The standards body behind Bluetooth technology said Tuesday the next-gen version first promoted two years ago is finally here. With Bluetooth LE Audio now complete, new headphones like the upcoming AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max can incorporate an array of improvements.
Just to name a few, we can expect better sound, improved power efficiency and connectivity to an “unlimited” number of devices if Apple fully integrates the new standard.
It goes without saying that AirPods Pro 2 will offer better sound. Duh. But Apple also will add some surprise features to the next generation of its earbuds, according to a new leak. That includes heart rate detection and a new hearing aid feature.
Plus, the charging case supposedly will make the switch to USB-C, to match reports that iPhone 15 will dump the Lightning port.
The more gadgets we buy, the more separate chargers we end up with. If you’re sick of plugging in your stuff all over the place, try a multi-device charger like the SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Charging Stand.
The compact stand’s ingenious design lets you easily charge four devices at once. You can power up your iPhone or other smartphone, Apple Watch, AirPods and another device all at the same time. Three out of those four gadgets power up wirelessly, too, so you can cut some cords.
And through tonight, you can get 20% off the stand in the Cult of Mac Store. That’s a savings of $17 off the regular price.
Bluetooth headphones are nearly ubiquitous, and an upcoming feature called Auracast will allow computers or phones to stream music to not just one Bluetooth receiver but all of them in the area.
While one goal of Bluetooth’s Auracast broadcast audio is to let people share their music with groups, it also has more practical uses.
On a tight budget and looking to buy a new pair of AirPods? The excellent earbuds are currently down to just $99.99 on Amazon — a whopping 37% discount from its $159 retail price.
Apple continues to dominate the global market for true wireless earbuds with its AirPods and AirPods Pro. But a proliferation of competitors in China and elsewhere with cheaper options claims increasing market share.
Beyond iPhones, Apple is looking to switch to USB-C on all its other products with a Lightning connector like the AirPods, Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and more.
A reputable Apple analyst thinks the Cupertino company will make the transition in the “foreseeable future.”
If you act fast, you can get one of Apple’s best products ever for less than $100. That’s how low AirPods 2 have dropped — that’s $59 below the usual price for these wildly popular in-ear headphones. Or you can save a nice chunk of change on AirPods Pro.
You might even be able to get the wireless earbuds delivered in time for Mother’s Day.
Here at Setups Central we love spotting people working with gear we rarely or never see. Today’s featured setup includes rarities in the form of its input devices.
One of the peripherals is a high-quality Leopold mechanical keyboard and the other is an original Apple Mighty Mouse, which first came out in 2005. It was the company’s first mouse with more than one button as well as a trackball.
The setup’s owner called the mouse “kind of controversial.” And it was.
Why mess with multiple chargers for multiple devices when you can use one for everything? A quality charging station can provide the same charging power as dedicated cables, while taking up a fraction of the space.
The modular Omnia Q5 5-in-1 Wireless Charging Station can power five devices at once: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Pencil. And for a limited time it’s $89.95 (regularly $120) with code SPRING10.
The compact new Dell Dual Charge Dock is the first laptop docking station to offer a Qi-standard wireless charging stand for smartphones and smart headphones, the company said. And it supports dual 4K monitors, making it a solid choice for home and hybrid offices.
Need a MagSafe-compatible charger that won’t break the bank? Mobile charging specialist Excitrus, known for power banks, rolled out its capable new 3-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Stand on Thursday.
Not only does it come with an 18W fast-charging wall adapter and an elegant LED light circle on the main charging pad, but the price is right — especially with an additional 20% off as a launch discount. See the details below.
We love our AirPods. But do we like thinking about all the gross stuff that accumulates inside the little holes which you then put into your ear? Not so much.
The way to fix that is with a reliable AirPods cleaning tool. And right now, you can get this great Wireless Charger + Cleaning Pen Set for AirPods on sale for just $22.99. That’s 54% off the regular price of $49.
Does charging up all your gadgets in one place sound good? Native Union rolled out a new MagSafe-compatible 3-in-1 wireless charging station Tuesday that should do the trick, topping up your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all in one go.
The compact Native Union Snap 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger joins the previously released Snap 2-in-1 in the company’s charging lineup.
Apple added Find My to AirPods in 2021, and it’s causing problems for resellers of these wireless headphones. Many people are unaware that their AirPods now support Activation Lock, which means they are locked to their user’s Apple ID. This must be deactivated when selling or giving the devices away or no one else can use them.
Here’s how to turn off Activation Lock on your AirPods.
Apple will release AirPods Pro 2 in the second half of 2022, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. And when it does, the new buds will replace the current AirPods Pro rather than joining them in the lineup. That would signal a strategy change, Kuo said.
Why? After Apple added AirPods 3 alongside AirPods 2 in its earbuds lineup, it noticed a lot of people stuck with the less-expensive product rather than going with the upgrade. Apple wouldn’t want that to happen again.
I’ve misplaced my AirPods case. It’s in my house … somewhere. Fortunately, I can use the Find My app to locate it, as though it were a lost AirPod or AirTag.
Ha, ha, ha! No, I can’t. AirPods cases don’t offer Find My support. Just as the feature is missing from far too many other Apple accessories.
This needs to change. Find My is amazing, but limited by not being on devices that need it.
Update: In autumn 2022, Apple built Find My support into AirPods Pro 2, a sign that the tracking system might be coming to more peripherals.
AirPods are some of the best wireless earbuds on the market. Once you use them with your iPhone, it’s hard to switch to something else. Unfortunately, all that AirPods magic doesn’t necessarily translate when you use Apple earbuds with a Mac.
There’s a workaround, though. The AirBuddy app adds some of that beautiful, Apple-style simplicity to the “using AirPods with a Mac” equation. And right now the Mac app is on sale for $6.29 with code DOWNLOADNOW.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by saving 20% on outstanding accessories for all your Apple devices in the Cult of Mac Store.
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Whether you’re a traveler, a commuter or just need to charge a bunch of devices around the house, you might find the new Baseus Blade 100W Power Bank useful. Baseus rolled out the “notebook thin” device on Thursday.
Planning to buy some new Apple gear? Sell your old Apple gadgets to Cult of Mac now to earn an extra $20.
Simply use the code UPGRADE at checkout to top-up your buyback quote. The offer is good through the end of March, so enjoy it while you can.
Fresh off its rollout of a smartphone that can charge wirelessly at 100W, Honor said at MWC 2022 it will offer new earbuds that monitor temperature. The new buds look like AirPods Pro. And temperature sensing is a function Apple has reportedly tested in AirPods.
The former Huawei subsidiary, based in China, said its new $199 Earbuds 3 Pro combine a temperature sensor with an AI temperature algorithm. It has an 80% chance of coming within plus or minus 0.3 degrees Celsius of an accurate reading, the company said.
If you suffer from a cluttered desktop — and who doesn’t, at least sometimes? — Choetech has something for you. Right now you can preorder its new Invisible Wireless Charger and take one more item off the junk pile.
Of course, unless you also suffer from some seriously magical thinking, you know it’s not literally invisible. But it does hide the charger under your desk so you can power up your iPhone or other Qi-enabled gadget right on the desktop without another piece of gear sitting there.
Blogger Derek Seaman may be an IT systems architect in his day job, but he also designs and builds advanced computer setups. That is, if his home office is any indication. Which it is.
He shared his MacBook Pro-driven workstation — actually, the whole room — with Cult of Mac recently.
First there was Touch ID, then Face ID. Now Ear ID could be on the way. Apple filed for a patent on a biometric system using AirPods wireless earbuds.
The idea is that headphones should be able to identify who is wearing them and refuse to work for unidentified wearers. But if the system is accurate enough, it could potentially be used to unlock an iPhone or Apple Watch without needing a passcode.