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AirPods - page 17

Apple could keep us waiting until 2021 for AirPods upgrades

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AirPods Pro with black background discounts
AirPods and AirPods Pro will get their next update next year.
Photo: Apple

People waiting to get their hands on next-generation AirPods will be waiting until 2021, a report published by Digitimes on Wednesday suggests.

It claims that Apple will launch its third-gen AirPods in the first half of 2021, before introducing the next-gen AirPods Pro in the second part of the year. Apple last updated its regular AirPods line in March 2019, while the AirPods Pro were released in October 2019.

Save a ton on iPad and Mac in B&H Photo’s huge Back to School sale

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Back to School sale on iPad, Mac
Enjoy the discounts before they disappear.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

B&H Photo this week kicked off its Back to School sale on Apple products, offering customers big discounts on iPad, Mac, and more.

You can save up to $500 on last year’s 13-inch MacBook Pro, up to $300 on a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and up to $535 on a 2018 iPad Pro. There are also some sweet discounts on Apple Watch and AirPods.

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Next-gen AirPods will take a page out of AirPods Pro design playbook

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AirPods Pro with black background discounts
Apple will ditch its original AirPods design completely with the next-gen model.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s third-gen AirPods will boast a design and compact system-in-package (SiP) solution similar to AirPods Pro, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims in his latest research note to clients.

Kuo suggests that the next-generation wireless earbuds will arrive in the first half of 2021. That would be approximately 18 months after Apple debuted the AirPods Pro design in 2019.

We rave about iOS 14’s best ‘secret’ features on The CultCast

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CultCast 442: AirPods with health sensors
Get a second shot of WWDC 2020 talk in this week's podcast.
Image: The CultCast

WWDC 2020 This week on The CultCast: We bring you a huge list of great iOS 14 features that Apple did not mention onstage during this week’s WWDC keynote, and there’s a lot here to love.

Plus: Why iOS 14’s new Home screen widgets aren’t as powerful as you might think. And get ready to log into websites with Face ID or Touch ID.

Today’s episode is supported by CleanMyMac X, an all-in-one utility that takes care of your Mac’s health: It’s a macOS cleaner, a performance monitor, a malware remover and, occasionally, a lifesaver. And until July 5th, you can go to macpaw.com/cultofmac to get CleanMyMac X with a 30% discount.

The best hidden features in iOS and iPadOS 14

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Best hidden features in iOS 14
There's a lot more to discover in iOS 14.
Photo: Apple

WWDC 2020Apple showcased some major changes and improvements for iOS 14 during its big WWDC 2020 keynote on Monday — and it was just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more that we didn’t get to see.

We’re now discovering what some of those things are, thanks to the first beta release, which is already available to registered developers. Here are our picks for the best hidden features in iOS 14.

Save $19 on AirPods Pro and get set for stunning spatial sound

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AirPods Pro with black background discounts
Or save $39 on renewed models.
Photo: Apple

Apple just rolled out an AirPods Pro update that makes noise cancellation even better, and soon, its tiny buds will get another upgrade that adds amazing spatial sound. Don’t already have your own? Change that today.

Pick up AirPods Pro on Amazon and enjoy $19.01 off the usual price — one of the biggest discounts yet — or opt for a renewed pair and save $39.05.

Apple dominates the competition among wireless headphone customers

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Earphones research
Apple has a whole lot of brand awareness among customers.
Photo: Counterpoint Research

A survey of customers in the UK hammers home Apple’s dominance when it comes to wireless in-ear headphones. According to a report by Counterpoint Research, 63% of respondents named Apple as a preferred brand when picking their next wireless in-ear headphones.

Apple trounced the competition that included Bose, Sony, the Apple-owned Beats, Samsung and others. While respondents were able to name multiple brands, the quantity of people who mentioned Apple makes clear just how much of a name Apple has carved out for itself in this market.

Is noise cancellation fixed in latest AirPods Pro firmware? Nobody knows.

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Apple reportedly adding another supplier for its ultra-popular AirPods Pro
AirPods Pro users can't agree whether active noise cancellation is fixed by the latest firmware update.
Photo: Apple

Apple updated AirPods Pro to firmware version 2D27 on Tuesday. Users of these truly wireless headphones have since had a chance to install it, but there’s no consensus about whether it makes active noise cancellation as good as it was when this product first launched.

iOS 14 warns you exactly how loud your AirPods are

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iOS 14 looks out for your hearing
Find out if the song you’re listening to is permanently damaging your hearing with an iOS 14 Control Center feature.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020 Listening to music on AirPods at too high a volume can damage your hearing. As a reminder of this, iOS 14 offers an optional icon in the Control Center to show just how loudly the song is playing on a connected pair of AirPods or earbuds at that moment. And it measure the sound pressure down to the exact decibel.

AirPods Pro’s Spatial Audio will give you surround sound-style audio on wireless airbuds

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AirPods supplier confident of booming business through 2021
AirPods Pro are about to get even more pro
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

WWDC 2020AirPods got some impressive-sounding (no pun intended) features announced at WWDC, including an upcoming “Spatial Audio” feature that will provide better 3D sound for its AirPods Pro wireless earpods.

The feature will use motion tracking to replicate a surround sound, movie theater-style listening experience, making it sound like the audio you’re listening to is coming from around the wearer. It will work by using the device’s in-built accelerometer to track the motion of users’ heads. It will then remap the sound field constantly as your head moves around.

AirPods 3 upgrade with AirPods Pro design expected in early 2021

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AirPods Pro settings
Could AirPods 3 look just like AirPods Pro?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple will introduce its third-generation AirPods buds featuring the same design as AirPods Pro during the first half of 2021, according to one reliable analyst.

The new wireless headphones could help drive a 28% increase in AirPods shipments next year. Apple’s rumored decision not to include free EarPods with iPhone 12 this fall could also contribute to the boost.

Customs officials stop import of $4,000 of counterfeit AirPods

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AirPods 2. AirPods S, more like.
AirPods are one of Apple's most popular products.
Photo: Apple

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently seized a shipment of counterfeit AirPods coming from China, carrying a retail price (at least, if they were authentic) of $3,975.

Officers discovered the shipment of AirPod knockoffs June 1. The packaging said the parcel contained lithium ion batteries. However, officers inspecting the package reportedly grew suspicious because of giveaways with the packaging and marking used on the shipment.

OtterBox brings colorful protection to AirPods

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OtterBox AirPods case covers defend your headphones.
OtterBox AirPods case covers come in Spacesuit Blue, Infinity Pink, Black Hole and more colors.
Photo: OtterBox

OtterBox on Thursday launched protective covers for AirPods and AirPods Pro cases. The Ispra and Lumen series are this company’s first for Apple’s truly-wireless earbuds. They come in a range of colors, and are designed to save the AirPods case from scratches and drops.

US customs seize shipment of knockoff AirPods from China

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Seized AirPods knockoffs
Knockoffs were discovered by Pittsburgh Customs and Border Protection officers.
Photo: Pittsburgh Customs and Border Protection

Pittsburgh Customs and Border Protection officers seized a shipment of counterfeit AirPods and lightning charging cables over the weekend. The unauthorized knockoffs were part of a much larger collection of thousands of counterfeit goods — including 4,212 fake Roku remotes.