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Posts tagged with "AirPods"

Apple Introduces Two AirPods 5 Models

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Two years after bringing noise cancellation to its open-ear AirPods models, Apple is back with AirPods 5. Announced at today’s Surprise and Shine event, the new earbuds offer two models, both with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). For those who prefer AirPods’ fit and the design without silicone ear tips, here’s what’s changed.

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

The biggest surprise is that both models of the new AirPods 5 feature ANC. When the AirPods 4 debuted, they were $129 for the model with no ANC and $179 for the model that included noise cancellation. Today’s update puts ANC in both models and retains the lower model’s $129 price tag. The second model is $20 more, which buys you a wireless charging case and slightly longer battery life.

According to Apple, the AirPods 5 feature a new acoustic architecture that eliminates up to 50% more external noise than the AirPods 4 with ANC. Transparency mode and Adaptive EQ have been improved, too.

As for that extended battery life on the more expensive model? Apple says you’ll get an additional hour of ANC listening, extending the battery life from four to five hours. With additional charges from the case, Apple claims up to 22 hours of listening with ANC enabled on the $149 model, compared to 20 hours on the $129 model.

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

The more expensive model also adds volume control to the stem of the AirPods 5, which wasn’t available in either model of the AirPods 4, and the case includes a speaker that works with Find My. Both models have been rated for better water resistance at IP57 compared to the AirPods 4’s IP54 rating.

I’m glad to see both models of the AirPods 5 support ANC and that Apple held the price on the base model. I think $20 for wireless charging, better battery life, and the other advantages of the top model is a great deal too. I’m not going to trade in my AirPods Pro, but the AirPods 5 are a good deal that I expect will sell fast during the winter holiday season.

You can follow all of our September 2026 Apple event coverage through our September 2026 Apple Event hub or subscribe to the dedicated September 2026 Apple event RSS feed.

Hands-On with the Kuxiu X40 Turbo Qi 2.2 3-in-1 Travel Charger

Wireless charging is great, but historically it’s been slow. That’s starting to change for the iPhone with Qi 2.2, the latest wireless charging standard that the iPhone 16 and 17 series phones support. With Qi 2.2, a compatible iPhone charges wirelessly at 25W. By comparison Qi 1 charged at 5–7.5W and Qi 2.0 and the original MagSafe charged at 15W.

So far, though, there have been precious few chargers, besides Apple’s MagSafe puck charger, that support Qi 2.2’s faster charging, which is why I was interested in trying the Kuxiu X40 Turbo, when Kuxiu offered to send me a review unit. As advertised, the compact 3-in-1 charger delivers the fastest wireless iPhone charging around, but that’s not its only selling point.

In addition to fast charging an iPhone 16 or 17 series phone at 25W, the X40 Turbo, which retails for around $80, charges AirPods and an Apple Watch at 5W. However, what I wasn’t expecting was just how small the X40 Turbo is when folded for travel. The entire package is about twice as thick as an iPhone 17 Pro Max and fits neatly into the palm of your hand. At the same time, though, the X40 Turbo feels sturdy. It’s made of metal with soft-touch pads to avoid scratching your devices or tabletop. Here’s a closer look at what Kuxiu sent me:

When it’s time to charge your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch, the X40 Turbo unfolds into a z-shaped configuration from which the Watch pad flips down horizontally. So far, I’ve used the X40 Turbo on my nightstand and at my desk, where it takes up minimal space. I also plan to take the X40 Turbo on my next trip because it takes so little room in my bag.

Kuxiu isn’t the first company to make a charger in this form factor, but the X40 Turbo is one of the best built that I’ve tried, and as one of the first Qi 2.2 models, it’s notable, and a great upgrade to your charging setup.

The Kuxiu X40 Turbo is available directly from Kuxiu and Amazon.

Apple Announces September 9 Awe Dropping Event

Today, Apple announced that it will host an event entitled “Awe Dropping” on September 9, 2025, at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. The company is expected to announce the iPhone 17 line, including the new iPhone 17 Air, alongside new Apple Watches and potentially AirPods Pro.

The event will be streamed live globally on Apple’s Events page as well as on YouTube and in the Apple TV app. Some members of the media were invited to watch the event in person at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park.

The MacStories team will be covering all the details of the event, so stay tuned and get ready for September 9.

Amazon Prime Day 2025: Our Top Picks

You’re sure to see a lot of Prime Day roundups around the web today, but ours is a little different. Although there are a lot of great deals during Prime Day, we gather ours from among the hardware we’ve actually tried and can recommend to readers. Here are the best deals we’ve found.

For even more deals, join Club MacStories+ or Premier to become a part of our Discord community, where members are sharing their favorite finds, too.

Storage

Lexar's 1TB blue microSD card.

Lexar’s 1TB blue microSD card.

I’ve tried just about every major brand of microSD card at this point while testing handheld gaming consoles for NPC: Next Portable Console. One of my go-to brands is Lexar, which has a bunch of cards on sale for Prime Day:

Also on sale are Lexar’s portable external SSDs, which I most recently used at WWDC for transporting large podcast files. You can get the 2TB SL500 model, with USB-C 3.2 data transfer rates, for 31% off during Prime Day.

The Lexar Professional Go SSD.

The Lexar Professional Go SSD.

If you shoot video with your iPhone, you might want to check out Lexar’s 2TB Professional Go SSD and Hub, which I used to shoot video for NPC during CES in January. On sale for 30% off, the SSD fits right on the end of your iPhone, adding a bunch of extra storage for video footage, and with the hub (also 30% off), you can add an extra port for charging as you shoot videos. The 1TB version of the SSD is on sale for 26% off, too.

Apple Gear

AirPods Pro 2.

AirPods Pro 2.

There are some great Apple hardware deals available for Prime Day, including:

Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Routers

Earlier this year, I upgraded my Wi-Fi to a TP-Link Wi-Fi 7 Mesh system. I came from a Wi-Fi 6E system and was pleasantly surprised to find that TP-Link’s Deco BE95 Wi-Fi 7 BE22000 routers are substantially faster. I’ve had the setup for about three months, and I love it. During Prime Day, you can get the routers individually or in a three-pack for 30% off.

Lighting

The Philips Hue Festavia string lights.

The Philips Hue Festavia string lights.

The 65-foot-long Philips Hue Festavia Lights that decorate my balcony are 30% off for Prime Day, as is the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K, which Federico swears by for mood lighting behind his TV. A four-pack of Hue 60W equivalent A19 color-changing smart bulbs is 41% off, too. It’s a great deal, and so is the 33% you can save on a four-pack of the recessed Hue lights that Federico added to his setup today.

Logitech Peripherals

Logitech's Keys-to-Go 2.

Logitech’s Keys-to-Go 2.

I’ve used Logitech keyboards and mice for a long time. For Prime Day, the company is offering its Keys-to-Go 2 keyboard, the slimmest and most usable small keyboard I’ve ever tried, for 25% off. The POP Mouse, which I use with a variety of handheld gaming devices and the Mac mini, is also on sale for 37% off. Finally, the Logitech C922x HD webcam is 37% off. I haven’t used mine since I went 4K, but if you’re looking for a 1080p webcam, the C922x is my personal favorite.

Elgato Gear and Gaming

Elgato's Prompter.

Elgato’s Prompter.

Earlier this year, I purchased an Elgato Prompter that uses mirrors to reflect a second Mac screen in front of a camera for recording videos. It’s a clever setup that works not only with Elgato’s webcams, but also with DSLRs and even iPhones, which is how I use it. During Prime Day, the Prompter is 33% off.

Two other handy podcasting tools I use every week are on sale too. The Elgato Key Light is 22% off during Prime Day, and the Wave Mic Arm is 30% off.

Elgato’s 4K capture card, which is compatible with HDMI 2.1, is on sale during Prime Day for 20% off. It’s one of the best ways I’ve found for capturing videogame footage or anything else that connects via HDMI.

Razer Kishi Ultra.

Razer Kishi Ultra.

Speaking of games, Razer’s Kishi Ultra controller for the iPhone is also available at a deep 33% discount during Prime Day. The Kishi Ultra is on the large size of iPhone controllers, but as long as that isn’t an issue, you can’t find a better controller to drop your phone into.

Testing AirPods 4’s Beta Update and Improved Recording Quality for Voice Notes

Earlier today, I updated my AirPods 4’s firmware to the beta version, which Apple released yesterday. I was curious to play around with the software update for two reasons:

  1. AirPods are getting support for automatically pausing media playback when you fall asleep, and
  2. Apple is advertising improved “studio quality” recording on AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 with this update.

I’ll cut to the chase: while I haven’t been able to test sleep detection yet since I don’t take naps during the day, I think Apple delivered on its promise of improved voice recordings with AirPods.

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Camera Remote and Higher-Quality Audio Recording Coming to AirPods This Fall

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

While most of the new features announced at WWDC today are coming to Apple’s major OSes, the AirPods weren’t completely left out of the fun. Today, Apple revealed a couple of enhancements coming to the AirPods line this fall.

First up is a new camera remote feature. Users will soon be able to take a photo or start a video recording in the Camera app and compatible third-party apps on the iPhone and iPad by pressing and holding on the stem of their AirPods. If a video is already being recorded, a press-and-hold gesture will end the recording. This will be a nice replacement for the camera timer when you’re taking a group photo, and it will also come in handy for many online creators.

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AirPods Max to Gain Lossless and Low Latency Audio Support Over USB-C Next Month

In a surprise announcement this morning, Apple announced that the AirPods Max with USB-C will be getting an update next month that adds support for lossless and ultra‑low latency audio over the cable. According to the press release:

With the included USB-C cable, users can enjoy the highest-quality audio across music, movies, and games, while music creators can experience significant enhancements to songwriting, beat making, production, and mixing.

The update will enable 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio, which Apple says is supported by over 100 million songs on Apple Music. Using the headphones’ USB-C cable, musicians will enjoy ultra-low latency and lossless audio in their Logic Pro workflows. The USB-C cable will allow them to produce Personalized Spatial Audio, too.

Apple also explains that the reduced latency is “on par with the native built-in speakers on Mac, iPad, and iPhone,” enhancing videogame play and streaming.

In addition to the software update, Apple is releasing a $39 3.5mm to USB-C cable that can be purchased today. This is a nice update that, judging from the timing, will likely roll out alongside Apple’s next set of OS releases. Although I’d love to see Apple adapt its AirPlay technology to support low-latency, lossless audio, too, doing so via the USB-C cable that comes with the latest version of the headphones is a good start.

What It’s Like to Hear Better with AirPods Pro 2

I’ll admit, I was a little apprehensive about taking Apple’s hearing test. I’ve spent my fair share of time at loud concerts and shouting above the din in crowded bars, so I was fairly certain the test would show my hearing isn’t what it once was. The question was, “How bad is it?” With the release of iOS 18.1 and an update to the AirPods’ firmware, I set out to find out.

The AirPods Pro 2 didn’t get a hardware update this fall, but they may as well have, because the new hearing features they received via a software update add a whole new dimension to them. We’ve written about the hearing features before. They include three components:

  • hearing protection, which lowers the volume of sounds that could potentially damage your hearing;
  • a hearing test to check whether you have hearing loss in either ear; and
  • a hearing assistance feature to boost frequencies where you’ve lost hearing.

Despite covering these features previously, I didn’t have a good feel for what they were like until I tried them myself, so I thought I’d share the process here and encourage others who can to give these new hearing features a try, too, because they work remarkably well.

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