Apple AirPods

The Apple AirPods have led the truly-wireless earphone industry and maintained their crown ever since their release in late 2016. The changes introduced in AirPods 2, or AirPods (second-generation) as Apple describes them, don’t shake the boat but help AirPods maintain their lead.

I received my AirPods with Wireless Charging Case yesterday morning in the UK, so I’ve had about a day to get a feel for them. Most of the changes are obvious, but welcome, improvements to the truly-wireless formula. Wireless charging remains a bit of a question mark for me, thanks in large part to the continued absence of a certain charging mat. Here’s what’s new …

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Apple last week announced a new version of AirPods and an accompanying Wireless Charging Case, but AirPower was nowhere to be found. As it turns out, the packaging for the AirPods Wireless Charging Case clearly depicts AirPower, even though it’s still not available.

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Last week, a report suggested that Apple is planning to release a “truly wireless” version of Beats Powerbeats headphones next month. Today’s release of iOS 12.2 includes imagery of the new headphones, which we now know will be called Powerbeats Pro.

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Apple’s second-generation AirPods aren’t the only newly updated headphones hitting the market this spring. That’s according to CNET which has a nice scoop on upcoming Beats Powerbeats that finally cut the cord.

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Update: The AirPower image has been removed from Apple’s servers, but the HTML and CSS references remain for now. Who knows when AirPower will show up for real?

The AirPods page was updated yesterday to highlight the new features in the updated model and mentions the wireless charging case. However, the previously featured picture of AirPods and an iPhone X laying on the AirPower mat was removed in the redesign.

It turns out — there is actually a new never-before-seen official AirPower image hidden in the source code that was intended to be on the AirPods page. It shows the new AirPods charging case and “David’s” iPhone XS laying on the so far unreleased AirPower mat …

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Apple released the long-awaited update to the first-generation AirPods today. As expected, the 2nd-generation of the popular fully-wireless earbuds feature a new Qi wireless charging case and “Hey Siri” functionality. There’s also a new H1 chip that offers several improvements over the original AirPods. Read on for a detailed look at what’s different between the old and new AirPods.

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Apple finally launched the long-awaited second-generation AirPods. These offer a new H1 chip which boost talk-time and speed up switching between devices, but the headline features are hands-free Hey Siri and … a wireless charging case.

The latter – also available as a standalone accessory for existing AirPods owners – has been a long time coming. The thinking until now is that Apple was waiting until it could finally get AirPower working, so it could announce the products together, but it hasn’t done so.

The big question is whether AirPower is coming tomorrow as a separate launch …. ?

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Apple has just launched the second generation of its Apple AirPods. The new earbuds and come with the long-promised wireless charging case, a new H1 chip, hands-free Hey Siri, longer battery life and faster connections to devices.

The new AirPods are available now for $199 with the wireless charging case, or available with the standard case for $159. Existing AirPods owners can purchase the wireless charging case separately for $79.

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A large-scale consumer study found that AirPods were the most preferred brand in the US true wireless headphone market – but are not being chosen on the basis of sound quality.

The study also shows that Sony and Samsung are not lagging far behind Apple in consumer preferences …

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I recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus to compare with my iPhone XS Max. Samsung was generous enough to throw in a free pair of its $129 wireless Galaxy Buds for early adopters. How does Samsung’s take on truly wire-free earbuds compare with Apple’s AirPods? Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the details.
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Digitimes today reports that its sources indicate that flexible printed circuit board manufacturers Flexium, Zhen Ding Technology, Compeq and Unitech are ramping up to supply parts in volume for imminent new Apple hardware.

Flexium and Zhen Ding will make PCBs for new iPad models whereas Compeq and Unitech are on tap for AirPods production.

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A sketchy report out of Apple rumor site Applesfera today claims that AirPods 2 will be released on March 29th. The report cites a source familiar with Apple’s plans and says that original AirPods will be replaced by AirPods 2 next month.

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AirPods were originally released in December of 2016, which means it has been over 2 years since they first hit the market. The truly wireless earbuds from Apple have proven to be incredibly popular, and supply has remained constrained through much of their lifespan.

Now, reports of AirPods 2 are starting to gain traction. Read on as we recap the rumors and expectations for AirPods 2…

Updated with new design and launch date rumors, as well as new wireless charging case speculation. 

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Chinese media outlet Economic Daily News is reporting that Inventec is already producing a new version of AirPods with a different exterior material for the earbuds and charging case, as well as a black color option.

The report indicates that they will go on sale in the spring alongside the AirPower wireless charging mat. EDN says the new AirPods are expected to boost Inventec’s first quarter earnings, as the publication has a supply chain focus.

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At the start of the week, you could reasonably guess that Apple might hold its semi-regular spring event to unveil a new 10-inch iPad and smaller iPad mini 5, an updated iPod touch, possibly AirPods 2, and new features in iOS 12.2. Reliable reporting has since adjusted expectations, giving us a rumored event date and a focus on new subscription news and video services in place of any hardware. So when should we expect to see all that rumored hardware if there’s no hardware event?

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