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AirPods vs the best wireless headphones for iPhone

tigaman webdesign — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 16:08:11 +0000

Wireless headphones are essentially the standard now, with Bluetooth not only being convenient but Apple removing the audio jack on the iPhone range. For most people, the sound quality difference to wired isn’t noticeable anyway.

The market is huge, but here are the best wireless headphones we’ve tested for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Macs. If you do want a wired connection some of these do offer it in addition to Bluetooth, but we also have a round up of the best wired headphones.

And if you’re wondering why the AirPods Max don’t appear on this list, rest assured that we gave them due consideration – but while audio quality is exceptional, their very high price and ill-judged case design kept them out of this competitive chart. Read our in-depth AirPods Max review for a full explanation.

Updated: June 20, 2023 to add Beats Studio Buds +, Technics EAH-AZ60M2, and Denon AH-C830NCW.

Best wireless headphones

1. Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless

Pros

Stellar bass performance
Secure and comfortable fit
Exceptional and reliable wireless range
AptX Adaptive codec support

Cons

Sub-par audio performance on phone calls
Veiled midrange
Stocky charging case

Best Prices Today:

$118.95 at Adorama $118.95 at Amazon $129.99 at Best Buy

Sennheiser recently updated its popular CX True Wireless earbuds with this new model called the CX Plus, which adds noise cancellation and support for AptX, while still keeping the price down to $179/£129 (in the US it’s discounted to $129.95 right now). The CX Plus has the same rather bulky design as its predecessor – which remains on sale for £119 – but that’s a minor complaint, and the attractive sound quality and effective noise-cancellation features represent great value for money.

The size of the earbuds also means that they have room for a decent size battery, lasting for around eight hours on a single charge. Using noise-cancellation cuts that down by about an hour, but the charging case lets you recharge the earbuds two more times, so you’ll get 21-24 hours of music depending on usage, making the CX Plus a good option for long journeys.

Regular travelers will also appreciate the noise-cancellation features, which do a good job of blocking out background noise. The Sennheiser app provides some simple EQ controls and, as well as the transparency feature provided by many headphones, the app also allows you to create and save sound zones for specific locations, such as the gym or on a train, that have their own customized settings.

The CX Plus supports both Apple’s AAC for Bluetooth, and AptX for Android devices, and sound quality is really good for earbuds in this price range. Blondie’s Rapture kicks off with a crisp, sharp cymbal crash and the CX Plus delivers the song’s catchy bass line with a hip-swaying rhythm. It’s a very precise sound too, catching all the little background details such as the ticking percussion and jangling rhythm guitar. The charging case doesn’t support wireless charging, but that’s an acceptable compromise at this price, and the CX Plus stands out as a really good set of earbuds at a very competitive price.

2. Apple AirPods Pro 2nd-generation

Pros

Fantastic audio quality
Excellent noise cancelling
Best-in-class transparency mode
New charging case features
Better battery life

Cons

You can still buy better-sounding wireless earbuds
No LE Audio, lossless, or hi-res audio
Controls on the stems is still a bad idea

Best Prices Today:

$199.99 at Amazon $224.99 at Adorama $249.00 at Apple

There are a few minor external changes for the second-generation AirPods Pro, but most of the changes are on the inside.

The new model comes with four sets of eartips adding extra small (XS) to the mix – the original AirPods Pro only came with three tips. We found the extra small tips more comfortable, your experience may differ.

The charging case now comes with a small metal lanyard loop – although Apple doesn’t actually sell a lanyard. There are speaker holes a the base of the case that can make a sound if you lose the AirPods while they are in their case.

The original AirPods Pro lacked an easy way to control volume, so the fact that the second-gen model adds the ability to detect up and down swipes on the little flat area of the stem is useful. A swipe up or down changes the volume.

As for what’s inside, the H2 chip in the 2022 AirPods Pro enables Adaptive Transparency, which is an enhancement of the Transparency mode on the original model. As a result of this mode you can choose to hear things that you might need be able to hear in your vicinity, but you won’t be deafened by them. In our tests the AirPods Pro 2 blocked more outside sound than the originals.

We were impressed by how much better the new second-generation AirPods Pro sound compared to the first generation. Clarity and sharpness is improved and bass response is vastly improved. The bridge of the Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic” at 2:30 was just way too much for the old AirPods Pro to handle, but the new model had no trouble keeping up.

The battery life is longer than it was for the original AirPods Pro and you can now use your Apple Watch charger in addition to charging via Lightning and other wireless charging methods.

As with the iPhone 14-series and the 2022 Apple Watches, Bluetooth 5.3 is supported, however, it doesn’t appear that it’s being used for anything in particular right now. Perhaps a software update will bring new features in the future.

Like the originals the AirPods Pro 2 offer Spatial Audio with head tracking, Conversation Boost to amplify speech in the direction you’re facing, one-tap pairing, audio sharing with another pair of AirPods (or Beats), quick switching to other Apple devices your Apple ID is logged into, and hands-free Siri.

Read our full

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) review

3. Beats Studio Buds+

Pros

Fun transparent design (other colors are available)
Improved ANC and sound quality
Good battery life
Priced well

Cons

Don’t sound as good as AirPods Pro
Missing a few Apple ecosystem features
No wireless charging

Best Prices Today:

$169.95 at Amazon $169.99 at Adorama $169.99 at Apple

We felt that the original Beats Studio Buds outclassed AirPods Pro in several ways but lacked some Apple-specific features. 2023’s new Beats Studio Buds + improve on the originals.

The Beats Studio Buds + beats Apple in terms of color choices with its retro frosted transparent plastic for both the buds and case. They are available in black and ivory too.

The charging case is a bit larger than that of AirPods or AirPods Pro. There’s a USB-C charge port, but no wireless charging.

The buds are average in size and fit and come with four sizes of eartips, so it’s easy to get a good seal, although in our testing we did lose the seal a couple of times while working out at the gym.

There are actual physical buttons on the side of each earbud, which we found to be easier to use than Apple’s “squeeze the stem” AirPods control system.

Beats says that these earbuds offer 1.6x better noise canceling and 2x better transparency than their predecessors. They still don’t match the AirPods Pro, but they are priced closer to the standard AirPods, which don’t even offer those features. The transparency feature isn’t adaptive.

These second-gen earbuds offer improved ventilation and bigger batteries than the predecessors (battery life is rated at six hours with ANC, or nine without). Sound quality is also better than that of the previous generation thanks to new microphones and transducers. They sound better than 3rd-gen AirPods, but the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro deliver an overall superior audio experience all around.

Some Beats products use Apple’s own headphone chips, but the Beats Studio Buds + do not. Because they lack Apple’s H1 or H2 chip, they miss out on many of the features of Apple’s ecosystem. Hands-free “Hey Siri” is there, as is instant pairing with your iPhone and support for the Find My app. But you don’t get instant switching between Apple devices, support for spatial audio with video, personalized spatial audio, Conversation Boost, or the in-ear detection that pauses playback if you take an earbud out. Instead, these buds support some Android features including Google Fast Pair, Audio Switch, and Find My Device. Surprising from a company owned by Apple.

I enjoyed the design and usability of these Beats earbuds, and I’d take them over the AirPods any day, but I still find the latest AirPods Pro easier to recommend.

Read our full

Beats Studio Buds+ review

4. Logitech Zone True Wireless

Pros

Connects via Bluetooth or USB wireless adaptor
Weather-resistant design, and two carrying cases
Certified for use with Zoom, Teams, Google Meet
Active noise cancellation with ambient mode

Cons

Expensive
Large earbuds may not suit everyone

Best Prices Today:

$212.99 at Best Buy $224.00 at Lenovo $224.99 at Dell Home

Logitech’s Zone True Wireless earbuds are even more expensive than Apple’s AirPods Pro, but they’re absolutely loaded with useful features, and there’s a particular emphasis on remote working as well as simply listening to music.

Available in black or pink, the Zone earbuds make a great impression straight out of the box, as they arrive in a sturdy charging case that includes a little lanyard to help keep them safe. The earbuds are also rated IP68 for resistance to water and dust, so they’ll be ideal for running in the park or working out at the gym, and the outer section of the earbuds is covered with a mesh fabric to reduce wind noise during voice calls. Logitech even includes an additional padded carrying case, with room to hold the charging case and cables, so you can keep the entire kit safe when you’re travelling.

I often have trouble getting earbuds to stay in place, and I was initially a little worried about the rather chunky design of the Zone earbuds, but they did fit more firmly than I expected and Logitech provides three sets of ear-tips in different sizes to help get a comfortable fit. The size of the earbuds also means that each earbud is able to house a 12mm driver, as well as three microphones to help with active noise-cancellation (ANC).

Even the Logi Tune app impresses with its extensive range of features – starting with the fact that it’s available for Mac and Windows as well as iOS and Android, so you can use it to set up the earbuds when you’re preparing for a video call at work. The noise-cancellation features include an ambient mode that lets you hear some of the background noise around you if required. You can pair the earbuds with two devices at the same time and then quickly switch between devices as required, and there’s a five-band equalizer for fine-tuning the sound quality. The Zone is also certified for use with Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet for video calls.

But, of course, none of those features would matter if the Zone didn’t deliver on sound quality. You’ve actually got two options here, as the Zone can be used as a conventional set of Bluetooth earbuds with your mobile devices, but also includes a USB wireless transmitter that can be used with Macs and PCs to provide greater range and reliability than Bluetooth. The sound quality is very good in both modes, and the Zone does well to dig right down to the gravelly rumble of Leonard Cohen’s voice on You Want It Darker. There’s a taut, rhythmic sound to the song’s slinky bass guitar too, but it still keeps an eye on lighter details, such as the crisp tap on the snares.

Battery life is good too, providing 10 hours when listening to music with noise-cancellation turned off, or six hours when using noise-cancellation. The battery life is a bit lower for talk-time on video and voice calls, but still lasts for six hours without noise-cancellation or five hours with noise-cancellation, which should be more than enough for most work-related calls. The charging case also lets you fully charge the earbuds two more times, and there’s a QuickCharge feature that gives you one hour of battery life after just five minutes of charging time. There’s a USB-C connector on the case for charging, but it also supports Qi wireless charging too. Alternatively, if you’re a die-hard lover of wired headphones, then Logitech is planning to release a wired version of the Zone soon as well.

5. Denon AH-C830NCW

Pros

Good sound quality
Competitive price
Effective noise-cancellation
Three full charges from carrying case

Cons

No wireless charging
No app
Modest battery life

It’s pretty obvious that Denon’s AH-C830NCW earbuds have been inspired by Apple’s AirPods, complete with the little ‘stem’ that sticks down from your ear when you’re wearing them. However, the AH-C830NCW is a much more affordable option, as it offers features and sound quality that rival the more expensive AirPods Pro for a very competitive price of just £139/$159.

Despite the low price, the little earbuds feel quite solidly built, and they’re rated IPX4 for water resistance so they’ll be able to survive a spot of rain when you’re jogging around the local park. Denon also includes three sets of ear-tips in different sizes to help you get a good fit.

The earbuds support the same AAC codec as the AirPods for Bluetooth audio, and the sound quality is very good for such an affordable set of earbuds. There’s a clear, delicate tone to the electronic chimes and soprano vocals on Max Richter’s The Waves, and the earbuds balance the complex arrangement very well as the strings and horns of Richter’s orchestra weave around each other and build to a tremendous crescendo. They can handle some more upbeat workout music too, with a nice gritty guitar sound and ticking percussion on Sing Along by Sturgill Simpson.

The noise-cancellation features work well too. The earbuds do a good job of blocking both the deep rumble of an aircraft engine and the more varied background sounds found in a typical airport setting. The low price does involve some compromises, though. There’s no app for the AH-C830NCW so we found ourselves having to pour over the manual in order to memorize the various finger-tapping combinations needed to adjust noise cancellation and other settings. The charging case doesn’t support wireless charging either, so it can only be charged via its USB-C port. Battery life is fairly modest at around five hours when using noise-cancellation, but you can charge the earbuds three more times using the charging case for a total of 20 hours with noise-cancellation.

6. Bowers & Wilkins PI5

Pros

Excellent sound quality
Good specs for the price
Three eartip sizes

Cons

Chunky design
Battery life isn’t excellent
Lacks EQ customisation

Best Prices Today:

$119.00 at Amazon

Bowers & Wilkins has a long history of producing high quality headphones and speakers, and the attractive sound quality provided by its PI5 wireless earbuds doesn’t disappoint. Available in black or white, the PI5 also includes active noise-cancellation and a wireless charging case for a price of $249/£199 that makes it an excellent alternative to the AirPods Pro.

Admittedly, the chunky design of the earbuds may not suit everyone, but B&W includes three sizes of eartips to help you get a good fit, and the earbuds have an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance, so they’re sturdy enough to cope with life outdoors.

Sound quality is excellent, and the PI5 supports both Apple’s AAC and AptX for Bluetooth audio, so they’ll be a good option for non-Apple devices too. There’s a terrific, relaxed feel to the opening guitar riff on The Rolling Stones’ Start Me Up, and the PI5 perfectly catches Charlie Watts’ precise, unfussy drumming. But switch to Prime Evil by The Orb, and the PI5 digs really deep to deliver the dance track’s sinister bass effects with an impressively slinky rhythm. The noise-cancellation features work well too, doing a good job of blocking out background noise without making any noticeable different to the sound quality. And, like most headphones these days, they also provide an ‘ambient’ mode that allows you to listen out for background sounds when you need to.

Battery life could, perhaps, be a little better, lasting for 4.5 hours when using noise-cancellation. However, that’s similar to the more expensive AirPods Pro, and the wireless charging case allows you to charge the earbuds three more times when you’re away from home.

7. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

Pros

Excellent sound quality
Excellent Noise cancelling
Aware mode

Cons

Doesn’t support Hi-Res audio
No wireless charging
Can only attach to one device at a time

Best Prices Today:

$299.00 at Amazon $299.00 at Best Buy $299.00 at Lenovo

If you have the budget for them, and it’s awesome sound and class-leading noise cancellation that you are looking for, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are a great choice.

Bass was well represented, and all instruments audible in the tracks we listened to. This is where spending more on earbuds pays off as they have drivers that can properly separate different tracks.

Active noise cancellation worked so well that we won’t hear any outside noise – so luckily there’s Aware Mode: tap and hold either earbud to allow ambient sound in. That works in conjunction with ActiveSense, which detects louder sounds and reduces them, so you won’t be deafened by an ambulance passing in the street.

You control play/pause with a tap. To skip forward and back track with two or three. Volume is controlled by sliding up and down.

However, there are a few things that let the QuietComfort Earbuds 2 down. They aren’t all that comfortable if you have small ears. There are three sizes of wingtip and ear tip in the box so you can get the best possible fit though, so it might be ok for you.

Another big disadvantage is that you can only be connected to one Bluetooth source at a time, unlike AirPods.

They do not support high resolution audio codecs such as LDAC or FLAC, and there is no spatial audio support either. But they do support SBC and AAC to cover all modern consumer Bluetooth devices.

Read our full

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II review

8. Apple AirPods 3rd-generation

Pros

Shorter stems
Water- and sweat-resistant
Greatly improved sound quality
Longer battery life

Cons

Fit is highly dependent on your personal ear shape
A bit pricey

Best Prices Today:

$179.00 at Apple $179.99 at Adorama $195.93 at Amazon

It seems that the third-generation version of the AirPods has struggled a bit since its launch in 2021, as many people still seem happy to opt for the less expensive second-gen model, which is still on sale for $129/£119.

Admittedly, the AirPods (3rd Generation) are a full $50/£50 more expensive, at $179/£169, but Apple’s argument is that the entirely new design of the third-gen model, and additional features such as wireless charging and improved battery life are worth the extra cost. You can immediately spot the differences between the two models, with the newer AirPods having a shorter stalk, and a more compact earpiece that is slightly angled in order to fit more securely inside your ear. However, they still don’t use silicon eartips that would provide a firmer fit – that’s only an option with the even more expensive AirPods Pro – and I personally found it quite easy to dislodge the AirPods from my ears.

The sound quality is very good, though, thanks to a new custom-designed driver inside the earpieces. This produces a more balanced sound than its predecessor, producing a sinister bass rumble on Billie Eilish’s You Should See Me In A Crown. This model also provides spatial audio and head-tracking for watching films and video too, along with a wireless charging case. Battery life is better too, lasting for six hours on a single charge, or 30 hours in total with the charging case. It’s a shame, though, that the AirPods (3rd Generation) don’t also provide active noise-cancellation (ANC), so if you need that feature then you’ll have to pay even more for the AirPods Pro, at $249/£239, or opt for one of the cheaper rival earbuds that we also review here.

Read our full

Apple AirPods (3rd gen, 2021, MagSafe) review

9. Technics EAH-AZ60M2

Pros

3-way multipoint connections
ANC & Hi-Res support
Good battery life
Seven sets of ear tips

Cons

Slightly uncomfortable fit
More premium AZ80 are much better

Best Prices Today:

$243.74 at Amazon

Taken on their own merits, the Technics EAH-AZ60M2 are a solid pair of true wireless earbuds, and a good option to consider. The offer excellent audio quality, good noise-cancellation, and a decent set of smart features which make these worthy rivals to AirPods.

Available in blue (pictured), black, or white, these are simply designed but attractive. The compact shape doesn’t stick out of your ears much. The case is a bit large, although light, and the lid and hinge feel a touch flimsy.

An impressive selection of seven silicone eartips in various sizes is included, meaning you’re all-but guaranteed to find a comfortable fit for your ears that block outside noise.

They sound great, with a rich, open soundscape with impressive range. Bass is solid. You can use the accompanying Audio Connect app to tweak the earbuds’ EQ settings. buds also support Hi-Res audio using the LDAC codec, but this doesn’t work on iPhones at all, unfortunately.

The active noise cancellation (ANC) is good, but it couldn’t stand up to the rigors of the London Underground or other especially noisy environments. There’s also an ambient mode so you can listen to your surroundings. The AZ60M2 are capable of connecting to up to three devices simultaneously.

There’s also an IPX4 rating, meaning the buds (though not case) can withstand rain, sweat, and other splashes of liquid.

Read our full

Technics EAH-AZ60M2 review

10. Sennheiser Momentum Free (aka HD1 Free)

Pros

Outstanding sound quality
Comfortable to wear
User scupltable EQ
USB-C charging

Cons

Not ideal for those with smaller ears
touch controls aren’t always responsive
Expensive
Frequent connectivity issues

Best Prices Today:

$175.19 at Amazon

Sennheiser releases quite frequent updates for its Momentum range of headphones, and the latest addition to the range is the Momentum Free, priced in the UK at £170 and available in the US for around $200 under the name HD1 Free.

The company claims the Momentum Free is its most compact set of Bluetooth headphones, weighing just under 40g, and with only a short neckband connecting the two earpieces.

They don’t cut any corners, though, including a three-button remote control and microphone for voice calls. There are some clever touches too, such as the magnetic earpieces that cling together over your neck in order to keep them safe when they’re not being used. The headphones support standard Bluetooth, AptX and Apple’s AAC format, so they’re a good choice for both iOS and Android devices.

Battery life is around six hours, which isn’t too bad for such a compact set of headphones. It’s shame, though, that Sennheiser couldn’t stretch to a charging case.

Sound quality is excellent, though, with the trademark Sennheiser sound that combines rich, warm vocals with plenty of detail. The bass response is good too, with the frequency range starting at 15Hz, a little lower than many small in-ear headphones. We were also pleased to see that Sennheiser includes no less than four different sizes of ear-tips, to help you get a firm, comfortable fit.

11. Sony WF-1000XM4

Pros

Excellent ANC features
Great sound
Good battery life

Cons

Rather bulky

Best Prices Today:

$198.00 at Amazon

These Sony earbuds are exceptional. They offer great battery life and charge quickly. You’ll also find excellent active noise cancelling that not only removes unwanted sound, but also uses AI to change the mode and level depending on your location and what you are doing.

There’s a choice of black or silver earbuds, both with a gold trim. They fit comfortably, although they might feel a bit bulky if you have small ears. There are three ear tip sizes in the box and we found the smallest to be sufficiently comfortable.

If you remove the buds from your ear playback will pause. The sides of the earbuds are touch-sensitive. Alexa and Google’s assistants are supported.

The 6mm drivers and Sony’s Integrated Processor V1 working together to create superb sound. Active noise cancelling is joined by other smart features including Ambient Sound Control and wind reduction. These can be tuned to different locations and activities. Thanks to the Speak-to-Chat feature the headphones detect if you are taking and pause the music. You’ll also find LDAC support for Hi-Res Audio Wireless as well as 360 Reality Audio spatial audio, which is Sony’s spatial audio technology for a surround sound experience.

There is a new Sony WH-1000XM5.

12. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1

Pros

Good battery life
Small and light
Secure and comfortable fit

Cons

Easy to press buttons accidentally
Lack noise cancelling

Wireless earbuds, as you probably know, are all the rage but not everyone can afford a pair of AirPods let alone the AirPods Pro. Luckily there are cheaper alternatives around and Cambridge Audio has put together a rather attractive pair.

The Melomania 1 have a reasonable MSRP of $139/£119, but can easily be found for under $100/£100 putting them into budget range, despite being extremely high quality.

These earbuds are very small and light, a simple bullet shape makes them unusual, but they fit very securely and comfortably. An IPX5 rating means they are splash and sweat resistant, so they won’t break if you get caught in a shower.

The compact size also means a very small charging case so these are super portable. The case has decent magnets to hold the earbuds in and a set of LEDs on the front to indicate battery level.

Despite the small size, the Melomania 1 have very strong battery life. The earbuds can last up to nine hours on their own and the case can charge them another four times, resulting in a whopping total of 45 hours.

Physical buttons on each earbud may be preferable to some users compared to touch-sensitive ones. They are easy to press accidentally when putting the headphones in or adjusting them but once in place means you don’t ram them into your ear canal. There’s plenty of control but you’ll have to learn all the different button presses for.

Microphones mean you can use the Melomania 1 for phone calls and for using Siri.

All of this would be pretty pointless if the sound quality wasn’t good, but you can rely on a company like Cambridge Audio. 5.8mm drivers are enhanced by graphene and there’s Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity along with both AAC and aptX codecs.

The sound is clear and spacious with plenty of bass and mid-range and enough top-end to keep things bright. The tuning is well balanced so the earbuds sound good for a wide range of content.

You will struggle to find better true wireless earbuds at this price. The only thing missing is noise cancelling.

Read our full

Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 review

13. PistonBuds Pro

Pros

Low price
Active noise cancellation
Four eartips

Cons

Bass is a little exaggerated
Doesn’t completely block background noise

Best Prices Today:

$59.99 at Amazon

Earbuds that include active noise cancellation (ANC) tend to cost at least $125/£100 – or $249/£239, in the case of Apple’s AirPods Pro – but the new PistonBuds Pro from 1More provide ANC for just $69.99/£64.99. They don’t stop there either, as the oddly-named little earbuds pack in plenty of other useful features too.

The compact earbuds are provided with four sizes of eartips, so most people should be able to get a good fit, and they’re rated IPX5 for water-resistance so they’re well suited to outdoor use during the soggy summer festival months. You can turn ANC on or off simply by pressing and holding the button on either earbud, and there’s a ‘transparency’ mode that allows you to listen out for people or other sounds around you. Admittedly, it’s not the most powerful noise-cancellation we’ve heard – it tends to dim background noise down, rather than blocking it altogether – but it’s still a handy option for when you’re out and about during the day.

Sound quality is good for such a low-cost set of earbuds, with support for Apple’s AAC Bluetooth codec. It’s not the loudest set of earbuds we’ve come across, but the bass has a nice thump to it – some people might find it a bit exaggerated, but the app provides presets for both boosting and reducing the bass, so the PistonBuds Pro will be particularly good for dance music, and a cheaper alternative to both the AirPods and Beats ranges.

Battery life is good too, at five hours with ANC turned on, or seven hours without ANC, and the charging case lets you charge the earbuds three more times when you’re travelling.

14. Beats Flex

Pros

Good sound quality
Low price
Hard to lose

Cons

No charging case
Not rated for water resistance

Best Prices Today:

$39.99 at Best Buy $69.99 at Apple $79.95 at Amazon

Buying Beats headphones used to mean splashing the cash but that’s no longer the case and the Beats Flex are the cheapest ones yet at just £49.99/$49.99.

These are colourful – unless you get the black ones – neckbuds that keep things simple for those unable to drop hundreds on a pair of headphones. Apart from black, they are available in Yuzu Yellow, Smoke Grey and Flame Blue.

While wireless earbuds are the booming part of the market, neckbuds shouldn’t be underestimated. The design means that you won’t lose an earbud if it falls out and you can simply leave them having around your neck when they’re not in use.

Like many others, the two earbuds contain magnets so they snap together when you’re not using them. The band is made from a sturdy material called Nitinol and a control module on the left-hand side provides volume and playback controls, as well as a mic for voice calls.

At just 18.6g total, the Beats Flex are good if you do plan to go running or similar. Note that they don’t offer any official IP waterproof rating, although the rubber-like build should keep out splashes.

As you would expect, pairing them with Apple products is a breeze and you can also use the Audio Sharing option to stream your music to a friend who has a compatible set of AirPods or Beats headphones.

With 12 hours of battery life, they last longer than wireless earbuds and a ‘fast fuel’ feature means you can get 1.5 hours of playback from a 10-minute charge over USB-C.

The low price doesn’t mean bad sound either and “The deep bass on Bad Guy by Billie Eilish has a firm, rhythmic pulse that drives the song forward. There’s a nice crisp sound to the finger-snaps that punctuate the song, and the Flex really captures the shrug-of-the-shoulders tone as Billy pronounces “duh…” halfway through. There’s plenty of detail, too, as the Flex picks up all the multi-layered harmonies on Queen’s Somebody To Love.

The Flex can even handle more delicate classical sounds, capturing the sad, mournful tone of the cello and violin as they slowly weave through the air on Max Richter’s On The Nature Of Daylight.”

Read our full

Beats Flex review

How to choose wireless headphones

There are a few factors to consider before you hit that buy button.

Type

Wireless headphones typically fall into three main categories:

Over-ear headphones: Big, chunky models that completely cover your ears seem to be something of a fashion statement at the moment – even if they do make you look like a Cyberman – and the size of these headphones means there’s plenty of room inside them for large drivers that provide expansive, detailed sound.

On-ear headphones: If you want something a little more compact, that you can take off and slip into a backpack when you’re travelling, then smaller on-ear headphones that just rest on the outside of the ear are a good choice.

In-ear headphones: But, of course, mobile tech is all about portability, so many people prefer lightweight, in-ear headphones that they can wear all day long, or simply shove into a pocket when they’re not needed.

Battery life

This is crucial, and many in-ear sports headphones have tiny batteries that help to keep the weight down but may only last for a few hours. That might be fine if you just want to listen to some music while you’re working out, but won’t be much use on a long journey by train or plane.

However, some in-ear headphones, such as Apple’s AirPods, also include a charging case that can top up the battery, so that’s something you should check on before buying any in-ear headphones.

Larger on-ear and over-ear headphones have room for more powerful batteries, and can often last all day on a single charge. Many also provide a wired option so that you can still use them like ordinary wired headphones when the battery runs down, which is ideal for people who spend a lot of time travelling.

Noise cancelling

Some headphones are specifically designed for people who travel a lot or use headphones in noisy conditions and provide active noise-cancelling (ANC) option that helps to block out background noise on trains and planes – although this can add quite a lot to the overall price of the headphones.

Note this isn’t to be confused with passive noise isolation (or often referred to as cancelling), which is just the way physically having headphones in/on blocks sound – like putting earplugs or ear defenders on.

Sound quality

We’d always recommend trying out any new headphones in a store or showroom whenever possible, but that’s not always practical with so many new headphones competing for your attention.

So we’ve tested a selection of Bluetooth headphones that provide great sound quality to help you get started.

Compatibility

All the headphones here will work excellently with the latest iPhone models. It’s typical for them to support Apple’s preferred AAC codec, although some will have others too like aptX which is handy if you want to also use them with other devices like Android phones.

It’s also worth noting that all Bluetooth headphones mentioned in this article are compatible with the Apple Watch – perfect when going for a run.

Apple Inc, Computer Accessories, Home Audio, iPhone

iOS 17 superguide: Everything you need to know about the next iPhone update

tigaman webdesign — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 17:14:47 +0000

Macworld

At the WWDC keynote on June 5, Apple unveiled the new features coming in iOS 17 this fall. Among them are a new app called Journal, Live Voicemail, and a new way to use Stickers, among dozens of other smaller changes.

This free software update will bring a raft of interface tweaks, bug fixes, and new features. It’s like getting a new iPhone without paying a penny. In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about iOS 17. We cover its release schedule and when you can expect the beta and final versions to come out; how to get it when it does; the models of iPhone that are likely to be able to run iOS; and the features we expect and hope to be added in the new OS.

Update June 6: Apple is allowing everyone to download the iOS 17 Developer Beta. You no longer need to have a $99/year paid developer membership in order to access Developer Betas. Find out how to get the iOS 17 beta right now below…

iOS 17 release date: When will iOS 17 arrive?

iOS 17 was announced and demonstrated at WWDC 2023 on June 5 but it won’t be rolled out to iPhones across the world until the fall, almost certainly in mid-September. (The last time an iOS update was released outside September was iOS 5 back in October 2011.) It’s likely to follow closely on the heels of the iPhone 15 launch event. There was a gap of five days between the iPhone 14 and iOS 16 update in 2022, and six days in 2021. Over the past several years, the release of the new version of iOS has been fairly consistent:

iOS 16: Monday, September 12, 2022
iOS 15: Monday, September 20, 2021
iOS 14: Wednesday, September 16, 2020
iOS 13: Thursday, September 19, 2019
iOS 12: Monday, September 17, 2018

Based on recent history, we predict an iOS 17 launch date of Monday, September 11, or Monday, September 18.

Apple WWDC 2023

iOS 17 beta release date: When will iOS 17 beta arrive?

Before the full version arrives in the fall, a series of beta versions of iOS 17 will be released to testers, beginning with the first developer beta on the first day of WWDC 2023. The developer beta of iOS 17 arrived on June 5, following the keynote event.

Previously access to Apple’s developer betas required membership in Apple’s Developer Program, which costs $99 a year. However, in 2023 Apple changed this requirement to include people who have free developer accounts (which previously only gave them access to Xcode and the Developer forums). This means you no longer need to be a paid member of Apple’s developer program to get the developer beta. If you want to try out the developer beta, you just need to register as a developer first.

However, developer betas are not intended for anyone who isn’t a developer. Apple is still going to be running the Public Beta program for IOS 17, which is more appropriate to general users as these updates usually come a few days after the developer update and are therefore a little less likely to break your iPhone. The public beta is likely to be released around the beginning of July.

Timeline:

June 5: iOS 17 is announced at WWDC, and the first developer beta is released.
July 2023: Apple releases the first public beta of iOS 17.
June to September 2023: Apple releases a series of additional developer and public betas.
Early September 2023: The iPhone 15 is announced.
Mid-September 2023: The final public version of iOS 17 is released.

iOS 17: How to install the beta and full version

Once the final release comes out, installing iOS 17 will be a breeze. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to General > Software Update; iOS will check for any available updates and guide you through the process of installing them. You simply have to follow the instructions, which we explain in our iOS updating guide. And it’s easier still if you’ve turned on Automatic Updates, which you can do from the same screen.

But you can also install betas both leading up to the main release of iOS 17 and through the year following its release. There are two types—developer betas, which arrive first, and public betas, which generally show up a day or two later.

Installing the developer beta: If you want to install a developer beta, you need, unsurprisingly, to be a registered Apple software developer. Since June 2023 Apple has opened the beta to all registered developers–it used to be the case that developers had to pay $99/£79 to get access to all of Apple’s developer betas, including macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. So to get the developer beta you need only follow these steps:

Download the Apple Developer App from the App Store.
Open the app and click on Account.
Tap on Sign In and sign in using your usual Apple ID.

Once you are logged in you should see the beta in General > Software Update > Beta Updates. You need to be running iOS 16.5 or later for this to work. We cover this process in more detail in our How to get the iOS 17 beta article.

Our advice is that rather than installing the developer beta you should wait until the public beta arrives to avoid too many complications.

Installing the public beta: A better option for most would be to go for the public beta instead: these come out later than the developer betas, but they are free, and still give you bragging rights with your friends. Apple has changed the way betas are installed in iOS 16.4, and they are now tied to Apple IDs rather than profiles, so the process is a little friendlier than before and just requires joining the beta program with an Apple ID on any device.

In either case, it’s important to stress that betas are not finished software and are likely to contain bugs. That’s kind of the point of testing them. So be prepared for things to go wrong, maybe catastrophically, and we don’t recommend that you install a beta on your primary device. If that doesn’t put you off, follow our iOS beta installation guide. For more on joining the program read: How to join Apple’s beta program and try out new software.

iOS 17 compatibility: Which iPhones will be able to run iOS 17?

iOS 17 will not support iPhone 8 or the iPhone X. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and the iPhone X all came out the same year. They are all able to run iOS 16 though, so they should get support through security updates for at least another year. The following iPhones get support for iOS 17, although it is possible that not all of them will support all of the new features:

Phone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone SE(2nd gen or later)

Even if your chosen device is granted another year of software support, it’s worth noting that older iPhones may not get the full range of new features. Last year, for example, the iPhone 8 and iPhone X missed out on a bunch of cool stuff due to their older processor. For more information take a look at every version of iOS released so far and find out which version of iOS your iPhone supports.

iOS 17: New features

There were many new features in iOS 16, including a redesigned Lock Screen, unsending iMessages, and the iCloud Shared Photo Library, but what is coming in iOS 17? Rumors suggested that there would be “fewer major changes” than usual–but Apple has announced numerous new features for the update:

Journal

This is a brand new app that builds on Memories in Photos to bring a new way to relive special moments, remember and write about experiences with text, location and photos, and more. There is also a Suggestions API for developers to use in their apps.

StandBy

This seems to borrow from the Apple Watch. Put the phone in landscape on a stand at night and see the time with a clock and a range of clock styles. You can also shuffle through your best photos, display widgets, and see Live Activities, like game scores. You can also choose Night Mode to display red text and minimize eye strain at night.

Apple

Contact Posters

This will let you personalize how you appear in calls and on your contact card. You can customize your poster with images, fonts, and colors. This works with Call Kit so it can be used in third-party VOIP apps.

Apple

Live Voicemail

If someone calls and leaves a message you will see a live transcript as they speak. That way you can see if you want to pick up or not.

Apple

FaceTime

Apple is adding the ability to leave a video message in the FaceTime app when people don’t answer.

Apple

Messages

The Messages app will be faster, and search filters will let you add terms to a search to narrow the results. You’ll also be able to jump to the first unread message in a group chat, swipe to reply on any bubble, and automatically transcribe audio messages.

A new Check In feature will also let Family and Friends know if you’ve made it to a destination safely. Messages can recognize if you aren’t making progress toward the destination and prompt you to respond. If you don’t, it will share information with the selected contact, including your location, battery level, and cell service status.

Stickers

All emoji across iOS 17 are now stickers that can be resized. Subjects from photos can be lifted out of photos and turned into stickers. You can turn live animated photos into Live Stickers.

Apple

AirDrop

Apple is changing the way AirDrop works it will be much simpler to use. You only need to bring your phones close together and you will be able to share information. You can easily choose the phone numbers and email addresses you want to share on an iPhone or Apple Watch. For example, if you want to share photos, just bring your phones close together.

You can even AirDrop to an Apple Watch.

Apple

Keyboard and Dictation

Autocorrect will be “more accurate than ever.” Tap the underlined word to get the option to revert to the word you had typed. You can get predictions in line as you type and just tap the space bar to add them. Machine learning will also learn your writing style and adapt autocorrect accordingly. Additionally, Dictation leverages a new speech recognition model to make it even more accurate.

Siri

You no longer need to say, “Hey” every time you want to summon Siri. You can also make multiple requests in the same command.

Photos

The People album in iOS 17 will be able to use on-device machine learning to recognize “more photos of a user’s favorite people” as well as cats and dogs.

Smaller features

There are also numerous smaller features that Apple didn’t mention in the keynote that are worth knowing about, including improvements to Spotlight search, Notes, Autofill, and Apple Music.

iOS 17: Third-party app stores and sideloading

Ahead of WWDC, there were reports that Apple will start to open up the iPhone in iOS 17, allowing the distribution of apps outside of Apple’s own App Store, the use of NFC for touchless payments beyond Apple Pay, browsers that don’t have to use Apple’s Webkit rendering engine, and more. It’s all necessary to comply with the EU’s new Digital Markets Act, and the expectation is that it will only apply to those iPhones running iOS 17 in the regions covered by EU law.

Apple didn’t discuss the changes at WWDC, which isn’t very surprising. Furthermore, there are no references to sideloading or third-party app store on the iOS 17 website. However, that doesn’t mean those changes aren’t coming in iOS 17, either at launch or sometime in 2024.

iOS, iPhone

Apple’s third-gen AirPods have returned to their best price to date

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 17:23:48 +0000

The latest AirPods tout great sound quality, not to mention some of the best voice call quality you can get in a pair of earbuds. | Image: Chris Welch / The Verge

As expected, Apple’s WWDC keynote came and went without Tim Cook & Co. announcing a new set of AirPods (though, we did get a few new Macs). This means we’re not likely to see a new pair of wireless earbuds from Apple this year until at least the fall, if at all, making now as good a time as any to pick up Apple’s third-gen AirPods — which are on sale right now at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for around $149 ($20 off).

Despite being situated in an odd spot in Apple’s lineup, the latest entry-level pair of AirPods still offer plenty of appeal. They don a more subtle design than the prior model thanks to their shorter stems and IPX4 sweat and water resistance, which makes them a more suitable gym companion and puts them in line with many of our favorite workout earbuds. What’s more, they’re a notable upgrade over the second-gen model when it comes to voice quality and sound, rendering them just as suitable for listening to SZA as late-night convos with your bestie.

Read our Apple AirPods (third-gen) review.

With Apple’s recently announced AR headset having taken up all the oxygen this week, it’s easy to forget that there are other competitors in the space making headsets that are far more affordable than the $3,500 price tag associated with the Apple Vision Pro. Case in point? The Meta Quest 2, which you can pick up at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart starting at $299 now that Meta’s promised price cuts have officially gone into effect.

Along with the forthcoming Quest 3, the gaming-centric Meta Quest 2 is likely going to be Apple’s primary competitor, even if it doesn’t offer the high-end build quality or lofty specs associated with Apple’s forthcoming headset. The standalone device remains one of the more affordable entry points into VR, with a sharp screen, intuitive controllers, and a trove of content given you can download titles from both the Meta Quest Store and SteamVR libraries. Meta also plans to increase the CPU and GPU performance with an upcoming software update, which, Meta claims, will result in smoother gameplay and a more responsive UI. Now, here’s hoping the update hits the Quest 2 sooner rather than later.

Read our original Meta Quest 2 review.

Whether we’d like to admit it, a single router usually doesn’t cut it if you’re hoping to blanket your home with steady Wi-Fi. In those instances, it’s often best to spring for a mesh networking system, which is often better than simply moving your router or opting for a Wi-Fi extender. Thankfully, you can grab a pair of Google’s white Nest Wifi Pro routers at Amazon and Best Buy today for $239.99 ($60 off), which matches the lowest price we’ve seen on a two-pack since the router launched late last year.

In terms of specs, the Google Nest Wifi Pro represents a pretty big step up from the prior Nest Wifi system. Google doesn’t paywall certain features the way Eero and other competitors do, nor is its shiny mesh router particularly challenging to set up and use. Moreover, it boasts support for Wi-Fi 6 and 6E as well as Thread and Matter smart home protocols. It’s a bit lacking when it comes to parental controls, and the ethernet ports are limited to 1Gbps, sure, but if you can look beyond those faults, a pair should provide you with up to 4,400 square feet of solid coverage.

Read our Google Nest WiFi review.

A few more midweek deals and discounts

If you’re looking for a competent gaming headset for your Xbox One or Series X / S for under $100, Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Headset is still available for $85 ($15 off) at Amazon and Walmart. The budget-friendly Bluetooth headset boasts intuitive dial controls and an attractive matte black design, along with support for concurrent wireless connections so you can pair it with your console and phone at the same time. Read our review.
Lego’s Bonsai Tree, an adorable staple found in many of our gift guides, is back down to $39.99 ($10 off) at Amazon and Target. That’s the second-best price we’ve seen on the 878-piece kit, which, as you might expect, is far easier to tend to than an actual Japanese cherry tree.
Marshall’s Monitor II ANC headphones are currently on sale at Best Buy, Electronic Express, and direct from Marshall for $199.99 ($120 off). Their noise cancellation can’t keep up with the best offerings from Bose or Sony, but they offer Google Assistant support, a staggering 45 hours of battery life, and a stylish design that pays tribute to Marshall’s heritage.
Logitech’s premium MX Vertical has hit an all-time low of $71.84 ($28.15) on Amazon. The design admittedly takes some getting used to; however, the unique mouse is one of the more ergonomic options available if you’re someone who wants to reduce muscle strain or movement. Plus, it features a 4,000 DPI sensor and four customizable buttons that make carrying out repetitive tasks a breeze, regardless of the application you’re working in.
Eneba is selling a $50 iTunes gift card for $41.99 until Friday, June 9th, when you use offer code GetApples. Despite the outdated name, an iTunes gift card functions the same as a traditional Apple gift card, meaning you can put it toward subscriptions, services, goods, and pretty much everything that falls under the Apple umbrella (including the new 15-inch MacBook Air). Just be aware that the exact cost might fluctuate ever so slightly as a result of currency exchange rates, as Eneba is based in Europe.

iOS 17 Guide: Everything you need to know about the new iPhone update

tigaman webdesign — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 17:36:06 +0000

Macworld

Apple has unveiled some of the new features coming to iOS in the fall.

Journal – Brand new app that builds on Memories in Photos to bring a new way to relive special moments. New way to remember and write about experiences with text, location and photos and more. You chose what to include. Suggestions API for developers to use in their apps.

StandBy – Borrows from the Apple Watch. Put the phone on a stand at night and see the time with a clock and a range of clock styles. Shuffles through best shots. Uses widgets. You can also see Live Activities, like game scores. StandBy adapts to red light – red tone to help you sleep.

Contact Posters – let you personalise how you appear in calls and on your contact card. You can customise your poster with image, font and colour. This works with Call Kit so it can be used in third-oarty VOIP apps.

Live Voicemail – If someone calls and leaves a message you will see a live transcript as they speak. That way you can see if you want to answer it. When you know what the call is about you can decide whether to take it.

FaceTime – Is getting the ability to leave a message as as FaceTime video.

Messages – will be faster and more convenient. Search filters will let you add terms to a search to narrow the results. Jump to the first message you haven’t seen in a group chat. Swipe to reply on any bubble. Audio messages are transcribed.

You can check in with a family member and friend to let them know you got home. It will recognise you aren’t making progress towards the destination and ‘check in with you’. They can also see your battery level and cell status so they know if you can take a call. Sleek new look so you can see the things you see the most.

Stickers – See all the stickers in one place. All emoji are now stickers. You can peak and stick and resize it. Subjects from photos can be lifted out of photos and turned in to stickers. You can turn live animated photos into moving stickers for Live Stickers. Stickers have been added systemwide wherever you can access emoji.

AirDrop – Change to the way it works. NameDrop means you can bring your phones close together and easily chose the phone numbers and email addresses you want to share and share them must like that. You can also share with and Apple Watch. To share photos just bring phones close together to simply share. You can then step away and the content will continue to share over the internet. This works with SharePlay too, so you can just bring phones together to share.

Keyboard and dictation – Autocorrect will be “more accurate than ever”. Tap the underlined word to get the option to revet to the word you had typed. You can get predictions in line as you type and just tap the space bar to add them.

Dictation – Improvements.

Siri – No need to say Hey everytime! Just the first time.

Photos – can identify cats and dogs that are part of your family.

We will update this story as the news breaks, please reload this page for the latest news.

— Here are the rumors —

Each year Apple releases a major update for iOS, the operating system on your iPhone. The current version, released last year, is iOS 16, and it doesn’t take a genius to predict that 2023 will see the launch of iOS 17. This free software update will bring a raft of interface tweaks, bug fixes, and new features. It’s like getting a new iPhone without paying a penny.

In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about iOS 17. We cover its release schedule and when you can expect the beta and final versions to come out; how to get it when it does; the models of iPhone that are likely to be able to run iOS; and the features we expect and hope to be added in the new OS.

iOS 17 release date: When will iOS 17 arrive?

iOS 17 will be announced and demonstrated at WWDC 2023 on June 5, and then rolled out to iPhones across the world in fall 2023, almost certainly in mid-September. (The last time an iOS update was released outside September was iOS 5 back in October 2011.) It’s likely to follow closely on the heels of the iPhone 15 launch event. There was a gap of five days between the iPhone 14 and iOS 16 update in 2022, and six days in 2021. Over the past several years, the release of the new version of iOS has been fairly consistent:

iOS 16: Monday, September 12, 2022
iOS 15: Monday, September 20, 2021
iOS 14: Wednesday, September 16, 2020
iOS 13: Thursday, September 19, 2019
iOS 12: Monday, September 17, 2018

Before this happens, a series of beta versions of iOS 17 will be released to testers, beginning with the first developer beta likely released on the first day of WWDC 2023. Here’s our expected timeline:

Early to mid-June 2023: iOS 17 is announced at WWDC, and the first developer beta is released.
July 2023: Apple releases the first public beta of iOS 17.
June to September 2023: Apple releases a series of additional developer and public betas.
Early September 2023: The iPhone 15 is announced.
Mid-September 2023: The final public version of iOS 17 is released.

iOS 17 compatibility: Which iPhones will be able to run iOS 17?

Our best guess is that the iPhone XS and later will be able to run iOS 17. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and the iPhone X which came out the same year, are all on the borderline. They may miss out, or they may squeak through and get another year of software support.

Apple, unfortunately, doesn’t follow a strict system where iPhones lose support after a specified number of years. Some years Apple doesn’t remove any devices from the list of supported devices; last year, by contrast, it removed the 6s and 7 generations in a single stroke. (Optimists may hope that this unusually harsh year will be followed by a more lenient one.) If you’ve got an iPhone 7, 1st-gen iPhone SE, or anything earlier than those devices, however, you definitely won’t be able to install iOS 17 since they aren’t compatible with get iOS 16.

iPhone 7, iPhone SE (2016), and earlier: Not compatible
iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus: Possibly compatible
iPhone X: Possibly compatible
iPhone XS, XS Max, XR: Probably compatible
iPhone 11 and later: Definitely compatible

In April, there were conflicting reports of compatibility. On Twitter, Fame_Monsters reported that the iPhone 8/8 Plus and iPhone X would lose support when iOS 17 arrived, but Anonymous A.S on the Macrumors forums claimed the rumor was “simply incorrect” and iOS 17 would support the same phones as iOS 16.

Even if your chosen device is granted another year of software support, it’s worth noting that older iPhones may not get the full range of new features. Last year, for example, the iPhone 8 and iPhone X missed out on a bunch of cool stuff due to its older processor. For more information take a look at Every version of iOS released so far.

The iPhone 8 Plus may not qualify for iOS 17 compatibility.

Foundry

iOS 17: How to install the beta and full version

If you want to install a developer beta, you need, unsurprisingly, to be a registered Apple software developer. This costs $99 a year and will give you priority access to all of Apple’s betas, including macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. A better option for most would be to go for the public beta instead: these come out later than the developer betas, but they are free, and still give you bragging rights with your friends. Apple has changed the way betas are installed in iOS 16.4, and they are now tied to Apple IDs rather than profiles, so the process is a little friendlier than before. You can sign up to receive betas at the Apple Beta Software Program site.

iOS 17: Rumored new features

After including numerous new features in iOS 16, including a redesigned Lock Screen, unsending iMessages, and the iCloud Shared Photo Library, but early reports indicate that iOS 17 will have ‘fewer major changes’ than usual. However, there are signs that we’ll still get some pretty great features. A report by Mark Gurman in March claims that Apple has shifted its plans for iOS 17 and it is now “expected to boast several ‘nice to have’ features.” He doesn’t offer any specifics other than to say the new features will be among iPhone users’ “most requested features” but will still lack “a tentpole improvement like last year’s revamped lock screen.”

Smart display mode: According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (a rather reliable source of leaks and rumors), iOS 17 will turn your iPhone into a smart display of sorts when locked and turned to a horizontal orientation. The feature will build on the lock screen widgets work from iOS 16, and use a dark background with bright text to make it easier to read. Apple is also working on a new horizontal iPad interface but that work is slower. Gurman also mentions changes to the Wallet app and its location services, a new journaling app, additions to the Health app, and upgrades to SharePlay and AirPlay.

Control Center: A MacRumors forum member says that iOS 17 will have substantial changes to Control Center, the first in many years. “Website forum member” is not typically strong providence for info leaks, but this same person has previously leaked accurate information about the Dynamic Island before its unveiling.

Camera and Health improvements: In April, a Twitter thread from prolific leaker @analyst941 detailed several new features they claim are from a development team insider. This leak is sketchy, but the individual reported updates are all vague and predictable enough that they seem likely. They include:

Major changes to the Control Center UI and customization
New features for the Dynamic Island
Additional always-on display settings
More Focus Mode filters
Health app UI changes
Camera app changes
Notification changes and additional options
Heavily improved Search/Spotlight

Lock Screen sharing: A post on Weibo from an account that accurately predicted the yellow iPhone 14 color (although at a fairly late date) details some supposed improvements in iOS 17. They include:

Control Center UI changes
App Library supports custom folders
Apple Music lyrics on the lock screen
Apple Music interface improvements
Infinitely adjustable flashlight brightness
Sharing lock screen setups
Font size adjustment for Lock screen and emoji wallpaper

Lock Screen Maps: Analyst941 on Twitter, who has made several prior iOS 17 leaks, shows a new lock screen interface for Maps that shows the time and notifications count, unlike the current full-screen takeover.

The new Maps directions interface for the lock screen shows time, notifications, camera, and flashlight.

@analyst941

iOS 17: New features we hope to see

Since this year’s release is rumored to be more maintenance and smaller improvements than flashy new features, this year’s wishlist is focused on things we want to see improved in iOS 17—little tweaks that will make a big difference in how we use our phones.

Apple certainly doesn’t come to us for advice about this stuff (and it’s too late to make major changes anyway), but it’s instructive to see how well “what we want” lines up with “what Apple delivers.” For what it’s worth, Apple actually delivered several of our iOS 16 Wishlist features, and if iOS 17 brings us more of the changes on this year’s list, we’ll consider that a success. Here’s what we want to see this year:

App Library overhaul

First introduced with iOS 14, the App Library is a good fundamental idea: Let your home screen be cluttered with only those apps you truly use every day and hide the dozens of other apps on your iPhone away from view.

It’s just a bad design! Apps are stuffed automatically into category folders that don’t always match up with what you’d expect. I have two Fender guitar apps on my iPhone. Fender Tune is in the Entertainment folder where it doesn’t belong, and Fender Play is in Other. Intuitively, these belong in the same folder, which should probably be Creativity. Everyone I know has numerous examples like this.

The folders are represented by four icons, three of which are actual app icons that open the app when you tap on them and the fourth is a group of four more tiny app icons that open the folder. This is an interaction and interface model that doesn’t exist anywhere else in iOS and iPadOS, and it’s not intuitive. Oh, and all the folders and their contents move around and change so you can’t develop muscle memory.

The App Library is a good idea but poorly executed.

Apple

We have a few simple suggestions. Tapping the search box at the top of the App Library gives you an alphabetical list, which is a much simpler and intuitive way to find an app. It should be the default view—or be able to be set as the default view.

At the very least, make the folders in the App Library work like folders throughout iOS. Don’t move them around, make them so you open the folder when you tap on them and never one of the apps within. And maybe incorporate a number showing how many apps are in the folder.

Third-party app stores

A recent report claims that Apple will start to open up the iPhone in iOS 17, allowing the distribution of apps outside of Apple’s own App Store, the use of NFC for touchless payments beyond Apple Pay, browsers that don’t have to use Apple’s Webkit rendering engine, and more. It’s all necessary to comply with the EU’s new Digital Markets Act, and the expectation is that it will only apply to those iPhones running iOS 17 in the regions covered by EU law.

Apple should go ahead and make the changes–whatever they are–global. Naturally, we expect Apple to do the minimum possible to be in compliance with the Digital Markets Act, and we’re probably going to be in for a round of hearings and lawsuits and such saying that Apple isn’t in full compliance.

I still think whatever limited additional choice and freedom the EU iPhone users get will be a good thing, and would be good for users the world over, on balance. Moreover, it might be a smart move by Apple. The company is under antitrust scrutiny in several other markets, including the U.S. It could take a lot of heat off itself by offering the same solution that satisfied EU regulators, possibly preventing even stricter remedies in other regions.

It would also make iOS easier to maintain and test as a single cohesive release, rather than fragmenting iOS into regional variants.

Better Siri

Siri is definitely getting better and got a nice set of improvements in iOS 15 and iOS 16. It finally got offline processing, which speeds things up a lot and improves privacy. It also got a bit smarter and more reliable and is a lot better about understanding what is on the screen and reacting to it.

But Siri simply isn’t getting good enough fast enough. Not a day goes by that I don’t ask my Google Assistant something to which I get a good answer, and then—just out of curiosity—I ask Siri as well, and Siri fails.

The emphasis on new large language models such as ChatGPT is moving the bar for how we expect to be able to converse with AI. Siri needs more than just a “20 percent better than last year!” update, it needs a big forward leap that you can hear and feel every time you use it. It needs to sound better, work better, do more, and be right more often. It needs to truly feel conversational.

Siri kicked off the first generation of smartphone AI and fell behind. Wouldn’t it be great if Siri was the first true “next-generation” smartphone AI?

2FA for all

There’s this awesome feature in iOS that takes 2FA authentication codes you receive via SMS and makes them an autofill option just above the keyboard. This allows you to fill in the code without jumping away from the app or website that requested it and back again.

The only problem is that this only works with 2FA codes from SMS or Apple’s built-in Passwords feature.

Wouldn’t it be great if all the third-party code apps worked like this too?

Apple

We don’t suggest using SMS for 2FA codes unless you have to–they’re not as secure as they should be. Using the built-in password manager to generate codes isn’t a great option either because it really only works well on your iPhone–if you ever need to log in anywhere else, it’s a real pain to jump three layers deep in Settings to get your code. And some businesses mandate the use of certain 2FA apps.

We’d love for Apple to provide a framework for one-time-password code generation apps such as Authy, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and others so they can securely autofill codes when requested just like Messages.

Call screening

Spam calls are out of control, and Apple should be using every tool in its arsenal to solve one of the biggest annoyances plaguing every smartphone user. For some time now, Google Assistant has been able to screen calls from unknown callers on Android phones. It can produce text transcripts and recordings, too.

This seems like a thing Siri should be able to do. In fact, Apple should go a step further and build an iCloud call spam service. These apps and services already exist, but they require you to set up a call-forwarding service–Apple, with low-level access to the operating system, could make this easy and seamless. Just like the iCloud Private Relay service, this should be an obvious feature for a company that bills itself as the “security and privacy” smartphone choice.

More Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island is a wonderful interface convention that we expect to see on all four iPhone models this year. But it can do more!

New notifications should flow out of the Dynamic Island when they come in instead of just sliding down from the top of the screen, and the option to see how many unread notifications you have would be useful too. Maybe Siri could suggest new Live Activities based on the apps you use.

The Dynamic Island could do more, including offering Siri suggestions based on your iPhone use.

Foundry

But most importantly, the Dynamic Island should not be a place for notifications to live, just where they briefly appear when they first come in. The use of this area is clear: it’s for persistent background activities and “here and then gone forever” toasts like the Face ID authentication or AirPods connecting.

Version unification

There’s no good reason for Apple’s ecosystem to have fragmented version numbers that are hard to keep track of. More than ever before, the software is updated in sync with features meant to work together, so why do we have one version number of iOS and iPadOS and tvOS, another for watchOS, and another for macOS?

This is only going to get worse when the Reality headset is released and has xrOS 1 or something similar.

Just jump everything ahead to 17. Or better yet, version 20. Why not? After all, Apple skipped the iPhone 9 entirely, jumped tvOS to version 17 out of the blue, and kept macOS at version 10 for more than a decade.

Help make it clear for users: the latest release for each device’s OS will have the same version number. The releases might not always happen on the same day, but consumers should be able to easily see that the latest watchOS 20.2 update goes with iOS 20.2, which goes with macOS 20.2, and so on.

iOS, iPhone

iOS 17: Everything you need to know about the next iPhone update

tigaman webdesign — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 13:24:30 +0000

Macworld

iOS 17 release date: When will iOS 17 arrive?

iOS 16: Monday, September 12, 2022
iOS 15: Monday, September 20, 2021
iOS 14: Wednesday, September 16, 2020
iOS 13: Thursday, September 19, 2019
iOS 12: Monday, September 17, 2018

Early to mid-June 2023: iOS 17 is announced at WWDC, and the first developer beta is released.
July 2023: Apple releases the first public beta of iOS 17.
June to September 2023: Apple releases a series of additional developer and public betas.
Early September 2023: The iPhone 15 is announced.
Mid-September 2023: The final public version of iOS 17 is released.

iOS 17 compatibility: Which iPhones will be able to run iOS 17?

iPhone 7, iPhone SE (2016), and earlier: Not compatible
iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus: Possibly compatible
iPhone X: Possibly compatible
iPhone XS, XS Max, XR: Probably compatible
iPhone 11 and later: Definitely compatible

Even if your chosen device is granted another year of software support, it’s worth noting that older iPhones may not get the full range of new features. Last year, for example, the iPhone 8 and iPhone X missed out on a bunch of cool stuff due to its older processor. For more information take a look at Every version of iOS released so far.

The iPhone 8 Plus may not qualify for iOS 17 compatibility.

Foundry

iOS 17: How to install the beta and full version

iOS 17: Rumored new features

Major changes to the Control Center UI and customization
New features for the Dynamic Island
Additional always-on display settings
More Focus Mode filters
Health app UI changes
Camera app changes
Notification changes and additional options
Heavily improved Search/Spotlight

Control Center UI changes
App Library supports custom folders
Apple Music lyrics on the lock screen
Apple Music interface improvements
Infinitely adjustable flashlight brightness
Sharing lock screen setups
Font size adjustment for Lock screen and emoji wallpaper

The new Maps directions interface for the lock screen shows time, notifications, camera, and flashlight.

@analyst941

iOS 17: New features we hope to see

App Library overhaul

The App Library is a good idea but poorly executed.

Apple

Third-party app stores

It would also make iOS easier to maintain and test as a single cohesive release, rather than fragmenting iOS into regional variants.

Better Siri

Siri kicked off the first generation of smartphone AI and fell behind. Wouldn’t it be great if Siri was the first true “next-generation” smartphone AI?

2FA for all

The only problem is that this only works with 2FA codes from SMS or Apple’s built-in Passwords feature.

Wouldn’t it be great if all the third-party code apps worked like this too?

Apple

Call screening

More Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island is a wonderful interface convention that we expect to see on all four iPhone models this year. But it can do more!

The Dynamic Island could do more, including offering Siri suggestions based on your iPhone use.

Foundry

Version unification

This is only going to get worse when the Reality headset is released and has xrOS 1 or something similar.

iOS, iPhone

Memorial Day Sale: Get not one, but two 4K camera drones for only $139.97

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 31 May 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Macworld

If you want to add a professional touch to your video content, then you might consider adding a camera drone to your toolkit. But why have just one drone when two will let you get the job done twice as fast? That’s why we’re offering this economical bundle for Memorial Day which includes two camera drones at a reduced price so it’ll fit any production budget.

This package includes the hugely popular Alpha Z PRO 4K and Flying Fox 4K drones. Both are equipped with dual cameras (4K in the front and 720p underneath), are easy to fly, and offer Wi-Fi connectivity so you can monitor them with your phone. They also feature a one-key auto return so they’re beginner friendly, and a 6-axis gyroscope for smoother flight.

Camera drones generally run for up to 12 minutes before they need to be charged. If you’re working on a video, that’s not a lot of time — And that’s precisely what makes this bundle so attractive. When one drone is charging, you can simply use the other to keep your production on schedule.

Get the Alpha Z PRO 4K and Flying Fox 4K wide-angle dual-camera drone bundle on sale for just $139.97 until May 31 at 11:59 pm, no coupon codes required.

Alpha Z PRO 4K + Flying Fox 4K Wide-Angle Dual-Camera Drone Bundle – $139.97

See Deal

Prices subject to change.

Drones

iOS 17 guide: iPhones rumored to get a new ‘smart display’ lock screen feature

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 24 May 2023 17:18:29 +0000

Macworld

Updated 05/24/23: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the iPhone will get a sort of “smart display” feature that builds on lock screen widgets, which kicks in when the phone is locked and positioned horizontally.

iOS 17 release date: When will iOS 17 arrive?

iOS 17 will be announced and demonstrated at WWDC 2023 in June, and then rolled out to iPhones across the world in fall 2023, almost certainly in mid-September. (The last time an iOS update was released outside September was iOS 5 back in October 2011.) It’s likely to follow closely on the heels of the iPhone 15 launch event. There was a gap of five days between the iPhone and iOS update in 2022, and six days in 2021. Over th epast several years, the release of the new version of iOS has been fairly consistent:

iOS 16: Monday, September 12, 2022
iOS 15: Monday, September 20, 2021
iOS 14: Wednesday, September 16, 2020
iOS 13: Thursday, September 19, 2019
iOS 12: Monday, September 17, 2018

Early to mid-June 2023: iOS 17 is announced at WWDC, and the first developer beta is released.
July 2023: Apple releases the first public beta of iOS 17.
June to September 2023: Apple releases a series of additional developer and public betas.
Early September 2023: The iPhone 15 is announced.
Mid-September 2023: The final public version of iOS 17 is released.

iOS 17 compatibility: Which iPhones will be able to run iOS 17?

iPhone 7, iPhone SE (2016), and earlier: Not compatible
iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus: Possibly compatible
iPhone X: Possibly compatible
iPhone XS, XS Max, XR: Probably compatible
iPhone 11 and later: Definitely compatible

Even if your chosen device is granted another year of software support, it’s worth noting that older iPhones may not get the full range of new features. Last year, for example, the iPhone 8 and iPhone X missed out on a bunch of cool stuff due to its older processor. For more information take a look at Every version of iOS released so far.

The iPhone 8 Plus may not qualify for iOS 17 compatibility.

Foundry

iOS 17: How to install the beta and full version

If you want to install a developer beta, you need, unsurprisingly, to be a registered Apple software developer. This costs $99 a year and will give you priority access to all of Apple’s betas, including macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. A better option for most would be to go for the public beta instead: these come out later than the developer betas, but they are free, and still give you bragging rights with your friends. Apple is changing the way betas are installed in iOS 16.4, and they are now tied to Apple IDs rather than profiles, so the process is a little friendlier than before. You can sign up to receive betas at the Apple Beta Software Program site.

iOS 17: Rumored new features

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (a rather reliable source of leaks and rumors), iOS 17 will turn your iPhone into a smart display of sorts when locked and turned to a horizontal orientation. The feature will build on the lock screen widgets work from iOS 16, and use a dark background with bright text to make it easier to read. Apple is also working on a new horizontal iPad interface but that work is slower. Gurman also mentions changes to the Wallet app and its location services, a new journaling app, additions to the Health app, and upgrades to SharePlay and AirPlay.

After including numerous new features in iOS 16, including a redesigned Lock Screen, unsending iMessages, and the iCloud Shared Photo Library, but early reports indicate that iOS 17 will have ‘fewer major changes’ than usual. According to Mark Gurman, Apple has shifted resources to the development of software for its AR headset, tentatively called xrOS. A report in early January indicated that its headset development had “cost it some new features in iOS 17.”

A later report from less-reliable LeaksApplePro echoed Gurman’s comments, saying iOS 17 will focus on “stability and efficiency” and “there won’t be many visual changes.”

However, there are signs that it might be a bigger release after all. A report by Mark Gurman in March claims that Apple has shifted its plans for iOS 17 and it is now “expected to boast several ‘nice to have’ features.” He doesn’t offer any specifics other than to say the new features will be among iPhone users’ “most requested features” but will still lack “a tentpole improvement like last year’s revamped lock screen.”

A MacRumors forum member says that iOS 17 will have substantial changes to Control Center, the first in many years. “Website forum member” is not typically strong providence for info leaks, but this same person has previously leaked accurate information about the Dynamic Island before its unveiling.

In April, a Twitter thread from prolific leaker @analyst941 detailed several new features they claim are from a development team insider. This leak is sketchy, but the individual reported updates are all vague and predictable enough that they seem likely. They include:

Major changes to the Control Center UI and customization
New features for the Dynamic Island
Additional always-on display settings
More Focus Mode filters
Health app UI changes
Camera app changes
Notification changes and additional options
Heavily improved Search/Spotlight

A post on Weibo from an account that accurately predicted the yellow iPhone 14 color (although at a fairly late date) details some supposed improvements in iOS 17. They include:

Control Center UI changes
App Library supports custom folders
Apple Music lyrics on the lock screen
Apple Music interface improvements
Infinitely adjustable flashlight brightness
Sharing lock screen setups
Font size adjustment for Lock screen and emoji wallpaper

Analyst941 on Twitter, who has made several prior iOS 17 leaks, shows a new lock screen interface for Maps that shows the time and notifications count, unlike the current full-screen takeover.

The new Maps directions interface for the lock screen shows time, notifications, camera, and flashlight.

@analyst941

iOS 17: New features we hope to see

App Library overhaul

The App Library is a good idea but poorly executed.

Apple

Third-party app stores

It would also make iOS easier to maintain and test as a single cohesive release, rather than fragmenting iOS into regional variants.

Better Siri

Siri kicked off the first generation of smartphone AI and fell behind. Wouldn’t it be great if Siri was the first true “next-generation” smartphone AI?

2FA for all

The only problem is that this only works with 2FA codes from SMS or Apple’s built-in Passwords feature.

Wouldn’t it be great if all the third-party code apps worked like this too?

Apple

Call screening

More Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island is a wonderful interface convention that we expect to see on all four iPhone models this year. But it can do more!

The Dynamic Island could do more, including offering Siri suggestions based on your iPhone use.

Foundry

Version unification

This is only going to get worse when the Reality headset is released and has xrOS 1 or something similar.

iOS, iPhone

Get 20% off OWC Atlas memory cards & card readers with promo code

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 19 May 2023 02:07:48 +0000

Expand your storage capacity and speed up file transfers. OWC Atlas memory cards and select card readers are 20% off for AppleInsider readers now through May 31.

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Get 20% off OWC Atlas memory cards & card readers with promo code

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 19 May 2023 02:07:48 +0000

Expand your storage capacity and speed up file transfers. OWC Atlas memory cards and select card readers are 20% off for AppleInsider readers now through May 31.

Save 20% on OWC memory cards.

Get 20% off OWC Atlas memory cards & card readers with promo code

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 19 May 2023 02:07:48 +0000

Expand your storage capacity and speed up file transfers. OWC Atlas memory cards and select card readers are 20% off for AppleInsider readers now through May 31.

Save 20% on OWC memory cards.

breeze – Latest Apple News

AirPods vs the best wireless headphones for iPhone

Best wireless headphones

1. Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless

2. Apple AirPods Pro 2nd-generation

3. Beats Studio Buds+

4. Logitech Zone True Wireless￼

5. Denon AH-C830NCW

6. Bowers & Wilkins PI5

7. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

8. Apple AirPods 3rd-generation

9. Technics EAH-AZ60M2

10. Sennheiser Momentum Free (aka HD1 Free)

11. Sony WF-1000XM4

12. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1

13. PistonBuds Pro

14. Beats Flex

How to choose wireless headphones

Type

Battery life

Noise cancelling

Sound quality

Compatibility

iOS 17 superguide: Everything you need to know about the next iPhone update

iOS 17 release date: When will iOS 17 arrive?

iOS 17 beta release date: When will iOS 17 beta arrive?

iOS 17: How to install the beta and full version

iOS 17 compatibility: Which iPhones will be able to run iOS 17?

iOS 17: New features

Journal

StandBy

Contact Posters

Live Voicemail

FaceTime

Messages

Stickers

AirDrop

Keyboard and Dictation

Siri

Photos

Smaller features

iOS 17: Third-party app stores and sideloading

Apple’s third-gen AirPods have returned to their best price to date

Read our Apple AirPods (third-gen) review.

Read our original Meta Quest 2 review.

Read our Google Nest WiFi review.

A few more midweek deals and discounts

iOS 17 Guide: Everything you need to know about the new iPhone update

iOS 17 release date: When will iOS 17 arrive?

iOS 17 compatibility: Which iPhones will be able to run iOS 17?

iOS 17: How to install the beta and full version

iOS 17: Rumored new features

iOS 17: New features we hope to see

App Library overhaul

Third-party app stores

Better Siri

2FA for all

Call screening

More Dynamic Island

Version unification

iOS 17: Everything you need to know about the next iPhone update

iOS 17 release date: When will iOS 17 arrive?

iOS 17 compatibility: Which iPhones will be able to run iOS 17?

iOS 17: How to install the beta and full version

iOS 17: Rumored new features

iOS 17: New features we hope to see

App Library overhaul

Third-party app stores

Better Siri

2FA for all

Call screening

More Dynamic Island

Version unification

Memorial Day Sale: Get not one, but two 4K camera drones for only $139.97

iOS 17 guide: iPhones rumored to get a new ‘smart display’ lock screen feature

iOS 17 release date: When will iOS 17 arrive?

iOS 17 compatibility: Which iPhones will be able to run iOS 17?

iOS 17: How to install the beta and full version

iOS 17: Rumored new features

iOS 17: New features we hope to see

4. Logitech Zone True Wireless