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.
In order to quell the spread of COVID-19, at least one Apple supplier set up coronavirus “bubbles” for employees on its production lines, essentially sealing off workers from the outside world.
According to a Tuesday report by Nikkei Asia, several factories in Vietnam — including one owned by AirPods manufacturer GoerTek — took this precautionary measure as COVID-19 cases ramp up in the country.
Breaking up is hard and painful, unless you’re an AirPod. They’re far from loyal, and they will leave you any time and anywhere. That’s why you need Elago’s awesome EarHooks.
EarHooks prevent an ugly breakup by ensuring AirPods and AirPods Pro always stay in your ear — whether you’re working out or squeezing onto a busy train. And you can get yours today from just $10.99.
When you think about the types of items typically seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, you might picture contraband like drugs or weapons. You probably don’t imagine knockoff AirPods as a target.
In fact, bogus earbuds are a big deal. Customs and Border Protection seized “roughly 360,000 counterfeit wireless headphones with a retail value of $62.2 million” since October, according to a story in The Information, citing previously unreported government data.
Apple is one several predominantly larger companies that work with Customs officers to help weed out copycat products upon their entry into the United States. And the counterfeit goods are not necessarily packaged to look exactly like actual Apple products. Here’s how it works.
The Cult of Mac Store just kicked off its big Fourth of July sale, offering 15% off all items when you spend $50 or more.
Take your pick from some of the best iPhone, iPad and AirPods cases, stands, Apple Watch bands and more — all hand-picked and approved by members of the Cult of Mac team.
The offer ends today, so enjoy it while you can!
Apple’s new Beats Studio Buds are helping to offset a recent decline in headphones sales before an “innovative” health-tracking AirPods Pro upgrade arrives next year, according to one reliable analyst.
AirPods shipments could fall to just 70-75 million units for 2021, warns TF International Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo. But Apple’s total headphones shipments could jump to more than 100 million units in 2022.
Apple has posted a longer and more detailed list of products that it recommends you keep “safe distance away” from medical devices to avoid magnetic interference that might endanger your health.
We’ve all been there: You’re running late for a video meeting and you’ve only got a few moments to pull up your presentation and speak to your entire team. In between the dog barking, construction happening just outside your window, and having misplaced your charger, the last thing you want to deal with are audio and connectivity issues between your AirPods and your Mac.
San Diego-based accessories manufacturer Elago has added two useful, multiple-device charging hubs to the Cult of Mac Store: MS Charging Hub Duo Watch and MS Magsafe Charging Hub Trio 1.
AirPods are truly outstanding headphones, especially for iPhone users. They aren‘t cheap, though. But it’s Amazon’s annual Prime Day, and both AirPods and AirPods Pro are on sale for 25% below the regular price. That’s as much as $60 off.
And there are smaller savings on the recently released AirPods Max.
Smart sensors in future AirPods possess “all kinds of potential” for health tracking, according to Apple VP of Technology Kevin Lynch.
While he surely knows the company’s goals in this area, Lynch doesn’t spill the beans in a new interview with TechCrunch. However, the Apple exec hints (or, rather, doesn’t exactly deny) that the health-tracking technology already found in iPhones and Apple Watch could arrive in next-gen AirPods.
Save on some of the best accessories money can buy for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac in the Cult of Mac Store’s big Father’s Day sale. Enjoy up to 72% of cases, bands, charging stands, and more from the likes of Elago, Elkson, Monowear, and SwitchEasy.
These are limited-time offers, so enjoy them while you can!
You’ll need some special equipment to enjoy high-resolution lossless audio tracks inside Apple Music. But spatial audio with Dolby Atmos is available to everyone who has a set of decent headphones.
Here’s how to enable it on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV.
Spatial audio is coming to Apple TV this fall in tvOS 15. It got a brief mention during Apple’s WWDC 2021 keynote on Monday, and now the company has shared more details on how exactly it will work.
To be fair, when Redditor No-Top-5065 posted pics of their MacBook Air-based computer setup, they asked for suggestions on how to improve it.
“Any recommendation on how can I improve my desk setup? Not into gaming, work and study most of the time,” said the post’s headline.
Spatial audio inside Apple Music will get dynamic head tracking later this year, Apple has confirmed. The feature promises an even more immersive experience by adjusting sound based on your movements.
The confirmation comes just as Apple rolls out spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and lossless music for Apple Music subscribers.
iOS 15 will bring a range of improvements to AirPods. Apple’s wireless headphones will get easier to find, and they can fill in as hearing aids in noisy environments. And Apple plans another tweak or two as well.
Mac concept-makers are really strutting their stuff lately. This week we saw two eye-catching concepts that ring true. Get a glimpse of what the next-gen Mac Pro and MacBook Pro might look like in this week’s top stories.
And don’t miss our interview with one of the concept artists, who tells what he uses to make his realistic images.
You’ll find those stories and more in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Read it on iOS or hit the links below for browser fun. If you want slightly less fanciful stuff, we’ve also got the latest Apple news, reviews and how-tos to keep you busy this long Memorial Day weekend.
Designer and concept artist Antonio De Rosa came out with a drop-dead gorgeous rendering of a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an MX1 chip earlier this week that Cult of Mac reported on as a look at something possibly close to the real thing, based on recent leaks and rumors.
A substantially modified 16-inch MBP could be announced as soon as the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on June 7.
As for the designer of the speculative Apple concept, we decided to chat him up, much like we did recently with another render-master we know.
Apple’s next-gen AirPods Pro will feature updated motion sensors for fitness tracking and arrive in 2022, according to a Bloomberg report Friday.
This would be in keeping with Apple’s increasing focus on the fitness and wellness field, both with Apple Watch and its Fitness+ subscription service. AirPods Pro made their debut in October 2019, and have not been updated since.
Amazon is currently offering its biggest discount so far on Beats Solo Pro wireless headphones. Get yours in one of a number of color options for just $149 — a generous $150.95 off the usual price.
Apple’s new MagSafe Duo Charger for iPhone and Apple Watch just got its very first discount on Amazon. Order yours today for $112.45 — down from $129 — before the price returns to normal.
There’s hope for AirPods users unhappy that the new Apple Music lossless option won’t work on their wireless headphones. Tipster Jon Prosser said on Wednesday that Apple will introduce a software update that will allow the earbuds to play lossless audio. Supposedly, AirPlay and Wi-Fi are just waiting to be enabled in AirPods.
Apple will roll out lossless audio and Dolby Atmos support on Apple Music next month, and the upgrades will come at no additional cost to subscribers. But they do have one rather significant caveat.
High-resolution lossless tracks can’t be enjoyed on AirPods — not even the $549 AirPods Max. So what can you enjoy them on? We’ll explain everything you need to make the most of Apple Music’s big changes.
Apple Music fans who are super-excited about the just-announced lossless audio option should be aware that it won’t work with AirPods or HomePod. Not even the $549 AirPods Max.
But Apple’s headphones and smart speaker do support Spatial Audio for songs mixed in Dolby Atmos, another new feature of Apple Music.