.

You can use it to quick-charge any MagSafe iPhone 12, 13 or 14 handset, and it’ll juice up an AirPods Pro charging case at 5W.

Momax’s Airbox Portable Power Cabin may be the ultimate companion for your Apple devices. The clamshell case not only charges your gadgets fast with its built-in 10,000mAh battery, it also stores them on the go — including iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods or AirPods Pro.

It’ll top up your iPad quickly via USB-C as well. And there’s even a special, non-charging slot to store your Apple Pencil.

The company calls the Airbox the world’s first foldable power bank. And Momax is offering a limited-time deal that drops the price considerably — plus an additional discount for Cult of Mac readers only!

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.

If you are looking for a new pair of earphones for your iPhone, the AirPods Pro 2 are an obvious choice. And if you take advantage of Amazon’s latest deal, you can grab the earbuds for as low as $199.

This is a sweet $50 off the earphones’ retail price, making them much more affordable.

Although Amazon’s Prime Day is over, you have not missed your chance to save money on iPad, MacBook or AirPods. These Apple products are still on sale with enticing discounts.

But don’t wait — these deals could disappear at any time.

Apple is exploring adding health-focused features to future versions of AirPods Pro, including sensors that measure body temperature. The company also is working on features that would make the earbuds a viable hearing aid replacement, including an advanced hearing test to evaluate the wearer’s capabilities.

Apple also reportedly plans to transition the AirPods Pro’s charging case from Lightning to USB-C this year. This could happen alongside the iPhone 15 series in September.

The only reason today’s featured setup isn’t 100% Apple is that Cupertino doesn’t make its own condenser USB microphones, lighting or desks.

Literally everything else in the setup is from Apple, including a computing “hat trick” of desktop Mac, laptop Mac and Apple tablet, plus a second hat trick for peripherals, with an Apple display, Apple input devices and Apple audio.

An upcoming software update will add multiple new listening modes to AirPods Pro 2. These are designed to make it easier for the user to listen to music while also hearing what’s going on around them.

Apple also announced at WWDC23 that all AirPods will get better at switching connections between devices, plus a change intended to make conference calls easier.

You may already have a mouse pad in your computer setup, but what about a desk mat? Similar concepts in some ways, those two. But many folks may not even think of a desk mat as a necessary item in a computer setup. Or they may consider it an afterthought rather than any sort of priority.

But the humble desk mat, reminiscent of grandpa’s desk blotter, has its benefits. And that came up with today’s featured, desk-mat-free M1 MacBook Air setup.

Part of the fun of covering computer setups for Cult of Mac is seeing how a setup is never “done.” Blood, sweat, tears and time may go into it, but it will always need something — whether that’s missing functionality, better decoration or the next generation of a key device.

Today’s featured M2 MacBook Air setup is a good example. Since we featured an earlier version of it just weeks ago, the user made important changes. He added two components to maximize crucial iPad functionality and pump up audio.

Looking to buy a new iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, or AirPods? Take advantage of the Memorial Day sale across various retailers, and you can save big on your purchase.

Given that Apple products are almost always in demand, they are heavily discounted this Memorial Day.

Many computer setups go heavy on the Apple hardware, but not many of them could be mistaken for Apple advertisements. Some, though, like today’s Mac Studio workstation, manage to hit that mark — or close enough.

If the app developer who uses it fancied things up a bit more, the rig might seem too staged and on-the-nose-Apple to feature.