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AirPods - page 19

Apple readies new headphones, AirPods X; plans to ‘phase out Beats’

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Beats-Powerbeats
Is this the beginning of the end for the Beats brand?
Photo: Apple

Apple is readying new over-ear headphones and “AirPods X” for 2020 as it plans to slowly “phase out Beats,” a tipster claimed Tuesday.

We could see the company’s new over-ear headphones during the online-only Worldwide Developers Conference this June. However, the company’s sportier take on AirPods is expected to come in the fall. Currently, Apple is supposedly working to clear out Beats inventory.

Last chance! Save 20% on all Twelve South accessories

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Twelve-South-collage
Get all these and more at a sweet discount!
Photos: Twelve South

Save 20% on the Cult of Mac Store’s entire lineup of awesome accessories from Twelve South. AirPods cases, iPhone chargers, iPad stands and more are all available at a discounted rate for a limited time only.

The sale includes some of Twelve South’s most popular products, including HiRise Wireless, AirSnap, and BookArc. The discounts disappear tonight, so enjoy them while you can!

Apple slashes HomePod price in half for employees

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Apple debuts HomePod in India at its cheapest price yet
Are you excited at the prospect of a new HomePod?
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple is hooking up its employees with some huge discounts on a few of its audio products this week.

It’s unclear whether it’s being done to help employees be entertained while working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic or an effort to move surplus units during a sales lull.

Add wireless charging to your AirPods with this $25 Elkson case [Review]

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Elkson wireless AirPods bumper case
Elkson's Bumper Case adds wireless charging to your 1st and 2nd generation AirPods.
Photo: Elkson

One of the nicest features of the latest AirPods is the ability to charge them wirelessly. Just plunk them on top of a Qi-compatible charger and you’re good to go. But what about the original AirPods, which didn’t come with a wireless charging case?

Well, now you can add Qi charging for just $25, thanks to Elkson’s Wireless Charging and Bumper Case.

Save on 2020 Mac mini, MacBook Pro, Sims 4 and more [Deals & Steals]

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DS-Mar-31-20
And save $140 on Beats Solo3 wireless headphones.
Photos: Apple, EA

Need a new MacBook Pro? You won’t want to miss Woot’s brilliant deal on 13-inch models, refurbished by Apple, which are now available for as little as $679.99. Or pick up the brand-new 2020 Mac mini from $699 — $100 off its usual price tag.

That’s just some of the awesome offers in today’s Deals & Steals roundup that will help you tackle self-isolation and working from home during the COVID-19 crisis. Other highlights include:

Find all these discounts and more in today’s Deals & Steals roundup.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

All major Chinese plants stand ready to crank out 2020 iPhones, Foxconn says

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Coronavirus-related shutdowns continue to disrupt Chinese factories.
Chinese factories are just starting to recover from the impact of COVID-19.
Photo: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr CC

China’s production pipelines are finally getting back into full swing just in time to start building the 2020 iPhone.

Foxconn, Apple’s top iPhone assembler, says it has hired enough workers at all major Chinese plants to meet seasonal demand for iPhone production, in what could be a strong signal that the labor shortages in China caused by COVID-19 are starting to get back to normal.

iPhone and AirPods shipping times improve as China restarts manufacturing

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They AirPods Pro fit in their case like nothing ever happened.
AirPods Pro supplies are starting to catch up with demand.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple’s supply issues for two crucial products appear to finally be getting better, based on tracking data by Loop Ventures.

Both the iPhone and AirPods are starting to ship out to customers sooner than in previous weeks as suppliers in China finally get back up to full speed. The only thing that’s unclear is whether the improved shipping times are due to China getting back to work, or because customers in the U.S. are hunkering down.

Apple dominates surging wearables market

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AirPods ad
More consumers are making the leap to wearable technology.
Photo: Apple

Apple doesn’t just hold a lead over its competitors in the wearables market. It captured a 36.5 percent share of the market in the final quarter of 2019.

Second-place Xiaomi’s slice of the pie was under 11 percent.

COVID-19 won’t stop Apple shipping 90 million AirPods this year

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AirPods Pro are so popular Apple is struggling to keep up with demand
Coronavirus is sweeping the world, but at least you can listen to music wirelessly.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
Even with the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus battering Apple’s supply chain, Apple hasn’t revised its shipping forecasts for its crazy popular AirPods, a report published Friday claims.

Digitimes notes that Apple is “expected to stick” to its plan to ship 90 million pairs of AirPods in 2020. That’s an increase of 50% from Apple’s shipments last year. The report cites sources from the supply chain.

Apple to limit public trying on Apple Watch & AirPods at stores to stop coronavirus spread

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Elago-Wrist-Fit-Apple-Watch
Want to try on an Apple Watch or AirPods at an Apple Store? It might now be at your own risk.
Photo: Elago

Apple has told its retail store employees worldwide not to recommend customers physically try on an Apple Watch or in-ear AirPods, in an effort to cut down on the spread of coronavirus.

Customers can still ask to try on ‌the products, but employees have been told not to offer the opportunity, according to a published report Wednesday.

Apple’s unreleased over-the-ear headphones spotted in iOS 14 code

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airpods-max
Apple's making its own headphones to rival Beats.
Photo: 9to5Mac

The clearest look yet at Apple’s upcoming over-the-ear headphones was unearthed from an early build of iOS 14 this week.

Icons for Apple’s unreleased over-the-ear headphones were spotted by 9to5Mac, revealing a few features about the headphones’ design as well as a possible timeframe on when they might launch to the public.

New entry-level AirPods could hit store shelves this summer

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AirPods-Pro-vs-AirPods
AirPods Pro Lite might look like Apple’s high-end wireless earbuds, or the basic AirPods.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next AirPods go into production very soon, according to an unconfirmed report coming out of Asia. These are the wireless headphones that are typically referred to as AirPods Pro Lite, though they are unlikely to have that name when released.

Target employees leak inventory listings for new AirPods, Apple TV, iPod touch and more

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Target inventory photos
Are these soon-to-be-released Apple products, supposedly uncovered by Target employees?
Photo: 9to5Mac

Unnamed Target retail store employees are sharing details of what some believe are soon-to-be-released Apple updates using purported images of product listings from the companies retail inventory system.

The supposed new products include Apple AirPods X Generation, a 10.5-inch iPad, a new generation Apple TV, a new iPod touch and a series of new Apple Watch bands. 

New iPads Pros, new AirPods and AirTags are incoming! We discuss, on The CultCast

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CultCast 428
Apple's got some new goodies on the way...
Photo: @YSR50

This week on The CultCast: New iPads Pro, new AirPods and AirTags are incoming, but Apple warns coronavirus could mean big manufacturing delays. Plus: From cut and paste, to Newton, and more — we remember the inventions of tech folk hero Larry Tesler.

And stick around for an all new What We’re Into, where Leander pitches some of the most bizarre shows on TV.

Our thanks to LinkedIn for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters … head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post.

AirPods parts makers ramp up production despite coronavirus

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They AirPods Pro fit in their case like nothing ever happened.
Apple literally can't make AirPods fast enough.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Production of some AirPods components has managed to stay at normal levels despite the COVID-19 virus causing problems with Apple’s supply chain and stores in China.

AirPods Pro supplies were constrained months before the coronavirus outbreak in China. Tim Cook told investors that he couldn’t predict when production would finally catch up, but a new report gives some encouraging signs that things could get back to normal soon.

Apple moves production of some high-demand devices to Taiwan

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Apple logo on store
Apple has a backup plan.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple is shifting a portion of AirPods, iPad and Apple Watch production from China to Taiwan as the tech giant continues to deal with coronavirus-related delays in China.

The virus, called COVID-19, has forced Apple to diversity on the fly its China-reliant production model. Much of the country remains quarantined and restricted in travel, and Apple assembly and supply partners are unable to operate at full capacity.

Marshall brings active noise cancellation and USB-C to over-the-ear headphones

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Marshall
These are some of the best looking headphones we've seen.
Photo: Marshall

Marshall’s best over-the-ear headphones finally gained active noise cancellation (ANC) with a big update that pushes the vintage-inspired cans into the modern age.

The new Monitor II ANC headphones were revealed by Marshall this morning and along with adding ANC to put them on par with AirPods Pro, the headphones also have a nifty multi-directional control knob that lets you easily control music and phone functions without touching your phone.

How sneaky kids use AirPods to ‘talk’ in class

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fake AirPods talk in class
Totally legit Apple AirPods.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

When I was a kid, we communicated in class by writing notes on pieces of paper, and passing them to other kids. It was called “passing notes,” and is now probably taught in schools as an artisanal pastime, along with “going outside” and conkers. In 2020, kids use insane workarounds to avoid actual writing.

Today we’ll see how to “pass notes” using nothing but two $700 iPhones and two $160 pairs of AirPods.

Apple could be planning ‘AirPods Pro Lite’ for 2020

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AirPods Pro and Transparency Mode make for fine hearing aids.
AirPods Pro and Transparency Mode make for fine hearing aids.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple could be planning to introduce more affordable AirPods Pro buds. A new report claims Cupertino is in talks with suppliers in Taiwan over “AirPods Pro Lite,” which are expected to debut later this year.

It is believed Apple is also planning to shift production of other devices — including iPad, Apple Watch, and iMac — to Taiwan as the coronavirus epidemic continues to cause problems in China.

Samsung tries to take on AirPods Pro without active noise cancellation

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Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus
Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus are going to have to compete against AirPods Pro without a really popular feature.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung today unpacked Galaxy Buds Plus, its answer to Apple’s top-selling AirPods. The Korean company’s latest truly wireless headphones offer better sound quality and longer battery life. But they lack the hallmark feature of AirPods Pro: active noise cancellation.

AirPods sales could blow past 100 million units this year

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Demand could far exceed supply for AirPods this holidays
The launch of Apple’s new AirPods Pro in October helped the company record steady growth last year.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple’s AirPods will once again dominate the market for truly wireless headphones in 2020, according to a market research firm. And sales will hit 100 million units this year.

The only real question is which company will come in second in this market.

Mad Money host predicts big things for Apple through 2030

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International governments plan to rethink tax rules for the ‘digital age’
Jim Cramer is betting big on Apple.
Photo: Pixabay/Pexels CC

By any measure, Apple had an astonishingly successful decade between 2010 and 2020, becoming the world’s first publicly traded $1 trillion company in the process. But Apple’s next 10 years could be another monster decade for the company, Mad Money host Jim Cramer speculates.

Speaking on his 65th birthday Monday, Cramer said that, “I’m going to make another 10-year bet [on Apple]. I think they’re that good.”