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.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple’s invite for the September 12 “Wonderlust” event offers potential clues about what to expect. Mostly it makes us wonder: Will Apple ever release an iPhone in a truly bold, lust-worthy color?
The main thing we can agree on is that it looks like the iPhone 15 colors might be more boring than usual.
Also on The CultCast:
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.
AirPods that use USB-C to charge in place of Lightning are reportedly right around the corner. They supposedly will be unveiled at Apple’s “Wonderlust” event on September 12.
The modified version of Apple’s wireless earbuds are part of a general move away from Lightning.
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!
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Looks like we have an iPhone 15 launch date. An early hint pinpointed September 13, but now it looks like the big reveal might come a day earlier. Mark your calendars (but maybe use a pencil rather than a Sharpie).
Also on The CultCast:
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.
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.
ESR just launched a Kickstarter campaign for an unprecedented, Apple-certified 100-watt 6-in-1 charging station with GaN technology to juice up all your devices.
The company called the device — which can charge iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously — the “world’s first” of its kind. You can preorder it now at a 20% discount. And it may serve all your charging needs.
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.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple’s roadmap for future AirPods looks ambitious. The company wants them to take your temperature to see if you’re feverish, test your ears to see if you’re hard of hearing, substitute for hearing aids, and charge using the one cable to rule them all … USB-C!
It’s all music to our ears.
Also on The CultCast:
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.
If Apple made a turntable, would it cost $60,000? Almost certainly not, but that’s the lofty price tag on the new 50th anniversary Linn Sondek LP12-50, sketched out by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive and his firm LoveFrom.
It’s his first hardware design project since leaving Apple in 2019. And he did it for free.
This week we teamed up with Kuxiu to put an X40 3-in-1 foldable magnetic wireless charger and stand in the hands of one lucky winner.
This charger, which retails for $89.99, can juice up an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all at once. And it’s perfect for travel, thanks to its light weight and compact size. It tips the scales at just 6.9 ounces, so you can take it anywhere and just pop it in your pocket for extra convenience.
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.
Aside from the inevitable iPhone refresh (and the headset everyone’s buzzing about), Apple reportedly has several other major new products lined up for launch in 2023 and the first half of 2024. This includes revamped iPad Pros with OLED displays, new Macs powered by a next-gen M3 processor and an upgrade to the Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple also is supposedly in the early stages of developing an iMac with a display that measures more than 30 inches.
There’s nothing like working with windows — floor-to-ceiling ones with epic views of a world-class city, that is, not Microsoft’s OS software.
In today’s featured computer setup, a MacBook Pro and a Surface 8 laptop vie over a nice Dell 4K display overlooking Sydney, Australia.
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.
Update: Sorry, but this deal quickly sold out.
As more Apple gear becomes available, we all have a problem: How to keep it all charged? This 5-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger has room for just about everything — and more besides.
It even boasts an unusual design that makes it resemble a leafy plant!
Everyone knows AirPods come only in white. If you want a set of Apple earbuds in another color, you have to turn to subsidiary Beats.
But white almost wasn’t the only case, so to speak. Apple prototyped AirPods cases in five colors to match iPhone 7 colors in 2016, according to a source who displayed some images Tuesday.
The massive Memorial Day Sale is still going on in the Cult of Mac Store, running through the end of the day on Monday, May 29. You can get up to 30% off great accessories for Apple products from half a dozen leading brands: Elago, Rilee & Lo, SwitchEasy, Mifa, Laut, Bucardo and Nine Twenty Eight.
See some sale highlights below and check out the whole sale on hundreds of items before it’s too late!
You’re not the first person to show up late to the party for Mother’s Day, forgetting to fork over a gift on her special day. So, a day later, it’s a good thing you can still choose from a huge selection of great Apple accessories on sale.
You can pick up a variety of items for 15% to 25% off in the Cult of Mac Store’s Mother’s Day Sweet Savings Collection through Monday. See a selection of highlights below.
Apple has shared its annual Mother’s Day gift guide to help you celebrate your mom on May 14 in the United States and many other countries. Dozens of gift ideas, from AirTags to iPhones to various accessories, cover a range of prices from $15 to about $1,000.
And you can “make it mom’s” with free engraving of emojis and messages on a range of gifts, too.
AirPods charging cases with a USB-C port in place of the Lightning one are already being produced, according to a tipster.
These will be ready when, or possibly even before, the introduction on an iPhone that uses USB-C for data/charging.
Before Apple subsidiary Beats could get the word out, a listing appeared briefly on Amazon.com Tuesday showing upgraded Beats Studio Buds+ coming out May 18.
They take the same shape as existing Beats Studio Buds, but they feature a cool new transparent design option, upgraded performance and a slightly higher price of $169.95.
Another week, another set of active-noise-cancelling (ANC) wireless earbuds. The latest buds vying to take a piece of the AirPods pie are the updated OnePlus Nord Buds 2. They add ANC and improved sound quality over their super-affordable predecessor.
Nord Buds made a splash with good sound quality at a bargain-basement price of $39 when they came out. Now Nord Buds 2 piles on more features and boosts quality at a still-low $59 price point.
No matter which AirPods you have, the Cult of Mac Easter Sale has something for you. Check out the selection of cool cases and stands in the Easter Savings collection.
See some highlights below, where the links go straight to the products. And if you think this sale is probably only for AirPods Pro, AirPods 3 and AirPods Max, guess again. Here’s six cases for AirPods 1 and 2, for example — all 25% off.
The mystery AirPods referenced in iOS 16.4 are a new version of AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C case, according to a reliable Apple tipster. And the product could be out in the next few months.
If true, these will be a significant step in transitioning the iPhone ecosystem away from Lightning and to USB-C.