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Apple AirPods

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AirPods offers a cord-free wireless audio experience with up to 5 hours of battery life. They are rechargeable through the included case that get you up to 24 hours on a single charge. AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro support wireless (Qi) charging, Hey Siri, and include the H1 chip.

Apple’s truly wireless wireless and cord-free earbuds now with Qi support

AirPods 1 Features

AirPods are Apple’s wireless, cord-free in-ear headphones, and were unveiled alongside the iPhone 7 on September 7, 2016. Priced at $159 they were originally announced to be available in late October, 2016, but were delayed until December 13.

They have a very similar form-factor to the company’s wired EarPods, with the obvious omission of a cable and the addition of Bluetooth connectivity. Despite this, early reports suggest that they are better at staying in your ears.

They offer Apple’s latest wireless pairing system, based on the W1 chip. They pair instantly, and that pairing propagates across all your Apple devices via iCloud. The secret sauce behind the new pairing system turned out to be all in the W1 chip in the headphones themselves, so it works with Bluetooth LE devices all the way back to the iPhone 5.

AirPods 2 Features

In March of 2019, Apple released AirPods 2. The new version is available for $199 with the wireless charging case, or available with the standard case for $159. Existing version 1 owners can purchase the wireless charging case separately for $79.

Version 2 moved away from the W1 chip to the new H1 chip to deliver up to 50 percent more talk time compared to the first generation. The H1 should also speed up switching between devices, with Apple saying version 2 should now connect two times faster. Version 2 also includes ‘Hey Siri’ support as well.

AirPods Pro

In October 2019, Apple announced AirPods Pro. The Pro model features “Active Noise Cancellation and superior, immersive sound in an all-new lightweight, in-ear design.” The new in-ear design of the Pro model makes for better noise cancellation. Apple says that the Pro headphones are sweat and water-resistant rated for IPX4. The box includes three different sizes of ear tips, which should make them relatively versatile.

AirPods Pro vs. AirPods comparison

There are five major features that the Pro model has have that Version 2 don’t:

  • Active noise cancellation
  • Audio Transparency mode
  • IPX4 water/sweat resistance
  • Adaptive EQ
  • In-ear design with three sets of tips
How AirPods Pro and AirPods gen 2 compare

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iOS 27 basically turns your iPhone and AirPods into an Apple Watch at the gym

GymKit has been one of Apple Watch’s smartest fitness features since it launched in 2017. Tap your watch to compatible gym equipment, and Apple Watch shares your heart rate while the machine sends back metrics like distance, incline, pace, and calories.

With iOS 27, Apple is expanding that idea beyond Apple Watch. I tested the new GymKit on iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 ($179, reg. $249) experience with a GymKit-compatible treadmill. It basically gives you the Apple Watch GymKit workout tracking experience, just without the watch. This could be useful in a lot of scenarios.

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Hands-on: iOS 27 makes AirPods even better with these new features [Video]

Since its release in 2016, AirPods have exploded in popularity. I feel like you cannot go anywhere without seeing them in people’s ears. AirPods have become one of Apple’s most impactful products, and they might even be my most-used Apple devices. I use them in every scenario, from just listening to media to phone calls, workouts, live translation, and transparency. There is always something I am using them for. But one feature was missing that Apple finally added with iOS 27. So let’s talk about the new features of the AirPods and how to install the beta update.

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Report: iOS 27 to revamp the AirPods settings UI

While a dedicated ‘AirPods’ app does not seem to be on the cards, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working on software improvements relating to how users can modify settings for their AirPods and AirPods Pro.

Bloomberg says iOS 27 will significantly change the layout of the AirPods menu in Settings app. The new design will be ‘more functional, better organized and more streamlined’.

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