AirPods 3 are brilliant… and on sale! Photo: Apple
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.
Satechi's new stand holds and charges AirPods Max and other gear -- and it looks good doing it. Photo: Satechi
Among accessories maker Satechi’s new products showing at CES 2022 is the new 2-in-1 Headphone Stand with Wireless Charger designed for AirPods Max, rolled out Thursday.
While a sleek, stainless steel arm suspends your headphones, the base charges your iPhone or other Qi-enabled device and provides a USB-C port to power up the headphones, too.
Spatial audio, unlock with Wear OS, and more on the way. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Google plans to make its latest Pixel and Wear OS devices more compelling alternatives to iPhone and Apple Watch by ripping off some of Cupertino’s most popular software features — including spatial audio and AirDrop.
The Android-maker revealed the long list of improvements, which will span all of Google’s software platforms as well as Windows, this week at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. Here’s what you can expect if you plan to ditch your Apple devices and swap sides.
Sleep soundly knowing all your devices will be fully charged in the morning. Photo: Journey
The holidays are finally over, and if you were lucky enough to receive an Apple Watch, iPhone or AirPods as gifts, this latest giveaway is for you. Journey, a maker of innovative consumer electronics, is giving three lucky winners its 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station.
This minimalist charger takes up little space and will charge your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time. If you want to simplify your life by cutting out cords and charging hassles, make sure to enter this Cult of Mac giveaway.
The current AirPods Pro will stay around for a while, but a replacement is reportedly on the way with some interesting new features. Photo: Apple
Apple will launch a second generation of AirPods Pro in the fall, according to an analyst who’s also a reliable tipster. The upgraded earbuds allegedly will offer better sound than the current version, via support for lossless audio. And there reportedly will be other changes, too, including a new design.
Long before the launch, AirPods of all kinds are shipping like crazy, thanks to Apple’s lowering the cost, according to the same analyst.
Elago's 3-in-1 Charging Hub keeps your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods going. Photo: Elago
In a festive New Year’s promotion, Elago is offering every accessory in the Cult of Mac Store — hundreds of items, all in one place — at 15% off through January 7. No matter what Apple products you may have received as gifts over the holidays, there’s something for your in the sale. We cover some highlights below.
AirPods Max owners grumble about the hefty price tag. Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac
A year after the debut of AirPods Max, an analysis of user reviews found that buyers like the over-the-ear headphones less than rival products. The main problem: price.
For comparison, the same study by consumer research company Revuze shows people who buy Apple’s basic AirPods seem much more satisfied. And user reviews of other Apple products are usually quite positive, too.
“It is off-brand and surprising to see how poorly the AirPods Max product was received over the course of the year since its release,” Revuze CEO Boaz Grinvald told Cult of Mac.
This is one of the sleekest MagSafe chargers we've seen. Photo: Journey
This MagSafe charger post is brought to you by Journey, a brand of Alogic.
You probably have cables to charge your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch. But wouldn’t it be great to charge them all at once, in one place, like on your nightstand or desk? Without a bunch of wires? With the handsome new Journey 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station, you can.
Journey’s newest charger also serves as a stand for your gadgets — and it looks good doing it. And, by the way, if you act fast, you can get the new charging station for 30% off with the coupon X30.
Get that slick iOS feeling when you use AirPods with your Mac. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
The AirPods experience is great overall, but let’s be honest. The way Apple’s earbuds work with a Mac is a pale imitation of the seamless functionality you get when using them with iPhones and iPads.
Luckily, an innovative Mac app called AirBuddy fixes that. And right now, you can save 20% on AirBuddy with code CYBER20.
AirPods Pro are still Apple's flagship earbud, but the others featured in the tables below make for stiff competition. Photo: Apple
In gift-giving season, sometimes you get something you already have or something that isn’t quite what you wanted. So, if you can exchange the item for something you truly covet — like a killer pair of Apple AirPods or Beats earbuds — you probably should.
But how do you choose between earbuds made by Apple and earbuds made by Apple subsidiary Beats by Dre? We’ve laid out the specs for four popular sets of buds, below, pitting AirPods Pro against Beats Fit Pro and the new AirPods (3rd gen) against Beats Studio Buds. But all the specs listed in each chart are the same, so it’s not difficult to compare and contrast all four.
You'll pocket this wireless folding charger and over $30 in savings with our Cyber Week sale! Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Having all the Apple gadgets is great for fun and productivity. There’s nothing like the ease of having your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods all synced up together. Keeping them all charged and running throughout the day, though, can be a real pain. Apple is doing a better job, but the battery lives are still painfully short.
However, keeping your batteries topped off is a cinch with the MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with Floating Stand. Even better, this MagStack station is available at a deep discount for our second Cyber Week sale! You can get this charging station on sale for only $35.99 (regularly $69) when you use the code CYBER20.
Here’s how to do an iPhone spying trick. Use it for fun, not evil. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
An iPhone and AirPods can be used to listen to conversations without people knowing. Such iPhone spying is really just a tricky use of the Live Listen feature built into iOS.
And, even if you’re not a budding James Bond, knowing about this trick could keep someone from eavesdropping on you. Here’s what to do if you want to use your iPhone to spy on someone. (Or what to watch out for if you don’t want to fall victim to iPhone spying.)
One charger. Four devices. Case closed! Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
You only need one charger, even if you have four devices that you use constantly. With the 4-in-1 Foldable Wireless Charging Station, you can consolidate all of your chargers into one powerful device.
And right now, it’s on sale for $49.95 (regular price: $54).
New iPhone 14 rumors get us excited about 2022. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Our 2022 hopes are up, up and away on the latest rumors about what new features iPhone 14 Pro might bring. The camera sounds like it will once again deliver impressive gains, but it’s the potential for an iPhone 4-style makeover that’s really got us drooling.
Also on The CultCast:
New Apple displays on the horizon?
Dying AirPods … and amazing deals on replacements.
Alex E. Heath’s goggle-eyed moment during his interview with The Matrix stars.
More of our product picks in Gear of the Year.
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 livestream, embedded below.
This five-way charger takes up very little room on your desk or nightstand. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
You shouldn’t need separate charging cables for each of your devices. The Omnia Q5 5-in-1 Wireless Charging Station is one of the first wireless charging stations that works for five devices at the same time. It’s on sale now for $99.95 (regular price: $120), but you can save even more — get an additional 20% off with code GREEN20.
Nomad's updated Base Station wireless charger for up to four devices is now MagSafe-compatible. Photo: Nomad
Earlier this year, accessories maven Nomad made its popular Base Station Mini wireless charger — suitable for juicing up one iPhone — MagSafe-comptible. Now it has added magnets to another popular product, the Nomad Base Station Hub, which can top off up to four devices at once.
The new Anker 333 Wireless Charger comes with a power adapter, which is not always the case with new Anker chargers. Photo: Anker
Anker is out with yet another charging accessory, this time the Anker 333 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station. It’s another convenient means by which to power up your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all in one place.
They could look a little like this. Concept: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
We could be waiting close to a year for Apple’s much-anticipated AirPods Pro upgrade, but according to one analyst, it will be well worth the wait. The next-generation buds are expected to deliver a brand-new design and a better chip.
They could also be Apple’s first headphones with fitness tracking capabilities.
A CT scan reveals the insides of AirPods Pro in the prettiest way possible. Photos: Scan of the Month
Ever wondered what your favorite wireless headphones might look like during a weird acid trip? Find out right here (while sober) with these mesmerizing CT scans of AirPods, which showcase the evolution of Apple’s buds on the inside.
AirPods have seen some surprisingly big changes since their initial introduction in late 2016. Here’s how Apple made them better — and even more compact.
Are you really ready for VR? Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Let’s talk about the virtual reality headset Apple supposedly will unleash next year. Will it happen? What will it do? And do we even want it to happen?
Also on The CultCast:
Maybe AirPower isn’t dead — and maybe something even more amazing is on the horizon.
Tesla Cyberwhistle FTW.
Our first round of Gear of the Year picks.
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 livestream, embedded below.
AirPower might be dead, but the dream lives on. Photo: Apple
Apple continues to work on a wireless charger, similar to the abandoned AirPower mat, that will allow users to charge multiple devices simultaneously, according to a new report. The company also hopes to develop truly wireless charging in the future.
Cupertino reportedly is working on “short and long distance” charging solutions that don’t require physical contact. It also wants to give all major Apple devices the ability to charge each other.
Enjoy the discounts before they disappear. Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Black Friday is over for another year, but Cyber Monday has just begun, which means there’s still time to enjoy big discounts on Apple devices.
AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad and more are currently available at tasty discounts from third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. And to make shopping a little easier, we rounded up all the best deals on Apple’s hottest gear.