Apple AirPods

An unlikely-sounding report today claims that the next version of the AirPods charging case – designed to be wirelessly charged – could itself be used to charge an iPhone …

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Apple appears to be ramping up its audio accessories in a big way. Bloomberg reports that in 2019, Apple will release higher-end AirPods, likely more expensive than the current $159 AirPods model, ‘studio-quality’ over-ear headphones and a second-generation HomePod.

The new earbuds would tout better noise-cancellation and water resistance against rain and sweat. These would likely be marketed as a ‘pro’ SKU; the $159 AirPods will still be updated with ‘Hey Siri’ support later this year.

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It’s now nine months since Apple announced that a new wireless AirPods charging case was on the way, alongside its AirPower mat designed to provide simultaneous wireless charging to that, an iPhone 8/X and Apple Watch.

There’s as yet no sign of either product, despite multiple rumors of a release back in February, but if you want to charge your existing AirPods case wirelessly, a Taiwanese company is promising a solution ‘soon’ …

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According to a new report from TechCrunch, Apple’s AirPods are gaining support for Live Listen as part of iOS 12. This feature was originally introduced in 2014 as a way for hearing aids to tap into the iPhone microphone…

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Twelve South is best-known for its BookBook cases for MacBooks and iPhones, but subsequently expanded into a wide range of stylish accessories for Apple kit – they have products for MacBooks, iMac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and more.

Its latest product, launched earlier this month, is a Bluetooth transmitter designed to let you use AirPods or other wireless headphones with in-flight entertainment systems or other equipment with a 3.5mm headphone socket: AirFly …

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Wireless headphones like AirPods offer a lot of benefits, but they do also have some drawbacks – one of which is you can’t use them with in-flight entertainment systems, gym TVs and the like.

There’s no shortage of Bluetooth to 3.5mm adapters out there, but Twelve South is hoping that its brand reputation and design will tempt you to buy its AirFly one, launched today …

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Curved is out today with a fresh look at what Apple’s alleged high-end, over-ear headphones could look like. With a heavy dose of HomePod inspiration, touchscreen controls, wireless charging, and more, this concept by Martin Hajek goes all out.

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While we all wait for Apple to release its wireless charging-capable AirPods case, which is rumored to cost around $70, there are several solutions out there offering pricey cases for your AirPods that could easily be replicated for under $20. However, what most “cases” (which go for $30 or more) are doing is simply gluing a wireless Qi adapter to the cheap silicone case. You can do better, for less…

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Barclays has released its latest analyst report. The analysts, who have a mixed track record of accuracy, indicate continued iPhone 8 and iPhone X ‘weakness’ is being partly offset by continued sales of iPhone 7. Most interestingly, the report says to expect new AirPods in early 2019 with noise cancelling features.

Due to the small form factor of AirPod earbuds, noise cancelling is very unlikely to rival bigger cans with active noise cancellation like the Beats Studio 3. However, Barclays suggests that there will be design changes and improvements over the current AirPods.

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AirPods remain a hot commodity even a year later, but they’re definitely not worth unemployment. Unfortunately, it sounds like a New Orleans police officer may have miscalculated that equation during a recent Apple Store visit…

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Bloomberg sources corroborate an earlier KGI report that Apple is working on high-end, over-ear headphones intended to compete with Bose.

The report adds a couple of specifics, but both of them were already no-brainers …

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Alongside the announcement of the iPhone 7 and its controversial removal of the headphone jack, Apple teased its truly wireless AirPods. After a brief delay, they were released just before the end of 2016, in very limited supply.

Since then, despite continued supply troubles, AirPods have gradually grown in popularity and we’re now preparing for version 2 of the wireless headphones coming later this year.

Over the last year, AirPods have become one of my most used tech products, but here’s why I don’t plan on upgrading to this year’s release…

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KGI suggested recently that Apple is planning to release ‘high-end’ over-ear headphones at some point, with late fall the earliest date at which they might be seen.

I observed at the time that my HomePod experience has made me feel somewhat optimistic about the audio quality we might expect from them. Styling-wise, my guess was that they’d be simple and white. One site has now put together concept images of what the headphones might look like …

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A KGI note over the weekend suggested that Apple is planning to release new ‘high-end over-ear headphones‘ – though not until late fall at the earliest.

Without my experience of the HomePod, I’d have merely shrugged at the report. Apple hasn’t exactly made a name for itself for headphone quality, either through its own-brand EarPods and AirPods, or through the Beats-branded products it has promoted since buying the company …

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Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods truly wireless earbuds for release later this year, featuring a new wireless chip and support for ‘Hey Siri’ activation, according to a report from Bloomberg today. This is despite the fact the first-generation model continue to be supply constrained on Apple.com, more than a year after release.

This would mean users would be able to interact with Siri hands-free, an improvement over the current AirPods hardware which requires an awkward double-tap gesture. The report says that Apple is also developing a future model with water resistance.

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A Florida man claims that one of his AirPods started smoking while he was listening to music. As reported by WFLA, Tampa resident Jason Colon was working out at his local gym when he noticed his right AirPod “billowing” smoke…

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Qualcomm has said that its latest Bluetooth chip will allow future wireless in-ear headphones to become smaller, more reliable and smarter.

Reduced power consumption could allow headphones to give almost three times the battery-life of existing models – or, as seems more likely, allow manufacturers to maintain current playback times while shrinking the size of devices like AirPods …

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Receiving a new iPhone or iPad as a gift is a wonderful thing, but setting up a new device has historically been a chore. Manually pairing accessories, joining Wi-Fi networks, remembering which password goes with which account, and the ever-increasing steps required to actually use your shiny new toy make up the worst first world problems.

The good news is Apple has acknowledged this pain point and created a dramatically simpler way to pair or upgrade new products including iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and AirPods.

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