When Apple unveiled the AirPods 4 at its iPhone 16 event and also provided a small upgrade to the AirPods Max — adding USB-C and some new colors — it also announced some new features coming to AirPods Pro 2. The biggest feature coming to the earbuds is the ability to use them as clinical-grade over-the-counter hearing aids.

The one thing Apple needed was FDA clearance for the feature, and now the company has it. In a press release, the FDA announced that it has provided clearance for AirPods Pro 2 to serve as a hearing aid. In the announcement, the agency said "Once installed and customized to the user’s hearing needs, the Hearing Aid Feature enables compatible versions of the AirPods Pro to serve as an OTC hearing aid, intended to amplify sounds for individuals 18 years or older with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment. "

In a statement, Michelle Tarver, M.D., Ph.D., acting director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health said "Today’s marketing authorization of an over-the-counter hearing aid software on a widely used consumer audio product is another step that advances the availability, accessibility and acceptability of hearing support for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.” 

There's even more coming to AirPods Pro 2

The hearing aid industry is a huge one. According to the FDA, "more than 30 million American adults report some degree of hearing loss," so this is an industry that is ripe for disruption and Apple is in a perfect place to do so.

While being able to use your AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid is certainly the biggest feature coming to the earbuds this fall with iOS 18, there are two other major health features on the way. The first is Hearing Protection which is on by default and ensures that you don't blast your audio so loud that you cause permanent damage to your ears. In fact, you can now use AirPods Pro 2 as earplugs at live concerts.

The other feature coming to the AirPods Pro 2 is a hearing test that anyone can take from home to test the health of their hearing. Apple says that the test is "clinically validated" and can be performed in just five minutes at home. The company says that the test uses real-world data and builds on the learning it has made with its Apple Study programs. Once you are finished with the test, you'll get a personalized hearing profile.

While AirPods 4 might be the only "new" AirPods the company is releasing this fall, AirPods Pro 2 might even feel like new with all of these new features. Hooray, earbuds becoming updatable products!

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If you've got a pair of AirPods Pro 2, you to have a new firmware update to enjoy (once iOS 18 rolls out next week).

Apple has released a new firmware update for AirPods Pro 2. Firmware version 7A294 replaces version 6F8 and is available for both the USB-C and Lightning versions of the wireless earbuds. Unlike the previous betas, this update is available for all AirPods Pro users.

The update likely brings with it the usual round of bug fixes and performance improvements along with a number of features that are coming with iOS 18 when it launches to everyone on Monday, September 16th.

iOS 18 brings new features to AirPods Pro 2

The first feature now available on AirPods Pro 2 through the firmware (once your iPhone is running iOS 18) is Siri Interactions, the new feature that lets you shake or nod your head to interact with Siri announcements while you're wearing your earbuds. As Apple explains, "Siri Interactions allow users to answer or dismiss calls, interact with messages, manage notifications, and so much more — all without speaking."

Voice Isolation is also available with iOS 18 which Apple is bringing directly to the earbuds after originally launching the feature on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The company says "machine learning, running on the H2 chip in AirPods Pro and the paired iPhone, iPad, or Mac, isolates and enhances voice quality while removing significant background noise — like wind around the caller — for the listener."

The last feature available now through the firmware update is Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking for games. While that is also coming to the AirPods 3 and AirPods Max, the company is reserving "improved voice quality, including 16-bit, 48kHz audio" for games with AirPods Pro 2.

AirPods Pro 2 are also getting a number of new health features this fall including the ability to use the earbuds as a clinical-grade hearing aid. You can also take a hearing test and get a completely personalized audio profile. 

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This appears to be the year that I realized that I am no longer a Pro. Instead of moving on to the iPhone 16 Pro from the iPhone 15 Pro, I'm planning on preordering the iPhone 16. Instead of getting that sweet Satin Black Apple Watch Ultra 2, I preordered the Apple Watch Series 10 in Jet Black.

And now, I'm even considering ditching my AirPods Pro 2 for the new AirPods 4. I already have a preorder in and am ready to potentially replace the last Pro Apple product I will have (after I switch from the Pro iPhone to the Apple Watch Ultra which is basically the Pro Apple Watch).

With AirPods Pro 2 getting some software upgrades and still having what seemingly will be better noise cancellation, why would I get rid of them? Well, it has to do with two things.

Noise cancellation and fit are the factors

The first reason — and the big reason — I'm considering a switch from the AirPods Pro 2 is due to the fit. While the AirPods Pro 2 are great, the biggest issue I've always had with them is that they — whenever I've done any kind of exercise or chewed gum too much — would fall out of my ears.

If I go for a run, I'm going to be adjusting the ear tips of the AirPods Pro over and over and over again. If I go for a hike, it's going to be the same deal. And don't even try to do sit-ups or push-ups — those babies are coming out regardless of how much I try to secure them.

I've found that open-ear earbuds are more comfortable, so I really want to give the AirPods 4 a try to see if they not only live up to this but if they actually end up being more secure in my ears. That's a big ask since AirPods Pro 2 offer four different ear tips for a more custom fit, but I've heard from multiple people that the regular AirPods have actually stayed in their ears better than the Pros did. I'll have to see if I fall into that camp as well.

The second reason I'm considering a switch is that the AirPods 4 are getting the one feature that I really stuck with the AirPods Pro for: noise cancellation. This is the most important feature of my earbuds, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Being able to drown out external noise when trying to focus at work, on a plane, or during a workout is a required feature nowadays.

With noise cancellation coming to the AirPods 4 with that open-ear design, I'm wondering if they'll be a better choice for someone like me who has fit and comfort issues with the AirPods Pro 2. I know the AirPods 4's noise cancellation won't be as good as the noise cancellation on the AirPods Pro 2 but as long as they are good enough, I'll sacrifice a little bit of performance here.

So that's where I'm at. If the AirPods 4's noise cancellation is good enough for my use cases and fix my fit and comfort issues with the AirPods Pro 2, they could make me jump once again from a Pro to a non-Pro Apple product.

We'll see what happens when they come out on September 20th. I have my preorder in now!

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At Apple’s iPhone 16 launch, the 4th-gen base-level AirPods got some much-needed updates, stealing features from the Pro line, like active noise cancellation. They might be the best wireless earbuds for iPhone users. But the biggest focus is on the new starting price: $129.

The $129 AirPods 4 offer all the new features, except for active noise cancellation. That includes the more comfortable design, new case Find My features, and wireless charging. But, ANC is reserved for a slightly more expensive version of AirPods 4, priced at $179.

I'm very glad to see this, and it makes sense. $179 is still a little steep for the cheapest AirPods in a world where decent wireless earbuds can be had for around $50. While $129 is still pricier, it makes AirPods much more accessible for those that don't care about the latest and greatest features.

But (and this is a big but), the AirPods line-up is now far too confusing. AirPods 4 have the same name, but one has ANC and is $179 while the other has no noise cancellation and is $129. AirPods Pro 2 can now be had in three configurations: Lightning case, MagSafe and USB-C case, and USB-C case with the new hearing features. And then there's AirPods Max at the high end. Try explaining all that to your grandma or in less than 20 words.

Apple is using the same name for too many devices at once. The $129 AirPods 4 should be AirPods SE, while the $179 AirPods 4 should maintain their 4th-gen name. As for the Pros, Apple should just slap a 3 on there already, as a third minor upgrade is dragging on a little. As for AirPods Max keeping their name, I'll allow it since the only changes are USB-C and colors – but next time must add a number on there.

Everything else Apple released at its September event

The iPhone 16 launch event saw plenty of announcements from Apple. There's a new Camera Control on the new iPhones, which gives better access to taking photos and videos. The screens across the line-up are better than ever, and more durable. Apple is showing a fondness for new colors this year, with plenty of options to pick from.

Apple Watch Series 10 was a big upgrade, with a bigger screen than ever before. The body is the slimmest it's ever been, things are faster on the inside, and moves the antennas to the backside of the case. Apple Watch Ultra 2 got a new colour option, and a third-gen Apple Watch SE never materialized.

AirPods also saw some big changes. Alongside these new AirPods 4, AirPods Max get a minor refresh with USB-C and new colours, while AirPods Pro 2 got a third iteration with new hearing tech added.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

No one was expecting anything to be coming to the AirPods Pro 2 today and, while everyone was half right, Apple did have some surprise features to unveil.

No, we didn't get AirPods Pro 3 today. However, the company did announce some surprise health features that are coming to the AirPods Pro 2 at its "It's Glowtime" event. In fact, the company announced three new health features enabled by the company's Pro earbuds.

The first feature is Hearing Protection. The feature is on by default across all listening modes. The idea is to ensure that you don't blast your audio so loud that you cause permanent damage to your ears. In fact, you can now use AirPods Pro 2 as earplugs at live concerts. People were already doing this, but now the company is embracing this as an official feature.

The second feature is a hearing test that anyone can take from home to test the health of their hearing. Apple says that the test is "clinically validated" and can be performed in just five minutes at home. The company says that the test uses real-world data and builds on the learning it has made with its Apple Study programs. Once you are finished with the test, you'll get a personalized hearing profile. You can also, of course, share your results with your health provider.

The last feature coming to AirPods Pro 2 is the ability to use them as a clinical-grade over-the-counter hearing aid. The earbuds will be able to enhance speech and environmental elements to help keep you safe and connect you with those around you.

Apple says that the hearing aid and hearing test feature will launch this fall and be available in over 100 countries. They will all be available as part of iOS 18 and, of course, exclusive features for the AirPods Pro 2.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

Apple has finally introduced a new model of AirPods Max, after years since the first generation.

While it's not a huge shakeup, it's still welcome. The AirPods Max second generation have two big new features - USB-C charging, and improved personalized Spatial Audio.

They also come in Midnight, Blue, Purple, Orange, and Starlight color options.

What's new with AirPods Max?

USB-C means that you can finally leave your Lightning cable at home, but personalized Spatial Audio is the real upgrade.

It's been around for a while, but Apple says it's better this time around - we'll be the judge of that when we get our hands on them.

Thankfully, we won't have to wait long. The AirPods Max second generation will be available for pre-order today, and they'll ship on September 20. The AirPods Max price remains $549.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

Today, at Apple’s iPhone 16 launch, the 4th-gen base-level AirPods got some much needed updates, stealing features from the Pro line, like active noise cancellation and Transparency Mode. The case now has Find My support, complete with a speaker to help you track them down – no more panic when they vanish between the sofa cushions. No lanyard hole this time, but honestly, who even noticed it was there in the first place?

AirPods 4 are set to be the most comfortable AirPods ever made, and are designed to fit more people than ever. There's a new acoustic architecture as well, so they'll be better sounding. The stems have almost disappeared, so look more like AirPods Pro than ever before.

But there are two models. Apple’s finally brought active noise cancellation to its base-level AirPods with a second model. Yep, ANC is no longer exclusive to the pricier AirPods Pro—so you can now enjoy some peace and quiet with the 4th-gen AirPods too. They’ve also thrown in Transparency Mode, but don’t get too excited: automatic switching and other fancy features are still reserved for the Pros.

As for the case, AirPods (4th-gen) now work with Find My, including the wider Find My network. There’s even a little speaker on the case, ready to play a chime when you inevitably lose them. No lanyard hole this time, but honestly, who’s using that anyway? Didn’t bother with it on my AirPods Pro 2, and I doubt anyone’s crying over its absence here.

Charging is easier than ever, thanks to added wireless charging in the case. Plus, you can expect 30 hours of battery from these earbuds.

AirPods 4 will start at $129 without noise cancellation, or you'll need to go up to $179 for ANC. They'll be available from September 20.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

When we talk about Apple headphones, you probably assume we're talking about the best AirPods. But Apple still makes the wired earphones that used to come in your iPhone box. Known as EarPods, they arrived first with the iPhone 5, some 14 years ago now. But it looks like the time to say goodbye to Apple's earphones has come.

According to a MacRumors contributor, Apple might be about to discontinue its $19 wireless earphones. Aaron Perris spotted that Target has marked all the variants of Apple's EarPods (Lightning, 3.5mm, and USB-C) as "Non-Carry Forward." This usually means they won't be coming back in stock, which suggests Apple is about to discontinue the earphones.

Apple stopped shipping EarPods in the box of international iPhones from iPhone 12 onwards. Apple isn't the only company that no longer offers earbuds in its boxes, of course. After initially mocking Apple for removing earbuds from its iPhone boxes Samsung later followed suit with its own devices, just as it did with the 3.5mm headphone jack previously. The same goes for a charger, for that matter, too.

How to watch today's iPhone 16 event

The iPhone 16 event will take place today (September 9), at 10 am PT/ 1 pm ET/ 6 pm BST.

The easiest way to watch the iPhone 16 keynote on Monday is through YouTube, with the stream likely to go live 15 minutes before kick-off time. We've also got a page where you can find the stream, and we'll be bringing you all the announcements.

If you already have an Apple device, you can watch the Glowtime event on your iPhone, Mac, or iPad through Apple's website, and it'll be streaming on tvOS' Watch Now section, too.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

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We're expecting AirPods 4 to launch at today's Apple event, with some new features across the board. But that's not Apple's only headphone announcement for this event, says Mark Gurman.

In a last minute tweet, Gurman said that he expects Apple to reveal AirPods Max 2 at the iPhone 16 event. They'll launch with a few upgrades across the board, according to the Apple analyst. We should expect better noise cancellation, adaptive audio, and (finally) the switch to USB-C.

This would be the first time Apple upgraded its over-ear AirPods since launching them in 2020. Previous rumors have indicated that we'll see new color options, but it's unclear if that is still on the cards.

We're hopeful for the current $549 price to remain so it can be competitive against other headphones in the same price range. However, improved features and materials could see a small price increase. 

What else to expect from AirPods at the iPhone 16 event

Prepare for AirPods 4 to be unveiled at Apple's "It's Glowtime" event. They'll sport a look inspired by the AirPods Pro and bring USB-C charging (about time, right?).

Expect to see some other features borrowed from the AirPods Pro 2, including a speaker on the case, Find My support, and noise cancellation. There’s also a growing focus on hearing health, with future updates turning AirPods into makeshift hearing aids, but those features are probably delayed.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch X, Apple Watch Ultra 3, iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

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If there's one Beats product that has been dying for an update, it's the Powerbeats Pro. The wireless earbuds were originally launched back in 2019 and have never received a second generation.

There are a ton of updates to existing products and also new products from the company that have been released since then. The Powerbeats Pro have languished for so long that a lot of fans wondered if the company was actually going to abandon the product altogether.

I was one of those people. As a runner, the Powerbeats Pro seemed like the best fit for me due to that loop-around-the-ear design to keep them in place. However, as someone who will no accept earbuds with a Lightning connector in 2024, I've stuck with my AirPods Pro.

Thankfully, it seems that the company is finally ready to bring a much-needed update to the Powerbeats Pro.

Powerbeats Pro 2 are coming in 2025

In a video on social media, Beats by Dre not only confirmed but also gave us a first glimpse at the upcoming Powerbeats Pro 2. As you can see in the video below, the earbuds are sticking true to loop-around-the-ear design, making them perfect for anyone who deals with earbuds popping out of their ears when exercising.

The company has also confirmed that Powerbeats Pro 2 will be released in 2025.

While that's all we know for now, there's a good chance that the 2nd generation of the Powerbeats Pro will get a lot of the features we've been missing from the 1st generation.

We should expect Powerbeats Pro 2 to get USB-C charging, noise cancellation, Spatial Audio, and better battery life. With six years in between the generations of the earbuds, the upgrade is going to be huge for anyone still rocking the original model.

Personally, these could be the earbuds that get me to ditch my AirPods Pro. We'll see what Beats has to tease us with next!

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Yes, Apple's AirPods Max have been out for almost four years, but when it comes to a deal like this, it's hard to let these headphones slip away.

Released in December 2020, AirPods Max are Apple's premium over-ear headphones. They feature up to 20 hours of battery life and can work with the best iPhones, Macs, iPads, and more.

If you've been patiently waiting for the AirPods Max 2, it's probably time to stop — there's no word on them coming anytime soon. Instead, Apple is set to announce AirPods 4 at its 'Glowtime' event on September 9, alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.

In the meantime, Amazon currently has AirPods Max in Sky Blue for $399, saving you $150. It's a fantastic deal that could be the perfect birthday or Christmas present and can be paired with Apple's upcoming iPhones.

Why AirPods Max?

If you've owned AirPods before, you know what to expect. AirPods Max features Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, and a Crown to control playback and volume, all in a comfortable over-ear design.

Granted, the AirPods Max is starting to show its age, with its Lightning port for charging and a terrible case that barely provides protection. But with this deal offering $150 off the usual price in Sky Blue, you should at least consider AirPods Max, especially if you're a fan of over-ear headphones or you're struggling with Christmas present ideas for someone.

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When a company releases a new version of something, there are a couple of different things that you might expect. New features, for example. The improvement of old ones, perhaps. A new design, a new color, something to set them apart from the old version that, as the new product releases, will become defunct. After all, what would be the point of a new version if it were the same as the device before?

So when we're told that the new AirPods Pro 3 will have 'better noise canceling than the previous model' by Kosutami on X, there's a certain taste of 'I could have told you that without insider knowledge.' Yet, seemingly, that's what the world seems to be focussing on right now, despite the fact there's a far more interesting line just below.

AirPods Pro 3 coming sooner than expected?

Forget the improved noise canceling — that should be a given. It's the fact that in reply to the question "Are they being announced soon?" from another user, Kosutami tells us that the AirPods Pro 3 are, indeed, going to be announced "soon". Now, this isn't a particular in-depth rumor, so how 'soon' remains up in the air, but given we weren't expecting the new AirPods Pro for a little while, it does come as a surprise.

If they're coming at some point in the latter half of this year, that would make their debut one year earlier than their previous potential mid-2025 launch that we were expecting.

Kosutami isn't any average internet sleuth either, with several confirmed and accurate rumors under their belt already. 

What might put a dampener on things is that the AirPods Pro 2 were the most recently released AirPods of any kind, so to have a new version so soon seems unlikely at best. Nevertheless, we already have some idea of what the sequel might look like thanks to our leaker here and Mark Gurman Bloomberg fame. There are going to be new health features for one, along with new audio architecture amongst other things.

Now we can add improved noise canceling to that list.

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Apple's AirPods Max are among the best over-ear headphones around, but they're also among the most expensive. Their $549 asking price is often enough to put potential buyers off, but sometimes a deal comes along that helps make them much more affordable.

With Apple still not expected to launch the AirPods Max 2 until next year at the earliest, there is little reason to wait. In fact, we'd suggest not waiting — we don't know how long this discounted price is going to last.

So how much more affordable are we talking about here? Well, if you get your order in soon you'll get my very favorite wireless headphones for just $399. What's more, you'll even get to choose from all of the available colors as well.

Sound off

There is plenty to like about the AirPods Max, not least the instant device pairing and switching that all AirPods have to offer. Whether it's an iPhone, an Apple Watch, a Mac, or even an iPad or Apple TV, you'll be able to use your AirPods Max with the minimum of fuss.

Other features worth noting include personalized spatial audio and lossless audio when using a wired connection — although you'll need to buy a Lightning to 3.5mm cable to make that work.

When unplugged owners can expect around 20 hours of listening time per charge, and then there are the ANC capabilities that are undoubtedly among the best in the category.

All of that and more make the AirPods Max a great option, especially at this price. It's also among the lowest prices we've seen, too.

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If you've got a pair of AirPods Pro 2 and a developer account, you're going to have a new firmware update to enjoy.

Apple has released a new beta firmware update for AirPods Pro 2. Firmware version 7A5290a replaces version 7A5266c and is available for both the USB-C and Lightning versions of the wireless earbuds as long as you're running the beta as a developer.

The update likely brings with it the usual round of bug fixes and performance improvements along with a number of features that are coming with iOS 18 when it launches this fall. The betas allow developers to test out the latest and greatest with AirPods software and ensure it's working correctly before it comes to all users in a public firmware update later.

iOS 18 is expected to launch in September

The first feature now available on AirPods Pro 2 through the beta firmware is Siri Interactions, the new feature that lets you shake or nod your head to interact with Siri announcements while you're wearing your earbuds. As Apple explains, "Siri Interactions allow users to answer or dismiss calls, interact with messages, manage notifications, and so much more — all without speaking."

Voice Isolation is also available with iOS 18 which Apple is bringing directly to the earbuds after originally launching the feature on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The company says "machine learning, running on the H2 chip in AirPods Pro and the paired iPhone, iPad, or Mac, isolates and enhances voice quality while removing significant background noise — like wind around the caller — for the listener."

The last feature available now through the firmware update is Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking for games. While that is also coming to the AirPods 3 and AirPods Max, the company is reserving "improved voice quality, including 16-bit, 48kHz audio" for games with AirPods Pro 2.

All of these features are available for developers now as long as they also have an iPhone running the iOS 18 developer beta.

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I love my Beats Studio Pro headphones. After owning Apple's AirPods Max for years and not finding them particularly comfortable and, of course, insanely expensive, they are a breath of fresh air.

I've enjoyed all of the features that they've offered me: insanely good battery life, stellar noise cancellation, and fantastic Spatial Audio for music, movies, and TV shows. They are also even more comfortable than AirPods Max (for me), live in the 21st century with a USB-C port, and also still come packed with a 3.5mm audio port. They're also more travel-friendly since they fold and come with a good case.

However, I noticed there was one feature that was missing from these headphones that made me kind of bummed. Thankfully, Apple has fixed that issue. 

Audio sharing comes to Beats Studio Pro

Apple has released a firmware update that finally brings Audio Sharing to Beats Studio Pro. The feature, which allows you to listen to the same audio source on two different pairs of Beats or AirPods headphones, has been missing from Beats Studio Pro since their launch.

Thankfully, this firmware update brings the feature to the headphones. It's a great surprise since Beats Studio Pro don't actually use Apple's H1 chip, which is usually required for the feature. The Beats Studio Pro use a custom-designed chip that also lets the headphones work better with Android, so it's great to see that Apple still managed to bring the feature to the headphones.

The firmware update is done automatically, so you won't be able to initiate it yourself. However, if you turn your Beats Studio Pro on and connect it to your iPhone for a bit, you should get the update.

I'll definitely use this feature the next time I travel. It's perfect for listening to the same movie together on a flight, so I'm stoked it's finally here.

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JBL's new Tour Pro 3 earbuds come with a touchscreen on the charging case. We're now a few generations into this product, beating Apple to the punch again. The tech giant is rumored to be cooking up something similar for future AirPods, which would be a big reason to upgrade your AirPods.

The headline-grabber here is the 1.57-inch touchscreen on the redesigned Smart Charging Case. It allows you to control music playback, manage calls, and even check your messages – all without touching your phone. If that's not enough, the case doubles as a wireless audio transmitter, letting you connect to just about any device with an AUX or USB-C port.

These earbuds are no slouch either. JBL has packed in a dual-driver system, True Adaptive Noise Cancellation 2.0, and JBL Spatial 360 with Head Tracking. And with up to 44 hours of playback time and features like Fast Pair by Google and Microsoft Swift Pair, JBL is making sure you're covered from every angle.

All this goodness will be available directly from JBL on 14th September 2024, with a price tag of $279.99, £279.99, or €299.99.

Future AirPods playing catch-up?

Apple previously filed a patent for an AirPods case with (you guessed it) a touchscreen. This screen will let users control Apple Music, manage calls, and even display the source of the audio, be it a movie, a message, or a phone call. It doesn’t quite match the versatility of JBL’s offering, which can even connect to in-flight entertainment systems.

Apple’s patent might be a peek into the future of AirPods, but JBL is living in that future right now. Whether Apple’s touchscreen case will be a compelling reason to upgrade your earbuds remains to be seen. But if Apple does go down this route, there's no denying it'll be playing catch-up to JBL.

The current AirPods line-up has the base-level AirPods, more premium AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Max from late 2020. Thankfully, Apple could finally be gearing up to introduce new models to its earbud line-up at the iPhone 16 launch in September.

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Bowers & Wilkins has a world class reputation for high-end audio. The brand is synonymous with superior sonics, and its flagship loudspeakers are resident in some of the world’s best known recording studios (we’re looking at you, Abbey Road). It’s also been making waves in the world of head-fi, with luxury Bluetooth headphones like the Px8. 

But when it comes to true wireless earbuds, it hasn’t quite hit its stride - until now. With these new flagship Pi8 noise cancellers, we finally have earbuds worthy of the company's pedigree.

These are no gentle evolution of their Pi7 forebears. Not only has the design been revamped, the Pi8 feature all new 12mm drive units that use Carbon Cone technology trickled down from the aforementioned Px8 over-ears. 

The catch is they cost a lot. A lot.

So are they a worthy investment? Let’s dig a little deeper…

Price and availability

Occupying the upper echelons of the true wireless market, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 will set you back $399 (£349 / €399). This pits them against some heavy hitters in the market, notably Apple and Sony, so they need to be good. 

Along with their cheaper Pi6 stablemate earbuds (which have a very different specification and component bill), they’re available now. 

Build and fit

With rounded edges and glossy finish, the Pi8 feel good in the hand and will look smart in your ears. 

They’re available in four colourways: Anthracite Black, Dove White, Jade Green and Midnight Blue. I've been testing the black pair. The brand logo is printed across each bud, but you’ll need to be uncomfortably close to read it.

Comfort is high. I found that I could wear them for extended periods of time, without them becoming onerous.

A closer look reveals that the skirt, the bit that forms the seal with your ear, is made of rubber (a change from the Pi7). It’s firm but has a modicum of give. This enables them to sit comfortably in place and offer better acoustic isolation, thereby improving the effectiveness of noise cancellation. 

The Pi8 come with a choice of three additional ear tip sizes: XS, S and L, so everyone should find an optimal fit.

The various sensors, antenna and microphones reside in a notch that sits clear of the ear itself, for maximum effectiveness. There are three microphones in each earbud.

Don’t fret if you're out and about in the rain, as the Pi8’s are IP54-rated for protection against dust and water spray.

Features

For such diminutive buds, the Pi8 cram in the features. 

Made for iPhone (MFi) support means iOS users will be up and running in no time. Android users can expect Google Fast Pair (GFP) support in due course. There is actually no dedicated pairing button. However, if you want to force the Pi8 into Bluetooth mode, this is achieved by pressing and holding both earbuds for three seconds.  

Built upon Qualcomm’s Bluetooth 5.4 wireless transmission platform, there’s support for aptX Adaptive up to 24-bit/96kHz, as well as aptX Lossless, which is useful if you have an aptX Lossless playback device.

They also support Multipoint connection. Rather neatly, you can pair to a second device while still wearing the Pi8. To initiate, just tap both earbuds at the same time. You can assign the primary device in the accompanying Bowers & Wilkins app.

This app is key to the Pi8’s overall usability. It features a five-band Advanced EQ function, if you feel the need to tweak, as well as a bypass mode. You can also link any of your streaming services.

The Pi8s don’t come with a standard charging case. This Smartcase is able to retransmit audio up to 24-bit 96kHz audio from USB and 3.5mm connected music sources. The case converts analogue to digital and then transmits that in aptX Adaptive Low Latency.

You can use the Smartcase with aeroplane in-flight entertainment systems (so you no longer need to tie yourself in wired knots when juggling inflight meals), a DAP (Digital Audio Player), as well as laptops, the latest generation of iPads and USB-C-enabled iPhones. Just connect the case to the source, hit play and it automatically transmits to the earbuds.

Battery life is on the right side of acceptable. You can expect around 6.5 hours of playtime, with ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) engaged. The case itself holds an additional 13.5 hours. If you’re running low, a quick 15 minute charge will earn you a couple of hours in the wild.

But there are caveats. There’s no support for Dolby Atmos Spatial audio (as available on LG’s Tone T90S buds). 

You can alter the volume on the buds themselves with a swipe (though I found it a temperamental control at best), and there’s no dedicated voice interaction. Commands are acknowledged with peeps and beeps. 

Sound quality

Long story short: the Pi8 earbuds sound superb. They’re capable of quite extraordinary detail - crisp and articulate with no sibilance or granular fizz. Vocals sound realistic and nuanced while guitar tonality is spot on. 

The acoustic strumming of Space, by Boltex and Yiu (24-bit, 44.1kHz) is almost three dimensional, the track’s plaintive vocal tremulous and immediate. It’s enough to give you live performance chills.

Interestingly, Bowers & Wilkins isn’t using the DAC which comes as part of the Qualcomm package. Instead, these earbuds swerve that in favor of a separate DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) supplied by ADI, which is coupled to improved DSP (Digital Signal processing) and amplification designed by the Bowers team.

Bass handling is excellent. Deep, and fulsome without being overbearing or heavy handed.

The breakout Billie Ellish hit Bad Guy (24-bit 44.1kHz) drops deeeeeep, to the point where my cranium seemed to reverberate under the pressure. Similarly, the bass riff on Teddy Swims’ 911 (24-bit 44.1kHz) hits hard, taut and funky. 

Coherent musicality is difficult to achieve with true wireless earbuds, but the Pi8 seems to have nailed it. You really sense you’re hearing what the artist intended.

Black Dog, by Arlo Parks (24-bit 48Khz), is a multi-layered treat, the singer’s vocal floating above a deep rhythmic beat. There’s a transparency to the Pi8 which is intoxicating.

The Active Noise Cancellation algorithm used in the Pi8 is essentially the same as that used on the brand’s Px8 over ears. I found it doesn’t nullify extraneous commuting noise quite as efficiently as some rivals, but it certainly knocks back burble to the point where it doesn’t impinge on the listening experience. 

Competition

At the higher end of the true wireless category, there is some significant competition. The Pi8 go head to head with Bang & Olufsen’s Beoplay EX, and the rather more esoteric Master & Dynamic MW09 - so we’re in rarefied territory indeed. 

The real competition though is likely to come from Apple’s AirPods Pro (Second gen), and Sony’s highly regarded WF-1000XM5, both of which come in slightly cheaper. They have USPs but I rather think the Pi8 edges it when it comes to unbridled musicality.

Should you buy them?

You should buy them if…

• You want outstanding audio quality, without unnecessary coloration
• You want premium design 
• You want leading edge Bluetooth connectivity 

You should not buy them if…

• Absolute noise canceling is paramount when you listen mainly to audio books or podcasts
• You want the longest possible battery life 
• You want Spatial Audio with Head Tracking support for Apple Music

Verdict

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 raise the bar when it comes to audio quality from a true wireless form factor. They effortlessly handle different genres, have a terrific treble and melodious mid-range, but drop deep when dance tunes demand it.

They also combine superior build and materials with a class appropriate feature set. 

The price point may be chilly, but if you want arguably the finest sounding true wireless earbuds on the market, I reckon they’re worth it.

If you've been looking for a reason to upgrade your AirPods, Apple hasn't really given you any for a while.

The current lineup has the base-level AirPods which are almost five years old, while the AirPods Max (as much as I adore them) are from late 2020. Thankfully, Apple could finally be gearing up to introduce new models to its earbud lineup.

That's courtesy of the Power On newsletter from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who says that while "the mid-tier model has fallen far behind the capabilities of the Pro version", change is on the horizon.

Non-Pro AirPods with ANC?

"Fortunately, an [AirPods] overhaul remains on track. The new models will both look similar, but the mid-tier one will get active noise cancellation for the first time," Gurman says about this year's lineup of AirPods.

"Everything appears to still be a go for this fall, with a third-generation version of the AirPods Pro not coming until later."

So, if you're looking to grab some noise-canceling earbuds without splashing the cash on the (admittedly excellent) AirPods Pro Second Generation, you might be able to save some cash later this year.

For more on AirPods, be sure to check out why my colleague Joe is ditching Apple's audio brand entirely and reaching for a pair of Beats instead.

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I’ve been using AirPods for almost a decade now. Ever since Apple released the original AirPods back in 2016, I’ve been using the company’s headphones over any third-party option since. Despite some headphones having better sound or features, there was no denying that — especially over the years — the close integration between hardware and software made the choice a no-brainer.

That has remained the case even after Apple purchased Beats back in 2014. The headphone company started by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine has always been iconic but — even after Apple picked them up and started to integrate their products more closely with its own.

Despite the better integration with pairing the headphones to my iPhone and more, the Beats headphones were still, well, Beats. The bass was still tuned way up by default and the Beats Studio over-the-ear model was still not comfortable for me at all.

Well, it’s been almost a decade since Apple launched AirPods and exactly a decade since Apple bought Beats and a lot has changed. In fact, so much has changed that, after using AirPods for all this time, I’ve done the unthinkable and switched completely over to Beats.

I’ve owned a lot of AirPods

Before I get into why I switched over to Beats and what exact products I chose, I want to reiterate how much I was into AirPods. I’ve owned a lot of them. I bought the first-generation AirPods when they launched in 2012 and used them right up until the time that Apple released the 2nd-generation in March 2019.

Then, I immediately made the jump to AirPods Pro when they came out in October 2019 and kept those for years. They were only replaced by the AirPods Pro 2 when they came out in September 2022.

I also picked up the AirPods Max when Apple dropped those back in December 2020. In fact, the only AirPods model that I’ve never owned is the third-generation AirPods that Apple released in October 2021. The only reason I didn’t buy that one was because I had already upgraded to AirPods Pro at that point.

Over all of those years, I certainly tried out different headphones and earbuds from other companies like Bose, Sony, and more, but I never stuck with any of them. They always got returned.

However, after this decade-ish run of AirPods, I’ve found that Beats makes two products that have completely replaced my AirPods Pro and AirPods Max

What’s my beef with AirPods Pro and AirPods Max?

So, why am I ditching my AirPods Pro and AirPods Max? It certainly doesn’t have to do with the sound quality. The sound quality on both the earbuds and the headphones are incredible and go toe to toe with almost any other premium earbud or headphone out there.

It also doesn’t have to do with the features. Between the noise cancellation which is industry-leading for sure to the Adaptive Audio, Transparency Mode, Spatial Audio, and more, you get a ton of great features in each product that makes listening to music, podcasts, and movies a fantastic experience.

The issue I’ve run into with both the AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max is the fit. With the AirPods Pro, I’ve never found them uncomfortable. I’ve worth them through flights and through tons of workdays and they’ve remained super comfortable. My issue with AirPods Pro has always been that they’ve fallen out when I work out. Pushups? Sit-ups? Going on a run? Get ready for these babies to pop up every time, no matter what ear tips I was using.

While my AirPods Max never fell off my head, they actually were uncomfortable — at least for me. I tried adjusting them every way I could, but there was nothing I could do to get over the fact that these headphones were heavy. Apple tried to do what it could with the innovative headband, but having headphones made out of stainless steel was not a great idea.

So if AirPods are going out, what’s taking their place?

Beats Fit Pro and Beats Studio Pro are my new duo

Beats Studio Pro commonly go on a sale that takes the headphones half off in price so, when it happened recently over this year’s Prime Day, I grabbed a pair and gave them a go. It didn’t take long to realize that these were a better fit for me than the AirPods Max.

They had all of the same features, almost as good sound quality, and even some things that the AirPods Max didn’t have like an audio jack and USB-C charging. They are also much more comfortable than the AirPods Max for me. I recently wore them for a 6-hour flight without issue — something I was never able to do with the AirPods Max.

After I realized the Beats Studio Pros were a better fit for me than the AirPods Max (and actually went ahead and sold my Max’s), I started wondering if I might find a better fit in the earbud department as well. That’s where the Beats Fit Pro came in.

Once again, the Beats earbuds have a lot of the same features as my AirPods Pro 2: they have USB-C charging, Spatial Audio, great battery life, Apple’s H1 chip for easy pairing and switching between devices, noise cancellation, and transparency mode.

The real killer feature of the Beats Fit Pro, however, is that they actually stay in my ears when I’m working out. I’ve been using them for runs and gym sessions and I have yet to have them feel loose at all much less actually come popping out of my ears. As someone who was constantly adjusting my AirPods Pro to ensure they stayed in, this is a revelation.

I could always return to Apple’s AirPods

While I’m completely in on Beats for now, Apple could always release something to get me back to the AirPods lineup. If they made the AirPods Max using aluminum instead of stainless steel and added USB-C charging, that could be enough to get me to ditch the Beats Studio Pro.

And, if they could figure out how to make AirPods Pro 3 that don’t fall out of my ears every time I try to do a pushup, I would let go of my Beats Fit Pro.

However, until that day comes, I’ll be looking to Beats as my go-to when it comes to headphones.

I flew to the other side of Europe this week, and one of the first things I packed, right after my toothbrush and passport, was the AirPods Max.

While I tend to use AirPods Pro around the house and while out walking, the AirPods Max are my travel headphones of choice. They're a little larger and don't fold down, but I still find they're the first headphones from Apple I've used that really drown out the noise on a plane - whether that's engine or passenger noise.

Better yet, the AirPods Max are now just under $400 at Amazon, with the retailer snipping $150 off of the MSRP.

Why AirPods Max?

For that price, you get all the convenience of AirPods, like switching devices automatically and the quickfire pairing on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, but you also get a surprisingly comfortable set of cans.

They are heavy, there's no denying that, but the headband does a good job of mitigating a lot of that weight, while the earcups form a secure but comfortable seal around your ears.

We awarded the AirPods Max 4 stars in our review, with one of the biggest cons being the price. Thankfully, this deal helps mitigate that somewhat.

While I'm still itching to hear more about the next model, these are a fantastic purchase - particularly if you're expecting to do a lot of travelling. 

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Who knew the best AirPods for many people wouldn’t be AirPods? Despite the extensive ear physiology research conducted by the engineers in Cupertino, AirPods don’t stay in my ears. And AirPods Pro don’t work for me unless I add Comply foam ear tips. Then they’re AH-MAZING! 

On the other hand, the new Beats Solo Buds work well for my ears' shape, and their sound quality is very good. Because they work natively with iOS—excluding some features—they’re likely the best AirPods for most people.

Beats Solo Buds: Price and availability

Beats Solo Buds became available to order in Transparent Red, Storm Gray, and Matte Black from Apple.com and authorized resellers for $79.99 on June 18th. Two days later, they became available in Apple Store locations and other brick-and-mortars on June 20th. 

The Arctic Purple version I have for review will be available exclusively online or in-store from Apple or Target.

Beats Solo Buds: Build and fit

The Beats Studio Buds Plus are lauded for their relatively balanced sound, with an emphasis on mid-range frequencies and vocal clarity. The Beats Solo Buds use the same 8.2mm dual-element diaphragm transducer found in the Buds Plus, while the rest of the acoustic architecture is unique to the Solo Buds.

They’re larger than the Buds Plus because they have larger batteries in the earbuds themselves. That’s because the case is built without a third battery to recharge the buds when you place them inside. Charging goes directly into the buds themselves from the USB-C port on the rear of the case. Because of this, the Solo Buds are some of the smallest TWS earbuds I have ever slipped into the coin pocket in my pants. So small in fact, after a time, I forget that they’re there.

Concerning fit, though they’re larger than the Studio Buds Plus, they feel great for long periods of wear. The larger “bulbs” feel just right in my ears without fatiguing them. Speaking of sitting right, if you’re listening to music on your iPad and then slip them in your ears, the music will automatically switch to your Solo Buds if you have the Automatic Ear Detection feature turned on.

Like other Beats earbuds, the Solo Buds use mechanical push buttons on the “b” logo area instead of the touch-sensitive buttons you’ll find on many others. I prefer the mechanical over the touch-based buttons because they’re generally more accurate and less prone to accidental touches. Controls on the Solo Buds are enjoyably “clicky” and responsive.

Beats Solo Buds: Features

18 hours of battery life! In this case, that’s a “feature.” And since the case has no battery for recharging, nothing short of that would’ve made sense. I tested that battery life, and with the volume on my phone at 50%, I did indeed see a bit over 18 hours. They support Fast Fuel, so a 5-minute charge gets you an hour of playback time.

They have Beats’ proprietary chip in them, so they work with both iOS and Android, supporting some native features. You do get Spatial Audio, but there's no head tracking. And there’s no official IP rating, so keep that in mind if you get caught in a thunderstorm or are a particularly heavy sweater.

The native features they support on iOS are one-touch pairing, iCloud pairing, Find My, and Audio sharing. Though the feature works on my Beats Fit Pro (Beats Solo 4), Audible Notifications doesn’t work on the Solo Buds, and I have to admit that it’s a bit of a letdown. I love that feature, and it comes in quite handy during workouts when I receive text messages from family and loved ones. I take my gym time seriously; it’s how I keep Type 2 diabetes in check, so it’s great to hear a message read aloud to me so I can determine if it requires me to interrupt my workout or respond when I’m finished.

To make the case as small as possible, Beats omitted more than just the battery. There’s also no LED for charging and connection statuses and no pairing button. Instead, you’ll hear audio tones from the earbuds themselves, signaling they’re ready to pair, and that process is easy. Just hold the “b” button for a few seconds while in the case, and you’re paired. You’ll also hear audio tones for charging confirmations and low-battery warnings. 

Beats Solo Buds: Sound quality

Like the Studio Buds Plus, the Solo Buds' audio is delightfully clear and bright without being harsh or sibilant. While the bass is not as pronounced as in earlier versions of Beats products, these earbuds are like fenced Clydesdales. Let ‘em out, and their horsepower impresses.

The Solo buds gave a rousing performance with all of my regular test songs, which show how large a product’s soundstage is, how they handle vocals, and the quality of the stereo imaging. Seemingly, the only downside to all of that clarity found in the Solos would be the lighter low end.

When listening to bass and sub-bass heavy songs like Skrillex’s “Mumbai Power,” I go into the Settings app, scroll down to Apple Music’s settings, and turn on the Increase Bass EQ preset. For music on my phone’s local storage or Tidal, I use my favorite EQ app for iOS, Boom. Utilizing those tips uncages the Clydesdale and imbues some rumbly, distortion-free bass and sub-bass back to your favorite basshead tracks. It’s seriously, aggressively satisfying. Best part? The Solo Buds transducer can give you those dark lows without compromising clarity or mid-frequency sonics. The sound quality is impressive for $80.

Beats Solo Buds: Competition

I’m writing this review from the lens of native iOS support, so the only competition is other Beats products and AirPods. In that regard, there are only two: Beats Flex, and AirPods (2nd generation). The Flex have the Apple W1 chip for native iOS support, and with the AirPods, you’re going to get features like Audible Notifications, “Hey Siri” voice invocation, and a battery in the case. Flex is $10 cheaper than the Solo Buds, but for the AirPods, you’re going to pay a bit less than twice the cost at $129. 

There are some very competitive options outside Apple iOS support when you look at products like the Nothing Ear (a), and Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. Both of those will cost you $20 more unless you catch them on sale, which is highly likely with Soundcore products.

Beats Solo Buds: Should you buy it?

You should buy Beats Solo Buds if...

• Cost is a primary purchasing consideration
• You don’t need ANC
• AirPods don’t fit your ears well

You shouldn't buy Beats Solo Buds if...

• You want full AirPods iOS integration
• You need ANC

The clarity, balanced sound, and ability to take EQ and drop that bass like an EDM DJ make for a highly satisfying listening experience with the Beats Solo Buds. I haven’t missed having a battery for charging in the case because, with 18 hours of battery life, topping off regularly hasn’t been necessary with my listening habits.

Yes, for $80, you’ll have to give up some features, but at $80 you also won’t find a better set of “AirPods” with native iOS support.

The AirPods 2 are, without a doubt, one of the longest-running Apple products around. They might even be one of the longest-running of all time, with their first release in March 2019 now being over 5 years ago. While we reckon there could be a new pair of budget AirPods on the way sometime either late this year or early in the next, this deal over at Amazon makes them the best value pair of AirPods you can buy.

First seen during this year’s Prime Day, this AirPods 2 deal brings them down to $69, $50 lower than their recommended retail price. At this point you could even just buy them as a spare pair and stick them in a drawer in case your favorites bite the bullet at any point — they’ll be way better than whatever ancient monstrosity from cell phones past you’ve got lying in wait. Who knows, you might even like them enough to not want to replace them.

AirPods 2 lowest price ever

• AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart

The AirPods 2 are the base model AirPods, but there are still some features to get excited about. They connect like magic to an iPhone (if you haven’t experienced it yet, it really does feel like magic), and then you can track the battery life of the buds and the case individually from Control Center. Sound quality is going to be fine, although you don’t get the Spatial Audio or noise canceling of their more expensive cousins. 

But you’re not paying AirPods 3 or AirPods Pro 2 money, and given they’re now some of the cheaper in-ear wireless buds, they’re almost a no-brainer for iPhone, iPad, and even MacBook users. At this price, there’s no way you’d be annoyed even if Apple were to announce a new pair next week.

Apple altered the entire headphone market overnight when it first dropped the AirPods. Yes, there were plenty of true wireless earbuds on the market already, but it was Apple that defined the industry. Since that first drop in 2016, AirPods became — and remained — the most popular and recognizable earbuds in the world.

This success doesn’t tell the full story though. Despite their triumph, stagnation is creeping in. Aside from the launch of the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max, there’s been little truly exciting happening with Apple’s headphones over the past few years.

But all this could change with one bold move: to meld together AirPods and an iPod, to put a screen on the case, and create a standalone music player.

So, how would this work? What would be the benefit? And would Apple actually do this? Well, let’s find out.

AirPods: Struggling or successful?

To me, AirPods are in an interesting gray area. They’re hugely popular, yet uninspiring. Outside of the launch of the aforementioned Pro and Max, updates to the range have been minimal. The biggest revision so far was the AirPods 3, which overhauled the design of the entry-level earbuds to look… a little bit more like the AirPods Pro?

Aside from that single aesthetic change, AirPods updates have been incremental. This includes useful, but not really alluring, upgrades like improved chips, better battery life, and tweaking the fit. As someone who owns every type of AirPods, I can safely say the only real reason to buy a new pair these days is when the battery life falls. And honestly? That takes years of use.

Basically, AirPods are getting less exciting — and the rest of the market is catching up.

At the time Apple first released its earbuds, many other big tech companies hadn’t figured out how to make high-quality and seamless pairs of their own. This is no longer the case. Not only are there some excellent options out there, like the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Sennheiser Momentum range, but the public are also fully aware of the benefits of true wireless earbuds and are happy to branch out.

To put all this in perspective, in Q1 2019, Apple had a 48.1% share of the true wireless market. By Q3 2023, this was down to 21%. Obviously AirPods are still hugely successful, but it’s increasingly clear the company’s hold on the market is slipping.

And the solution? Being bold: putting a display on the AirPods case and turning it into a standalone music player.

A whole new world for AirPods

It’s a simple idea: place a small screen with a stripped down version of watchOS onto an AirPods case. Effectively, making a blend of AirPods, the Apple Watch, and an iPod.

At first, these AirPods with a screen would play MP3s, downloaded music from apps like Apple Music and Spotify, and podcasts, with all the syncing done via a phone or computer.

There’s also huge scope for updates in the future. The second edition, for example, could add cellular support, the ability to play FLAC, and increased amounts of storage. Over time, it could develop into a device you could take out instead of your phone for short journeys.

In other words, it could become a modern iPod in everything but name. God, I’m excited just thinking about it.

Where would it fit in Apple’s ecosystem — and would it be a success?

In a previous piece on the potential Apple Ring, I pointed out the difficulty in launching that hardware because it doesn’t easily fit into the company’s wearable ecosystem. In other words, unless it does something substantially different to the Apple Watch (which would be unlikely), there’d be little reason for people to get one.

The standalone AirPods music player wouldn’t have the same issue.

This is the sort of thing people would buy alongside other Apple gear. A dedicated music player with AirPods is worth upgrading for. It’s something that’d appeal to both hardcore gadget nerds and the growing segment of society that wants to cut down their screen time. Also, let’s not forget the iPod enthusiasts still out there.

The AirPods as a standalone music player would also fit seamlessly into Apple’s product line. Firstly, you could rename the current entry-level AirPods to, say, the AirPods Air. Then move the current Pro versions into simply being AirPods, and make the earbuds with a screen the updated AirPods Pro. Smooth and easy.

To be quite honest, it’s hard to see AirPods with a screen not succeeding. This leads us onto another, more important question though.

Will Apple ever release these AirPods?

If I’m honest? Truly, deeply honest? No, I don’t think they will.

There are a range of reasons why, but I think the most pertinent is that Apple isn’t an innovator. What the company does best is taking technology that already exists, that has a solid use case, and a devoted small audience, and perfecting it and then marketing it to a mass of people.

This has been the route it’s taken from everything from the iPod all the way through to the Vision Pro. These aren’t product categories Apple invented, they’re pre-existing technologies it sees opportunity in.

True wireless earbuds combined with a screen isn’t something that currently has a big market share or consumer demand. So far, JBL is one of the few companies to have done this with the Tour Pro 2, although its execution is quite different to what we’ve discussed here. Until a company comes along, makes a similar product, and shows its viability, expect Apple to remain stationary.

Just look at the HomePod as an example. People are crying out for a screen on the smart speaker — something Google and Amazon have done with their devices — and this feature still hasn’t dropped.

Ultimately, Apple is a cautious company. And this works well for it. AirPods are still the most successful true wireless earbuds in the world, after all. Yet, if Apple were willing to be a bit more daring, I think they could redefine the market… again. A whole new world of earbuds is possible, the question is whether Apple is courageous enough to do it.

More from iMore

• AirPods Max are still the best headphones I've ever had
• Which AirPods should you buy? AirPods Max, Pro 2, and every other model compared
• I tried living without AirPods Pro 2 — I lasted two weeks

Today, Dyson unveiled its new OnTrac over-ear headphones, taking square aim at Apple's AirPods Max. 

Its new headphones come in four colorways but have customizable caps and ear cushions for up to 2,000 combinations. They look stylish and industrial, and boast some pretty good audio too. Dyson says they come with "best-in-class noise-cancellation," with noise canceling 384,000 per second, reducing up to 40dB. 

Audio wise they feature "deep sub-bass and high-end brilliance" between 6Hz and 21kHz. Sound is delivered by 40mm 16-ohm neodymium speaker drivers, with a tilted speaker housing for more direct audio. 

Dyson OnTrac

On paper, the Dyson OnTrac continues to impress, offering up to 55 hours of battery life even with noise-cancelling enabled. Interestingly, its two battery cells are suspended in the headband for better weight distribution. 

Other notable features include head detection, and an on-board joystick for controlling play, pause, skip, and voice commands. They also have dual beam-forming microphones for crispy audio.

The four colors are CNC Aluminium, CNC Copper, Ceramic Cinnabar, and CNC Black Nickel. The new headphones will be launched in the UK on August 1, and are priced at £499. As mentioned, there are also lots of customization options, so customers can pick up a set of aluminum caps, as well as in-ear cushions in a range of colors and finishes. These are £49.99 each and unlock the various color combinations. 

The headphones are essentially a standalone rerun of Dyson's viral "Zone", an air-purifying set of headphones replete with a magnetic face mask visor. Dyson's second iteration of the audio part offers better battery life than the previous version, as well as an improved eye-catching design. 

More from iMore

• Dyson turned this viral Apple Vision Pro vacuuming concept into a feature
• Dyson's bizarre air-purifying AirPods Max headphone rivals just got a huge discount
• Nothing snaps up ex-Dyson design chief to spearhead new London design hub

AirPods are great. I love AirPods! They're a solid range of headphones with an option to suit almost every price point, customer, and use case, and connect with magic ease to your iPhone. There are, unfortunately, some problems with the AirPods that mean you might want to look elsewhere for your headphone fix.

They're not cheap, some aren't sure they sound very good, and some users may not find them the most attractive headphones in the world. To that end, I've taken my years of experience testing headphones to find some of the best alternatives to AirPods in the Prime Day sale, so that you can not only get some excellent headphones, buy save money while you're at it. Here are some great anti-AirPods you can get for a reduced price this Prime Day.

Where to find the best headphones Prime Day deals

• Amazon — Up to 60% off headphones

AirPods Pro 2

The AirPods Pro 2 are an epic pair of noise-cancelling in-ear headphones, but they have their weaknesses. To some, they sound a little too neutral, with no focus on dynamism or fun — if this is your main complaint, then boy, do I have the option for you. Want something a little cheaper?

We’ve got you covered with some excellent noise-canceling earbuds. Don’t get too confused with the USB-C and Lightning models — we’re finding the latter becoming harder to find, and all these alternatives use the USB-C standard.

• AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart

AirPods 2

The AirPods 2 are the budget offering in the AirPods line, yet they usually cost just over $100. If you don’t mind about the lack of Spatial Audio or Noise Canceling with AirPods 2, then there are some excellent alternatives out there that cost less, sound better, or offer more features for a similar price.

AirPods 3

The AirPods 3 are the weird middle child of the line, without ANC but with Spatial Audio. If you want Spatial Audio at this price then you’ll struggle for an alternative, but:

1. You’re better off without it
2. You can save money with headphones that sound better

Here are a couple of options that you should consider.

AirPods Max

The AirPods Max are the big tasty ones, that come in a lovely metallic sheen. They’re also mighty expensive, coming in at a hefty price no matter how you look at it. Thankfully, you don’t need to spend loads for something like the AirPods Max — or you can spend more and get something even better.

We’re into the second and final day of Amazon Prime Day and we’re still seeing plenty of great Prime Day Apple deals to take advantage of. One that keeps sticking out is Apple’s AirPods, its line of audio earbuds and headphones.

I’ve owned Apple’s earbuds since they first debuted in 2016 with the iPhone 7 series. I’ve always loved how they can easily pair with my Apple devices and switch between them automatically without me having to do it manually.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I was going to buy AirPods 2 as a Christmas gift for my niece, which I did. I’m glad too, as they have sold out at the time of writing. However, the rest of the AirPods line is still in stock and at their lowest-ever prices. Now that it’s Wednesday, you’ve got less than 24 hours to go until these discounts disappear. I got lucky with AirPods 2 yesterday, so don’t miss out!

If you already own some AirPods and you want to see just how good Active Noise Cancellation or Spatial Audio is when listening to a compatible track on Apple Music, you can’t go wrong with one of the three below.

Less than 24 hours to go until these savings disappear!

If you’ve been looking for some AirPods, now is the time to buy. We can’t imagine seeing AirPods Max as low as $394 until Black Friday in November once Prime Day wraps up. One of these would make a great Christmas present, so don’t hold off!

Apple's AirPods Max are the company's luxury over-ear headphones, delivering the most potent audio imaginable in a premium package. They've always had a price tag to match at $549, making them too expensive for most users. Now, however, you can pick up a pair in the Amazon Prime Day sale, with one of the best Prime Day AirPods deals we've ever seen. 

That's because the AirPods Max have fallen to another new low price of just $394, a massive saving of more than $150. 

For that price, you get the H1 chip for fast pairing and easy switching between all your Apple devices. Of course, there's Active Noise Cancellation and great audio quality too. At an all-new low price, what's not to love?

Hey Siri, play 'All Time Low'

• AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart

Apple's AirPods Max feature a transparency mode so you can toggle the noise cancellation, perfect for navigation traffic or a commute, before switching off to the world around you at just the right moment. 

Battery life will deliver up to 20 hours of listening time or movie watching, more if you turn off noise cancellation or spatial audio. The AirPods Max are available in all five colors and of course, come with free delivery thanks to Amazon Prime. 

If AirPods Max aren't your cup of tea (or don't fit your budget), you can also score yourself new low prices on Apple's AirPods Pro 2 ($169), AirPods 3 ($119), and AirPods 2 ($69). All of these are the best Prime Day AirPods deals we've ever seen. 

The AirPods Pro 2 are a great set of buds. With Active Noise Cancelling, Transparency mode, and even a new lowest price of $168.99, what’s not to love? In my case, just one thing, and it’s a reason big enough to justify picking the AirPods 3 instead now that they’ve hit their lowest-ever price of $119.99 on Amazon Prime Day. This is one of the best Prime Day AirPods deals right now and worth considering. 

As someone who twitches and can get a bit uncomfortable with rubber buds in my ear, the AirPods 3, with their sleek design and lack of rubber tips, are perfect for me. Of course, part of the reason for these tips is so that the AirPods Pro 2 can deliver standout noise-canceling features but I don’t mind missing out for more comfort. 

If you are anything like me, the AirPods 3 are the best budget choice for audio, and they’re even better now that their price has dropped. 

•  AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart 

Good sound and great comfort

I’ve tested many pairs of earphones and headphones over the last few years, and the AirPods 3 have become my go-to pair for multiple reasons. They don’t offer as good a sound profile as some but it's neutral enough to be clear for both music and TV shows. The battery life is good and, as it charges wirelessly, I can pop it on my iPhone charger without needing a dedicated charger. Most importantly, it works seamlessly with other Apple products. If I want to listen to music on my iPhone, I can simply open the case and they connect. If I want to then watch movies on my MacBook Air, I can just click on the AirPods option in settings and it moves across. 

They might not be the best-sounding earphones I’ve ever had but they are by far the most comfortable and easy to use. 

Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday are always fantastic for me when looking into plans for Christmas presents. 

There was a time when I’d officially start my shopping spree at the start of December. But what I’ve learned working at iMore is that it always helps to plan ahead when looking to buy something. This deal on the AirPods 2 to help mark the start of Prime Day is a fantastic example.

Since the first Airpods debuted in 2016 alongside the iPhone 7 series, Apple’s earbuds have become a common sight when walking down blocks of neighborhoods and around shopping malls. In 2024, there are AirPods to suit almost anyone — but it’s the low-end AirPods 2 that still make a great impression on new users.

Discounted by a massive 47%, you can buy AirPods 2 for $69 right now at Amazon, one of the best Prime Day AirPods deals we've seen. Released in 2019, these earbuds feature 24 hours of battery life, fast pairing with your Apple devices such as the best iPhones, and more.

Listen to music in style

•  AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart 

Granted, you can buy other AirPods that are more recent and offer features such as Active Noise Cancellation. Yet these AirPods 2 will be perfect for my niece. She uses her iPhone to watch YouTube, for the odd gaming session, and uses Snapchat to chat with her friends. She doesn’t yet need AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Max.

For a Christmas gift, AirPods 2 will be perfect for her, and that’s all that matters.

The AirPods Pro 2 are the best in-ear buds Apple has to offer and you can get them during Prime Day 2024 for $168.99 — that's over $80 off and the lowest price we've ever seen.

I use my AirPods Pro 2 every single day and I love them for listening to music but also taking calls with my colleagues in Slack or Google Meet. I originally purchased the AirPods Pro 2 for $249 last year with Lightning, so to see the USB-C model for so much cheaper feels like a no-brainer for anyone looking for a pair of earbuds.

I love how good the Active Noise Cancellation on the Pro 2's are and they come in handy any time I'm trying to concentrate in my office or want to drown out the noise on an airplane. Even more so, I love Transparency mode as it allows me to listen to music without feeling completely disconnected from the world, something that no other earbud I've tested seems to be able to replicate quite as well.

The AirPods Pro 2 are worth a purchase for $249 let alone under $169, so if you ask me take the leap and pick up some of the best earbuds on the market this Prime Day.

AirPods Pro 2 for under $170

• AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart

The AirPods Pro 2 have amazing sound quality and work brilliantly with the best iPhones and other Apple products. The seamless connection with the Apple ecosystem make these earbuds a no-brainer for anyone engulfed in the world of Apple.

If you’re still on the fence about diving into the world of wireless Apple audio, then have we got a deal for you. 

As you might well know, Prime Day Apple deals are fast approaching. However, almost one full week out, we’re already tracking some of the best Prime Day AirPods deals we’ve ever seen. So if you’re in the market for your first pair of AirPods, a great gift for friends or family, or even an emergency spare pair, you can now score Apple’s entry-level AirPods 2 for basically half price. 

That’s right, you can get wireless Bluetooth earbuds, 24 hours of battery life, fast-pairing and seamless switching, and more for just $69. 

•  AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart 

Apple’s AirPods 2 might be a little older than AirPods 3, and they don’t boast the noise-canceling of AirPods Pro, but they’re also less than $70. For that price, you get the core experience of AirPods without some of the bells and whistles of AirPods Pro. As mentioned, they pair incredibly easily with any iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even Apple TV. If you’ve got multiple Apple devices you can switch audio inputs in a flash, and you can activate Siri with nothing but your voice while wearing them. 

The only reason you might pass on these is because you want to pay more for a more premium audio experience. If that’s the case, Apple’s AirPods 3 are also at an all-time low of $129 right now and offer considerably better audio performance and a sleeker design. If you really want noise-canceling, AirPods Pro 2 are currently just $169, another all-time low price. Basically, there has never been a better time to buy a pair of AirPods. Ever.

AirPods Pro 2 have been the best earbuds I've ever owned in my entire life and it's not even close. From a noticeable boost in sound quality compared to the first generation and fantastic features like Conversation Boost and Adaptive Audio, they've been an essential part of my life for the last year and a half they've been on the market.

Now, Apple is making them even more capable with the features it is rolling out with iOS 18, and — if you're a developer — you can already get in on these features. The company has released a new firmware beta through build number 7A5244b that brings some of the key features coming to AirPods Pro 2 to the headphones months before they'll be made available to the public when Apple rolls out iOS 18 to everyone this fall.

This is the second beta firmware update that the company has rolled out since Apple originally announced the new features coming to AirPods Pro 2 back at WWDC 2024 in June.

What features are available in the new firmware beta?

The first feature now available on AirPods Pro 2 through the new firmware update is Siri Interactions, the new feature that lets you shake or nod your head to interact with Siri announcements while you're wearing your earbuds. As Apple explains, "Siri Interactions allow users to answer or dismiss calls, interact with messages, manage notifications, and so much more — all without speaking."

The firmware update also brings with it Voice Isolation which Apple is bringing directly to the earbuds after originally launching the feature on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The company says "machine learning, running on the H2 chip in AirPods Pro and the paired iPhone, iPad, or Mac, isolates and enhances voice quality while removing significant background noise — like wind around the caller — for the listener."

The last feature available now through the firmware update is Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking for games. While that is also coming to the AirPods 3 and AirPods Max, the company is reserving "improved voice quality, including 16-bit, 48kHz audio" for games with AirPods Pro 2.

All of these features are available for developers now as long as they also have an iPhone running the iOS 18 developer beta.

More from iMore

• I tried living without AirPods Pro 2 — I lasted two weeks
• Are the AirPods Pro as good as Bose QuietComfort 35 II?
• AirPods Max, two years on: Have AirPods Pro 2 made Apple's over ...

It might now only be a week until Prime Day, but Amazon just beat the sale to the punch with some incredible deals on AirPods. Every single pair available has had its price cut to a new lowest price, making it the best time we’ve ever seen to get your hands on a pair of Apple buds.

We’re not exaggerating when we say every single pair — the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Max, and even the EarPods have been reduced in the offer. It doesn’t matter which AirPods you’re after, you’re going to save some money, and we'd bet big money the Prime Day AirPods deals won't get much better. 

AirPods sale extravaganza

Prime Day might be just around the corner, but there are already some great deals to nab — like this one, which gets you a pair of AirPods 2 for their lowest price ever. That’s a full $50 off the full price, making them $79 at Amazon.

With more Prime Day Apple deals so close, you might be hesitant to start buying anything whether they’re reduced or not, but it’s very unlikely that the price of the AirPods 2 will fall any lower than this brilliant Prime Day AirPods deal.

AirPods 2 lowest price ever

• AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart

The AirPods 2 might not be the newest pair of earbuds in Apple’s roster, but they’re perfect if you want to dip your toes in the AirPods pool and don’t want to spend AirPods Pro 2 money. While they lack noise canceling and Spatial Audio, they make up for it in price and comfort.

If you’re not a fan of intrusive in-ear silicon tips, then the AirPods 2 might just be a godsend. They’re shaped like Apple’s oldEarPods, meaning they sit just inside the ear, rather than jammed directly into the ear canal, making for a more comfortable fit for some users.

Sound-wise, they’re not going to hold a candle to the AirPods Pro 2, but they’re going to sound just fine for the price — and they’re now going to cost you even less, thanks to this deal.

The AirPods Max are the headphones that sit at the very top of Apple's headphone tree. They're weighty, super-premium, and sound pretty great — but they also come with a massive price tag that puts many buyers off.

That price has now been lowered at Amazon by $100, making them much more affordable. They're now $449, down from $549.

The July Prime Day Apple deals are often the best opportunity to pick up a new pair of headphones, and this is one of the best Prime Day AirPods deals we've seen so far. 

Big sound, low price

• AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart

The AirPods Max are divisive. Some love their mad design, with those aluminum earcups and mesh headband bringing jealous glances from designers everywhere. Some don't like it quite so much — so they buy the Sony option instead.

Apple has made a pretty special pair of headphones in the AirPods Max. The Spatial Audio reproduction is the best that you'll find through the entire AirPods range, their sound quality the best that Apple can muster, and their earcups soft and comfortable. They're weighty, yes, but that makes them feel like they're worth the hefty price tag that Apple has put on them.

There are some weaknesses. Those heavy aluminum earcups, for example, drag down your face slowly over the course of the day, leaving the two hard bars across the top to support the headphone's weight. The case that comes in the box is little more than a felt-lined headphone nappy, barely offering any protection while they're in your bag.

In the end, though, the positives outweigh the negatives for what is still a pair of desirable headphones — and now you can get them for a much more approachable price.

If you own an iPhone X, an original HomePod, or AirPods, we’ve got bad news — Apple has added these products to its ‘vintage’ list, meaning if you’re holding onto them, it might be time to upgrade.

The company’s ‘vintage’ list notifies users that repairs will no longer be guaranteed at its Apple Stores. Devices are usually added to this list between five and seven years after Apple stopped distributing them for sale. For instance, the first-generation AirPods were made available in December 2016, the iPhone X in October 2017, and the original HomePod in February 2018. Therefore, these products are now eligible to be added to the vintage list.

Keep in mind though, that this doesn't mean these devices will suddenly stop working — it just means that it may now be harder for Apple to repair them. With Amazon Prime Day starting soon on July 16-17, this event could be a great opportunity to look into an upgrade if you own one of these three products.

Perfect timing for Amazon Prime Day

There are already a few Prime Day iPhone deals to take advantage of before Amazon’s event officially begins. If you’re still rocking an iPhone X and you’ve been happy with it, you may want to consider a renewed iPhone 14 Pro model. You’ll still benefit from a bunch of substantial upgrades, such as the camera, the Dynamic Island, and more.

For AirPods, the line has expanded into three: AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, all of which are already discounted! Currently, the best Prime Day AirPods deal has the AirPods Pro 2 at $20 off at B&H Photo already, allowing you to take advantage of its great noise-cancellation feature. If you’re thinking about replacing your original HomePod, the second-generation model or the mini version are great replacements to consider. The HomePod mini comes in a variety of colors. Although the smart speaker isn’t currently on offer at Best Buy, we wouldn’t be surprised to see that change as we get closer to Prime Day and retailers start trying to compete with Amazon.

More from iMore

• Best Stands for Apple HomePod in 2024
• New AirPods Beta firmware improves sound quality during a call
• Here's why I traded in my AirPods Max after 3 years

Apple’s new beta software has been making the rounds, and users are finding hidden bits and bobs that Apple didn’t mention during WWDC. One such feature just cropped up in macOS Sequoia and the latest AirPods firmware beta, and it brings improvements to the audio quality of your AirPods.

Previously, audio quality would drop the moment that the mic gets involved with the show. That means that voices during calls might not have sounded the best, and music would sound even worse. Now, somehow, Apple has managed to allow for sampling rates of up to 48000 KHz even while the microphone is in use — which will mean better quality audio while on a call, during those boring team-wide meetings where you need to have your camera on, or so that your mom sounds better when you have a quick catch up.

• AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart

Blood magic and sacrifices?

How does it all actually work, why was it an issue in the first place, and, perhaps most pertinently, why is it so impressive that Apple has managed it? It’s all down to the Bluetooth connection that keeps your AirPods connected to your iPhone or Mac. See, Bluetooth only has a certain amount of bandwidth, and when you’re using it to listen to music, you’re using every single bit available. Now, when the microphone gets involved, you have to share that bandwidth with some different audio — so quality in both gets nerfed so that they can both use the same connection.

That’s why any wireless headphones sound worse the moment you go on a call or try to record something. It’s a limitation with the connection itself, rather than the audio hardware inside — so the fact that Apple seems to have solved the issue with little more than a software update is extremely impressive. How has Apple done it? X user @hrolnd reckons it’s “black f****ing magic”. We’d be inclined to agree, Roland — but it's probably, in part, the same clever tech that Apple has used to connect AirPods Pro 2 to Apple Vision Pro and pump hi-res audio into your ears, also something generally considered impossible over Bluetooth.

Will we see the feature come to the best iPhones? With some luck, maybe, although don’t hold out much hope. If it does, it will likely come later to iPhone models down the line — although we might see it with the iPhone 16 later this year. Either way, Zoom calls on Mac with AirPods Pro 2 just got a whole lot better.

More from iMore

• I tried living without AirPods Pro 2 — I lasted two weeks
• AirPods Max, two years on: Have AirPods Pro 2 made Apple's over-ears obsolete?
• Here's why I traded in my AirPods Max after 3 years

A new report says Apple is planning to unveil new AirPods featuring infrared camera modules by 2026, in a move that could buoy its spatial computing ecosystem and sales of Apple Vision Pro. 

As reported by top insider Ming-Chi Kuo this weekend, "Apple plans to mass-produce new AirPods with camera modules by 2026, featuring an IR camera similar to the iPhone Face ID receiver." Kuo, a top supply chain sleuth with a history of Apple leaks, says that Foxconn, Apple's main supply chain partner, is laying the foundation to produce some 18-20 million units of the IR camera for around 10 million AirPods (one in each ear, of course). 

Kuo specifically says Apple's new AirPods will likely be used with Apple Vision Pro "and future Apple headsets to enhance the user experience of spatial audio and strengthen the spatial computing ecosystem." But what will they actually do?

2026 AirPods camera upgrade — explained

According to Kuo, the new IR camera fitted to AirPods could be used to detect head movements and adjust your audio accordingly, essentially giving a major hardware boost to Apple's spatial audio and existing head movement detection. Beyond audio, the IR camera will be able to detect "detect environmental image changes" which could "potentially" enable "in-air gesture control to enhance human-device interaction." That could improve Apple Vision Pro gestures and your control over visionOS, or could even pave the way for gesture controls on its best iPhones and beyond, headset or not. 

This isn't the first time we've heard that Apple is investigating AirPods with cameras. Back in February, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is planning sizeable upgrades to AirPods including built-in cameras, as well as AI and health sensor boosts. 

Certainly, the camera previously wasn't positioned as an infrared module, so while we might previously have been hoping for AirPods with some sort of secret spy cam, it looks like Apple is instead going to borrow some Face ID tech for a much more subtle, but still innovative upgrade. 

More from iMore

• Are the AirPods Pro as good as Bose QuietComfort 35 II?
• I tried living without AirPods Pro 2 — I lasted two weeks
• AirPods Max, two years on: Have AirPods Pro 2 made Apple's over-ear headphones obselete

I love AirPods, I really do — but I test enough headphones to know that there are some excellent alternatives out there if you want to save some money, don’t want the same thing as pretty much everyone else, or want better sound quality. It also happens to be Prime Day in just a few weeks on July 16 and as expectations for the deals event start to burgeon, I’m going to use my expertise to show you what else you can get for your money.

I’ll do it by AirPods model — looking for X AirPods? Here’s X alternative, and why you should consider them instead. We’re not looking to say the AirPods are bad here by any stretch of the imagination, but we are looking to show you that there are different options out there depending on what you’re looking for. So, without further ado, here are four alternatives to AirPods you should consider this Prime Day.

AirPods 2

The base model AirPods 2 are some great headphones, and the cheapest way to join the AirPods faithful. They do have some key weaknesses, however, such as a lack of noise canceling and what some find to be a loose fit. They’re getting a bit old at this point as well so you may want to look elsewhere for your in-ear bud fit.

We’d recommend the Denon AH-C6309W instead. Despite their annoying numerical name, they are an excellent pair of earbuds with wicked sound quality, noise canceling, and a very comfortable fit. They might be larger than the AirPods, but they are a better pair of buds. They’re around the same price too — nice. We gave them five stars in our review, so they get our stamp of approval as well.

• Denon AH-C6309W $99 at Amazon

AirPods 3

The AirPods 3 are the black sheep of the family — they’re not a bad bud at all, but they are very overpriced. The main difference between them and the AirPods 2 is their shape and the addition of Spatial Audio. Apart from those key differences, you don’t get anything new for the extra that you’ll spend on the weirdest AirPods of the bunch.

Instead, we reckon you should check out the Marshall Motif II. They have more visual charm with their throwback marshall amplifier stylings, for one, and their silicon tips make for a more comfortable, useable bud. They’re around the same price as the AirPods 3, but you get more battery life and noise-canceling for the trouble. We gave the Motif II a four-star review, loving their genre-focused sound and comfortable fit. The ANC isn’t the best around, but it’s got it where the AirPods do not.

• Marshall Motif II $189 at Amazon

AirPods Pro 2

The AirPods Pro 2 are some of iMores favorite wireless earbuds, with a super comfortable fit, excellent noise canceling, and some wicked extra features. There are adaptive noise-canceling modes, reasonable battery life, and MagSafe charging so you don’t need to worry about taking multiple chargers out and about with you wherever you go. There’s only one thing that needs some work — the sound quality.

If you want the best sound possible, we’d say go for the Denon Perl Pro. You’ll pay a price premium, that’s for sure, but you’ll get a similarly comfortable fit, comparable noise canceling, and some of the best sound quality in a pair of wireless in-ear buds. You’ll pay $100 more, but you won’t regret sticking a pair of these in your ears.

• Denon Perl Pro $349 at Amazon

AirPods Max

If you want the most impressive pair of headphones that Apple has to offer, then a pair of AirPods Max is going to be exactly what you’ve been looking for. Expensive, heavy, and super-premium, they’re a stunning pair of headphones with a price tag to match. To some, however, their design could be over the top, with their mesh headband and square earcups.

If you want a pair of headphones that look and sound the part, then the Master & Dynamic MW75 are an excellent option. The sound quality is monstrous, the build quality excellent, and the carrying case a masterwork. They are more expensive than the AirPods Max, but you do get what you pay for — and then some.

• Master and Dynamic MW75 $599 at Amazon

Traditionally, using your AirPods on your Mac has been easy, but it's always lacked some of the features that you’ll find when you connect your headphones to an iPhone. To bring things up to par, with the latest beta version of macOS Sequoia, Apple has brought the headphone accommodations feature to the desktop OS, which allows for more customization within the settings menu.

Namely, it adjusts the sound profile of your AirPods, making them sound better according to the user's audio preferences. To be clear, this isn’t a graphic equalizer, but uses a few rounds of audio options to choose from so that it can build the best sound profile for you. You’ve been able to do it for some time on iOS, but this is the first time the feature has come to Apple computers.

• MacBook deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy

More customization options for headphones on Mac

While you could find the new menu in the first beta of Sequoia, Apple has only enabled it in the recently released second beta. It’s easy to find too — just hop to the settings menu, click ‘Accessibility’, and head to the ‘Audio’ menu. From there, you’ll spot the headphone accommodations section where you can choose to customize the signature of your AirPods. Don’t expect game-changing sound customization, but it will improve the clarity of voices and elevate some of the more difficult-to-hear frequencies depending on your hearing.

As soon as I had the option, I jumped straight into the customization so that it could work out the best signature for me. As for the tune audio setting, I left it on 'balanced' — I find that the tuning is often too much for most normal listening. Your mileage, of course, might vary.

It’s not just AirPods the feature works with either, there are some Beats headphones that support the customization. Along with every pair of AirPods released ever, the feature also works with Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro, Beats Fit Pro, Beats Solo Pro, Beats Studio Pro, Beats Solo Buds, and the Beats Solo 4. 

macOS Sequoia beta 2 is available to download on your Mac now — although we’d recommend not installing it on your primary or work computer. We’ve found brief periods of instability that might become grating if you’re trying to actually use your computer.

More from iMore

• How to download macOS Sequoia beta
• The iPhone's iOS 18 beta 2 update is now available to developers
• macOS Sequoia beta 2 adds one of the most important upgrades

Is one AirPod not charging? This issue can plague the best of us, but don’t fret iMore is here to help. AirPods are one of Apple’s most impressive products but when they don’t work it can be seriously irritating.

We have a guide on how to fix AirPods if they aren't charging, but if you’re only hearing sound out of one earbud then you’ve come to the right place. Sometimes, your AirPods desync with each other or the charging case, leaving you feeling frustrated and confused as to why the wireless earbuds that are just meant to work, don’t.

How to fix one AirPod not charging

If you’re experiencing one Airpod not charging or losing connection intermittently then there are a couple of things you can try to get them back to working in glorious stereo.

1. With your AirPods connected, open Settings
2. Select your AirPods
3. Tap Forget This Device

Now your AirPods are no longer connected with your iPhone you can reset them completely before connecting them again. This allows both AirPods to sync with the charging case again.

4. Put both AirPods in their case and open the charging case lid
5. Hold down the button located on the back of the case for roughly 15 seconds
6. Keep holding until the light on your AirPods starts to flash white
7. Once the light flashes white continuously, close the case’s lid
8. Open the case again and sync your AirPods with your iPhone as normal

Your AirPods should now be fully synced with each other and your iPhone. If one AirPod is still not charging then it could be a hardware issue that is causing the lack of power. We advise you to check out your local Apple Store for Genius Bar support to rule out any hardware faults should the above steps not fix the issue.

Want a new pair of AirPods instead? Opt for the AirPods Pro 2:

When you think of Apple earbuds you probably, understandably, think about AirPods and AirPods Pro. But the Beats brand shouldn't be ignored and the sub-brand's newest wireless earbuds are now available to buy from the online Apple Store.

The Beats Solo Buds were announced recently and come in four different colors (Storm Gray, Matte Black, Arctic Purple, and Transparent Red) with a price of $79.95.

Now available for order via the Apple Store the earbuds are available with free shipping in one business day while local pickup is also an option depending on where you happen to be located.

Music in your ears

In terms of features, there's a lot to like about the Beats Solo Buds starting with the 18 hours of battery life and ergonomically angled acoustic nozzles that are designed to offer a more natural fit.

"Each earbud is powered by dual-layer transducers designed to minimize micro-distortions across the frequency curve, and purposefully positioned parallel with each acoustic nozzle to deliver sound directly to your ears," Apple explains.

Apple says that laser-cut vents offer improved bass performance while each pair of earbuds will come with four ear tip sizes for buyers to choose from. And despite being an Apple company, the Beats Solo Buds can obviously work just as well with Android devices as they can with iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

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• Apple's brand new Beats Pill spotted in official filings ahead of release
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It's now the second day of Prime Day, and there are still some epic deals you can find on AirPods in the sale. We've got new lowest prices across the board with the AirPods line, so if you've been on the fence for a little while, now is the time to drop the hammer.

There's $150 off the AirPods Max, for example, and you'll also find the AirPods 3 for just $119. The AirPods Pro 2 have a new lowest price, and the AirPods 2 are cheaper than they've ever been.

We're tracking all the best deals as they go live, so if you stick with use you're sure to save some money this Prime Day.

AirPods Prime Day sales at a glance

• $150 off AirPods Max | $549 $395 at Amazon
• $80 off AirPods Pro 2 | $249 $168 at Amazon
• $50 off AirPods 2 | $129 $69 at Amazon
• $50 off AirPods 3 | $169 $119 at Amazon
• AirPods Pro (Refurbished) | $249 $134.74 at Amazon

Best Prime Day AirPods deals

Q&A

The big Apple WWDC week is very much underway and the company's June 10 announcements of iOS 18, Apple Intelligence, and more are understandably capturing plenty of headlines. But AirPods Pro owners are also getting some software updates of their own, including a number of new features.

Those new features will all be available via free software updates this fall and while some are limited to Apple's AirPods Pro 2, some will also work with other earbuds and headphones including the AirPods 3 and AirPods Max.

The list of new features includes improved call quality, reduced latency, and even support for shaking your head to reject an incoming call.

Music in your ears

Apple's press release confirming the new features begins by detailing new Siri Interactions, a feature that uses machine learning on the AirPods' H2 chip to offer new ways to deal with calls. "AirPods Pro users will be able to simply nod their head yes or gently shake their head no to respond to Siri announcements, which is particularly helpful in crowded or quiet areas where they may not want to speak out loud," Apple explains. The feature is set to be useful in noisy environments or when answering Siri could be problematic.

Another AirPods Pro improvement is Voice Isolation which "isolates and enhances voice quality while removing significant background noise — like wind around the caller — for the listener." This feature should make it easier for people to hear your voice during calls.

Another addition is Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking support during gaming. The feature works with AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max while "AirPods Pro users can also enjoy improved voice quality, including 16-bit, 48kHz audio, when chatting with teammates and other players."

That's all good news, of course. The bad news? Siri Interactions, Voice Isolation, and improved voice quality will only be available to owners of AirPods Pro 2.

More from iMore

• I tried living without AirPods Pro 2 — I lasted two weeks
• AirPods Max, two years on: Have AirPods Pro 2 made Apple's over-ear headphones obsolete
• I love my new AirPods Pro 2 - but it could be even better with this missing feature

WWDC 2024 is just hours away at this point, and while Apple's big software event will undoubtedly focus on platforms like iOS 18, Apple's popular earphones aren't being forgotten.

As reported by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple will roll out new accessibility features for its AirPods.

After mentioning the Apple Watch hypertension detection that could be coming later this year, Gurman says "There also will be support for a new hearing test feature on Apple’s AirPods."

"The earbuds are getting a new hearing-aid feature as well, but this may not be announced until later this year."

Gurman doesn't note which earbuds these new features would come to, but it's a safe bet to expect them to be focused on in-ear buds and not over-ear like the AirPods Max.

The evolution of AirPods

iOS 17 saw several big AirPods features, as Apple continues to invest in its audio ecosystem (I'm still waiting on the next AirPods Max, though).

AirPods got Conversation Awareness and Adaptive Audio last year, as well as Personalized Volume, and even if you don't use them it's nice to know they're there - although you will need the AirPods Pro for many of them.

The arrival of a hearing aid feature, along with a hearing test, could make AirPods a "one-stop-shop" for at least a prediagnosis of a potential hearing issue, and adjusting themselves to help accommodate it.

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• Apple could be working on robots for your home
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• AirPods might be getting a display, but do we really need another Apple product with a screen?

There’s a pair of AirPods for everyone, Be that the budget-friendly AirPods 2, the noise-canceling AirPods Pro 2, or the weighty AirPods Max, there’s a model for all price points, needs, and use cases. But, as with all Apple products, they are often more expensive than you might like.

At the moment, there’s a great way to get some money off a pair of AirPods if you head over to Best Buy's Apple sale. There, you’ll find some great deals on almost the entirety of the AirPods line — and the sale ends June 9th, so you don’t have long to get involved and get a stunning deal on a new pair!

Don’t miss the rest of the sale as well, where you’ll find more incredible deals on Apple devices over the next few days, from MacBooks to Apple Pencils.

AirPods deals at Best Buy

• AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart

AirPods with a screen is as mythical as the Loch Ness monster at this point — we’ve been hearing rumors about what Apple could add to the charging case for years. And now a new patent suggests Apple is still working on the concept, looking at the potential of a display to highlight visual playback information.

The patent titled, “Devices, methods, and graphical user interfaces for interactions with a headphone case,” shows an earbuds charging case with a display that shows musical audio output including a pause button, volume, rewind, and fast forward. The display would also show when a digital assistant, like Siri, is activated as well as provide other information like when the earbuds are connected to TV audio.

While the concept of an AirPods case with a screen sounds pretty cool, it got me thinking about the addition of a display and whether or not we even need another way to interact with our music controls on Apple devices.

• AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart 

It can’t affect battery life, at all

The first issue that comes to mind is battery life. Whether or not a display on the AirPods charging case adds functionality is meaningless if the prospect of a screen means you need to charge your AirPods more often. Airpods being your trusty travel companion, the battery life is one of, if not the most important, factor, allowing you to listen to music for hours on end and then get a top-up from the charging case. Obviously, we’d expect Apple to think about this before putting an AirPods case with a screen out there, but if it hinders battery at all, then it already feels less feature-rich than a case without a screen.

We have screens everywhere

Battery life aside, the thought of another display to change music controls is actually a little head-scratching. With the best iPhones in most people’s pockets or the best Apple Watches on their wrists, the need for another way to interact with your music feels unnecessary. If you’re out and about with AirPods you have to have your smartphone or Apple Watch nearby, so whether or not you’re digging into your pocket for an iPhone or a charging case makes no inherent difference to the user experience other than adding another screen to your life. If you’re out on a run, you probably own an Apple Watch or have your iPhone strapped to your arm, in which case finding more space for a case to quickly interact with your music playback seems a bit wild.

I think, the idea seems cool and futuristic but it makes me question why Apple would add another part to a simple charging case that could open up the door for more hardware faults and added weight. Personally, the only future I see for a product like this is if Apple includes internal storage and the AirPods turn into a modernized version of an iPod with on-device playback for when you don’t have access to your smartphone or Watch.

I may be completely wrong, and an AirPods case with a small screen to show battery life and track names could turn into Apple’s most popular product. But until proven otherwise, I’ll happily stick to my AirPods Pro 2.

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• I tried living without AirPods Pro 2 — I lasted two weeks
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Police in London have warned AirPods users to enable Transparency Mode when using Apple’s AirPods Pro and AirPods Max headphones, in the wake of a spate of phone thefts in the capital. 

It comes following the guilty plea of one Sonny Stringer, 28, who stole 24 phones in 24 hours on the streets of London using an electric bike to sneak on unsuspecting victims. Stringer has pleaded guilty to the thefts in court and is due to be sentenced in August. 

Phone theft remains a prolific crime in the city, with the Metropolitan Police admitting that a mobile phone is stolen every six minutes in London, according to data in 2022. Aside from the usual vigilance, however, Londoners who own AirPods have been given another more specific instruction to combat the thefts. 

• AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart 

Guard your phone with your AirPods 

Speaking to BBC Radio on Wednesday, PC Jordan Smith said “If you’re wearing headphones [or] if you’ve got AirPods, make sure you’ve got transparency mode on so you can hear what’s going on around you.” Apple first introduced Transparency Mode with its AirPods Pro, which uses microphones to drown out ambient noise using Active Noise Cancellation. Transparency Mode is a setting that lets some noise through, but not everything, to give you a better feel for the world around you. Apple has previously advertised the feature as useful for crossing roads and other activities that require more user attention. 

Finding methods to prevent your phone from being stolen is the first and best recourse against theft, but if you do lose it Apple has a wealth of tools on hand to try and help you recover it. Notably Find My iPhone has features that can track your phone’s location, lock the device, and even wipe it remotely to protect your data. The Find My network also powers AirTags, which recently helped police in Howard County track down $5 million worth of construction tools, some 15,000 items in total.

More from iMore

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• I tried living without AirPods Pro 2 — I lasted two weeks
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Are you in the market for a nice new pair of Apple AirPods? If so, there’s a whole host of great sales on them at Amazon right now. 

The timing likely isn’t a coincidence. Apple’s yearly developer conference, WWDC 2024, is due to start next Monday, and this rollout of Apple sales could be related to this event to capitalize on the word-of-mouth marketing that such a big event brings. According to the latest reports, no new hardware is expected at Apple’s annual developer conference next week. Instead, we should see updates on Apple software like iOS 18, and the widely rumored Apple AI. 

With these deals and no new AirPods on the Horizon, now is a great time for an audio upgrade. 

•  AirPods deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart 

AirPods for all budgets

There are so many good AirPods out there to choose from, with some of these being at their lowest-ever price. If you pick one up now, with Amazon’s next-day delivery, you will be able to listen to Apple’s WWDC conference from your new pair of AirPods next week. 

Are your AirPods not charging? If so we’re here to help you get your little white earbuds back on track. In this guide, we’ll talk through the potential factors that could cause your AirPods to not work and give you solutions to try and get Apple’s wireless earbuds back to pumping the best tunes from the 90s.

Whether you own the latest AirPods Pro 2 or an older pair like AirPods 2, here’s what to do when your AirPods are not charging properly.

What you'll need

We'll get to the actual steps below but to start you're going to need your AirPods and an iPhone. If you're in the market for a new pair or a new smartphone these are our recommendations:

Is your charging cable working?

The first external factor to check is whether or not your Lightning cable or USB-C cable used to charge the AirPods case is working properly. To test this, try the cable with another product in your home. For example, use the Lightning cable with an iPhone 14 or try the USB-C cable in your iPhone 15 Pro. If those products also don’t charge with the same cable used with the AirPods, then you’ve found the fault and need to replace it.

Sometimes, the charging block you use can be the reason your AirPods are not charging, repeat the steps from above with different charging bricks and different power outlets to make sure everything works the way it should.

How about your wireless charging?

If your AirPods are not charging wirelessly then there could be an issue with the wireless charging pad you’re using. We’d suggest removing your protective case, if you have one, from your charging case and positioning your AirPods case in the center of the charging pad.

As mentioned above, test the cables, charging brick, and wireless charging pad to ensure the issue is not coming from your AirPods themselves. The great thing about newer AirPods like the Pro 2 is that they can charge with an Apple Watch charger or MagSafe, so give them a go on all the charging solutions in your household to pinpoint the problem.

Clean your AirPods

Sometimes gunk can get in your AirPods charging case causing the connectors to not make contact and prevent the AirPods from charging. It’s important to clean your AirPods regularly and it’s pretty easy to do so. Apple advises users should clean their AirPods with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth. If you need to clean the charging port because dust or debris is inside, Apple recommends using a dry, soft-bristled brush. 

Make sure to try cleaning your AirPods yourself before bringing them into your local Apple Store, because Apple Store employees don’t want to see your dried-up earwax. Belkin makes a fantastic AirPods cleaning solution, which you can pick up from here:

Still not working?

If you’ve given your AirPods a clean and tested all the charging components your next step is to bring them to your local Apple Store for testing. The Apple technician will test every component to try and figure out the root cause of the charging issue and offer you either a free replacement under warranty or a fee to replace the faulty component. If the replacement cost is too high, you may be better off buying a new pair of AirPods, after all, the latest AirPods Pro 2 are some of the best wireless earbuds on the market.