With its lineup of 1000X devices, Sony continually sets itself apart from the competition in both earbuds and headphones. Just when it seems like others may be gaining ground, the company adds new features or improves audio quality to keep the top spot on many best lists. Today, Sony is debuting its latest flagship true wireless earbuds: the WF-1000XM5 ($300).

While some of the company’s trademark features return, these earbuds have been completely redesigned, from the overall look to the drivers and even the chips that power much of the functionality. Sony still manages to pack in more tools than anyone else, all while making significant improvements to sound quality. But all of the advancements come at a cost: these are Sony’s most expensive set of wireless earbuds in the 1000X lineup yet.

Design

For the WF-1000XM4, Sony made big changes to the design of its flagship earbuds. Even with all of the excellent things the WF-1000XM3 offered, those buds were huge and they looked more like Bluetooth headsets. The 2021 model had a different shape and were smaller, but they were still quite big and their weight on the outside of your ear could lead to an awkward fit. Thankfully, the company continued to slim things down with the WF-1000XM5, trimming another 25 percent off the previous model in terms of overall size and losing 20 percent of the weight. For this reason, the new model fits in my ears the best of any 1000X earbuds thus far and they never feel like they’re in danger of falling out.

Sony also slightly updated the ear tips for the M5. Once again, the company opted for squishy foam like it did for the previous model. That switch on the WF-1000XM4 didn’t offer the best fit for me. However, the company says the ear tips are more flexible this time around and it included an extra small size to cater to more ear shapes. The combination of the smaller earbuds and the revamped tips give the the WF-1000XM5 a much more comfortable, more secure-feeling fit than the M4.

Smaller earbuds also means a smaller charging case, but not drastically so. The WF-1000XM4’s was already compact, but Sony slimmed the new version down while giving it a rounder shape. The LED status and pairing indicator on the previous model was a thin strip on the front. That has been replaced by a single dot and the company added a pairing button around back beside the USB-C port. On the M4, you had to put the buds in both ears and then hold your fingers on the touch controls for 5 seconds to put them in pairing mode.

Software and features

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Like most Sony earbuds, the company’s Headphones Connect app is where you customize and activate features or dial in the sound profile. Once inside, tools range from the basics – things like managing Bluetooth multipoint connections, media playback and changing the on-board controls – to more complex items like Adaptive Sound Control.

This is the feature Sony has offered for a while now that automatically changes your noise control preferences based on your activity or location. As always, the latter requires you to give the app access to your location data so it knows when you’re at home versus when you arrive at the office. Adaptive Sound Control is quite handy even if you just use the activity side of the function. You can set it to activate ambient sound (transparency mode) when you start a run. With Adaptive Sound Control enabled, you won’t have to reach for your phone or tap the WF-1000XM5 to get to your preferred settings each time you go from sitting to walking or vice versa.

Under the Sound tab, the app gives you access to noise control (noise canceling, ambient sound or off) right up top. And with ambient sound, you can adjust the level (1-20) and opt to have voices filtered in, with other noise suppressed, via a dedicated passthrough setting. Speak-to-Chat is also here, Sony’s handy tool that pauses the audio when it detects your voice. It’s a nice feature, but it’s still just as susceptible to being triggered by a cough as ever.

The Sound tab is where you’ll also find the EQ, with both manual adjustments and presets available. Sony has added a Find Your Equalizer sound test too, and the beta feature lets you select which sample settings sound best before building your ideal mode. Lastly, 360 Reality Audio setup/ear analysis, Bluetooth connection priority and DSEE Extreme upscaling (on/off) are under this section.

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

The System tab is next, which is where you’ll find most of the WF-1000XM5’s controls. You can disable multipoint connectivity, select which voice assistant you want to use and change the on-board controls, including which noise settings you want to cycle through. The M5 supports hands-free access to Google Assistant and Alexa, so you can play music, send messages, get notifications, set reminders and more without touching the earbuds or your phone. Google Assistant can also control certain features of the WF-1000XM5, including enabling ANC or ambient sound, with a spoken cue.

What’s more, Sony has added a quadruple tap action for volume control, so you no longer have to sacrifice something else to get that function on your earbuds. Four taps on the left lowers the volume while four on the right raises it. All of the playback controls are now on the right side by default and Sony gives you two “quick access” slots for connected services by double and triple tapping on the left earbud. Options for this are currently limited to Spotify and Endel, though. You can also opt to hear some of your voice during calls and to use head gestures for incoming calls or to activate Auto Play. There’s an earbud fit test and automatic options for both pausing when the earbuds are removed and turning them off when they’re not in your ears.

Auto Play, a tool that’s still in beta, can detect your activity and deliver a mix of music and notifications you’ve selected for it. Activities can range from putting the earbuds in your ears to starting a walk or ending your work day. You can also silence notifications or let important messages through. Right now, Auto Play can only be linked and customized with Spotify and Endel, but it’s yet another way Sony is trying to automate your relationship with your earbuds so you don’t have to reach for your phone as often.

Sound quality

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Sound quality has never been an issue 1000X earbuds, but Sony made significant changes on the M5 in a bid to make the audio even better. First, the company opted for dual processors, an approach it has taken on the 1000X family of over-ear headphones. Here, the QN2e chip handles noise canceling alongside the main V2 processor. These two components combine for 24-bit audio and a more powerful integrated digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

Sony has also installed redesigned drivers that it's calling Dynamic Driver X. These are 2.4mm larger than the speakers on the M4 earbuds and have a separated dome-edge structure diaphragm. The company says the new components offer “rich and more detailed vocals” along with “low distortion and a clear sound quality.” There is a noticeable improvement to overall clarity on the WF-1000XM5, especially when it comes to vocals. Lynn Gunn’s lyricism on PVRIS’ Evergreen cuts through more clearly on the M5 when compared directly with the M4, allowing her hooks to rise above the onslaught of chunky, distorted guitars and driving bass lines.

There are also big gains on the low end of the EQ curve. Bass is bigger and boomier on the WF-1000XM5, something I noticed immediately after getting reacquainted with the M4. There’s more driving thump to the low-end throughout that PVRIS album and a pleasant, clicky pop to the kick drum on Chris Stapelton’s “White Horse.” Over a range of genres, the sound profile on the M5 sounds bigger and fuller with a natural dimensionality that doesn’t require 360 Reality Audio to immerse you in an album.

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

I did most of my testing with Sony’s DSEE Extreme upscaling active as that’s where the company’s headphones really shine. Like other of the company’s premium earbuds, the WF-1000XM5 supports Hi-Res Audio along with its own 360 Reality Audio (360RA) tech. In addition to being able to calibrate 360RA to your ears, Sony has now added head tracking to its take on spatial audio. While it does offer a slight improvement to the immersive nature of the audio standard, you’ll need an Android device and compatible apps (Netflix, YouTube, et cetera) to use it.

The decision to split audio and ANC processing on the WF-1000XM5 also has implications for the overall effectiveness of the noise-canceling setup. Sony says the QN2e chip can now control the six-microphone array (three on each earbud) more precisely. The V2 chip assists with real-time signal processing. The company also says those dual-feedback mics can now monitor low-frequency noise better, battling things like airplane and vehicle clamor more efficiently than the M4. I found this to hold true, although I would’ve liked to see some improvement with how the ANC handles human voices as there’s not much change to the effectiveness at higher frequencies.

Call quality

Overall call quality was noticeably better than much of the competition on the WF-1000XM4. That’s mostly due to the inclusion of bone-conduction sensors alongside the usual beamforming microphones. That dual-tech approach is back on the M5, but Sony has added a dash of AI to help you sound better on calls too. The company says its new noise-reduction algorithm is built on deep neural network processing and trained on 500 million voice samples. The result, as Sony explains it, is the WF-1000XM5’s ability to more accurately extract your voice from ambient noise. Microphones were also rebuilt and wrapped in mesh to minimize wind noise.

In practice, Sony once again does a great job of blocking background noise. A nearby white noise machine didn’t come across on my calls at all, nor did a raucous preseason soccer exhibition on my television. Voice clarity is far from perfect, but it’s better than a lot of the competition. You don’t sound muffled, though your speech does lack the natural warmth you get from a standalone microphone or by holding your iPhone or Google Pixel up to your face.

Battery life

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

One area Sony didn’t improve things was battery life. Just like the previous model, the company says you can expect up to eight hours with ANC turned on. The 24-hour total listening time with the case (2 additional charges) is also the same. If you disable active noise cancellation, Sony promises up to 12 hours of use with 36 hours total including the case, which is also unchanged. The company did slightly upgrade its quick charge feature which now gives you an hour of use in three minutes – versus five minutes on the M4. And just like before, the case supports both wireless charging and topping off via USB-C.

During my tests using both ANC and transparency mode at various times, doing a mix of music and calls, I managed just under seven hours. The numbers really started to tumble after about six hours at around 20 percent left. Seven hours is a full hour below Sony’s estimate, but I did have DSEE Extreme upscaling turned on the whole time which likely impacted battery performance. The WF-1000XM4 didn’t make it to the stated number during my review of those either, so hopefully the company either remedies this or clarifies how much its audio upscaling tech impacts these figures.

The competition

Sony sits atop our best wireless earbuds list thanks to the volume of features it offers on the WF-1000XM4. Sure, the sound quality is great and the ANC does a stellar job, but there are alternatives that do better in each of those areas. Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3 is my top pick when it comes to pure audio performance, though Sony closed the gap significantly with the M5. Sennheiser’s earbuds have always had great sound, and it too continues to improve with each successive model. Sennheiser has also made upgrades to ANC and other features along the way. Plus, you can currently get them on sale for around $163 – over $100 less than the full price of $279.95.

If you’re looking to silence the world with your wireless earbuds, Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II should be your consideration alongside the WF-1000XM5. Besides blocking out your typical distractions, the company improved its earbuds’ ability to cancel human voices. Overall sound quality is improved over the first QuietComfort Earbuds, but it’s still not on the level of Sony or Sennheiser. The QCE II are currently on sale for $50 less than full price at $249.

Lastly, let’s have a word about the AirPods Pro. It’s true they’re only worth considering if you’re invested in Apple’s ecosystem, but features arriving later this year with iOS 17 make them a better alternative to Sony’s 1000X line than before. Apple will introduce Adaptive Audio this fall, which automatically tunes noise cancellation and transparency model levels for your environment. Personalized Volume will adjust levels based on both your surroundings and listening preferences. And perhaps most importantly, Apple will add Conversation Awareness that automatically lowers volume or pauses audio when the AirPods Pro detect your voice. That’s very similar to Sony’s Speak-to-Chat, a feature I’ve enjoyed using despite its flaws. You’ll need the second-gen AirPods Pro for these upcoming updates, which can be currently found for $199.

Wrap-up

With the WF-1000XM5, Sony improves its already formidable mix of great sound, effective ANC and handy features. These earbuds are undoubtedly the company’s best and most comfortable design in its premium model so far, which was one of the few remaining riddles Sony needed to solve. For all of the company’s ability to add so many features, many of them still need fine-tuning, but that doesn’t make them any less useful in their current state. The WF-1000XM5 are more expensive too, which means the competition has one key area it can beat Sony. As is typically the case, there aren’t many flaws with the company’s latest model and its rivals still have their work cut out for them.

The WF-1000XM5 are available for pre-order now in black and silver color options for $300.

Students at 68 colleges and universities across the US will easily be able to use their Samsung phones to tap for access and purchases. Samsung's Wallet app now supports digital student IDs, so long as it's on the United States versions of the brand's latest devices. Some of the educational institutions that have enabled ID integration for Samsung Wallet are Penn State, the University of Florida, Central Michigan University, University of North Alabama and the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Apple has supported contact-free student ID cards since 2018, allowing students to tap their phones to access facilities and, say, get food at the cafeteria. Google Pay also launched student ID integration in 2020 in partnership with a company called Transact, which offers solutions for tuition and other student expense payment. That's the same company Samsung has teamed up with to enable this integration, which means users will have to download the Transact eAccounts mobile app from Google Play, as well.

Like other digital student ID integrations, Samsung Wallet allows students to access school facilities with their phone. The app's Fast Mode feature will let users tap their phone without having to unlock their screen, while Power Reserve means they can use their digital ID even if their phone has switched off due to low battery reserves. That said, the capability to pay using NFC at on-campus stores and vending machines aren't available at all of the participating institutions.

At the moment, students can only use Samsung Wallet's digital ID support if they have a Galaxy S20 phone or later, a Note 20, a Galaxy Flip or Fold device, or a Galaxy A53. Galaxy Watch support is coming this fall. Samsung also says that it's working to expand the offering and make it available for students in more institutions. 

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will be available on PlayStation 5 in just three months, but you won't have to wait that long to learn more about the game's plot. In a new story trailer revealed at San Diego Comic Con, Sony and Insomniac give us our first look at how Peter Parker might find himself joined with the Venom symbiote.

The trailer is laden with dramatic tension. Peter's best friend Harry Osborne wants to enlist his help to "heal the world." Meanwhile, Spider-man has his hands full with Kraven the Hunter — and as the trailer presses on, a voice over emerges to describe a distressed Peter Parker presumably losing himself to the Venom symbiote and in desperate need of the help of his co-Spider-Man, Miles Morales. The story teaser leaves us with an image of a bulked-up Venom terrorizing the city and the open question of who the symbiote has merged with.

In addition to the intense story trailer, Sony has announced a special edition Spider-Man 2 PlayStation 5 and DualSense controller combo — both featuring the dark tendrils of the Venom symbiote crawling over the red colors of Spider-Man's costume. Already have a PS5? Sony says the controller and PS5 console covers in the special edition will also be available to purchase on PlayStation Direct on September 1st.

Marvel's Spider-Man will be available on October 20, 2023.

Samsung is holding its summer Unpacked event a little early this year, on July 26th, but it promises to be special beyond just the timing. Galaxy Z foldable phones are certain, but the company has also teased new smartwatches and tablets. This could be an especially crowded presentation. Will you see complete overhauls, though, or just modest refreshes? Here’s what we think Samsung is likely to show off in Seoul.

How to watch Samsung Unpacked July 2023

You’ll have an easy time watching Unpacked, provided you’re an early riser. Samsung is streaming the event on its website and YouTube channel starting at 7AM ET on the 26th. Don’t worry if you’d rather sleep in — we’ll have all the biggest announcements and hopefully some hands-ons with the new devices.

If you’re already set on buying a Galaxy Z Flip 5 or Galaxy Z Fold 5, you can reserve either through Samsung’s site before the event and receive a $50 credit. There’s no commitment, so you can back out if you change your mind later.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5

OnLeaks x MediaPeanut

Samsung hasn’t been shy about the stars of Unpacked. While it hasn’t named the new hardware, the company is expected to reveal the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5. This year, though, the priorities are inverted. Where the book-style Fold is usually the main attraction, this year the Flip clamshell is the centerpiece of the pre-show buzz.

There’s a good reason for that. If leaked renders from MySmartPrice and OnLeaks (via MediaPeanut) are authentic, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will have a much larger (3.4-inch) external display than its predecessor. As with Motorola’s Razr+ handset, you could handle many more tasks while the phone is closed. You might send a quick reply text using an onscreen keyboard, for example. SamMobileclaims Google is optimizing key apps for the cover screen, including Maps, Messages and YouTube.

Both phones would borrow some visual cues from the Galaxy S23 line, but the biggest change may be a sleeker profile. Both the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 (shown in an OnLeaks/SmartPrix leak below) are reportedly adopting a “waterdrop” hinge that narrows the gap while closed, slims the profile, minimizes display creasing and introduces dust resistance to Samsung foldables for the first time. Either phone should more easily fit into your pocket than last year’s models, not to mention withstand more daily abuse.

OnLeaks/SmartPrix

Don’t expect major revamps otherwise. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 are both believed to be using the same customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip as in the S23 family, delivering improved performance and efficiency compared to last year’s foldables. The Flip would have a 6.7-inch 120Hz internal display, while the Fold would have a 6.2-inch 120Hz outer display as well as a similarly quick 7.6-inch internal panel.

Well-known leaker Yogesh Brar hears both phones will have very similar rear camera arrays. The Z Flip 5 would have 12-megapixel main and ultra-wide cameras, while the Z Fold 5 would have 50MP primary, 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto shooters. The two phones might have upgraded sensors, however, potentially boosting their performance in low light and other challenging situations.

There aren’t solid rumors surrounding the price or release date for either the Galaxy Z Flip 5 or Galaxy Z Fold 5. However, last year’s Flip and Fold models respectively started at $999 and $1,799, and we’d expect similar pricing this time around. Given that Samsung tends to ship newly announced hardware within a few weeks, we’d expect these phones to arrive in mid-August.

Galaxy Watch 6

OnLeaks/MySmartPrice

If last year’s Galaxy Watch 5 felt like a tepid update, don’t worry — Samsung might soon have smartwatches worth the upgrade. The company has not-so-subtly hinted that the Galaxy Watch 6 will appear at Unpacked, and rumors from OnLeaks and MySmartPrice suggest a Classic or Pro version will bring back the physical rotating bezel. If so, you could scroll through the interface with a more satisfying motion than the touch-sensitive edges of current models. The control scheme would also give the higher-end watch a more traditional look.

Other updates might be more iterative, if still appreciated. SamMobileclaims the Galaxy Watch 6 will use a newer Exynos W980 chip that provides a slight speed boost and potentially longer battery life. Galaxy Club also recently spotted certifications of future watches with larger batteries.

In some respects, software will play an equally important role. There’s no doubt software will play an important role. Samsung previously confirmed that the next Galaxy Watch series will use One UI 5 Watch, a fitness-oriented upgrade to the company’s Wear OS variant. It will offer better sleep insights and coaching, and runners can use personal heart rate zones to optimize their sessions. An improved SOS feature will directly contact an emergency number to share your whereabouts.

While there’s no word on prices or release windows for the Galaxy Watch 6, it won’t be surprising if the lineup starts close to the Watch 4’s $279 for the base model, scaling up to $450 for the Classic or Pro.

Galaxy Tab S9

OnLeaks/WolfOfTablet

The Galaxy Tab S8 series is almost a year and a half old, so it’s not surprising Samsung is hinting at a replacement — though it may be evolutionary. OnLeaks and WolfOfTablet have shared renders and specs suggesting the upcoming Galaxy Tab S9 range will look much like its predecessor, complete with 11-inch base, 12.4-inch S9+ and 14.6-inch S9 Ultra variants.

There should be some functional improvements, though. The standard Galaxy Tab S9 will reportedly switch from an LCD to an AMOLED screen, so you won’t need to buy the S9+ to get the best possible picture quality. A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will aid performance, and Wolf of Tablet believes a mystery secondary front sensor might be a camera intended for video calls in landscape orientation. SamMobile also believes the new tablets will offer IP67 dust and water resistance that helps them survive camping trips and the beach.

It won’t be surprising if the Galaxy Tab S9 family ships around the same time as the foldables, or maybe sometime mid-August. We’d also expect pricing roughly in line with the Tab S8. That would put the regular S9 at $700, the S9+ at $900 and S9 Ultra at $1,100. With that in mind, the S8 series cost $50 more than its S7 equivalents. We can’t rule out another price hike.

Wildcards: Mixed reality hardware and the Galaxy Tab S8 FE

REUTERS/Peter DaSilva

Samsung is known for occasionally throwing surprises into Unpacked presentations, and there are a couple of candidates this summer. Most notably, Samsung said in February that it was working on mixed reality wearable devices with the help of Google (for an optimized Android release) and Qualcomm (for the chipset). There haven’t been any signs of an impending introduction, but we wouldn’t be shocked if Samsung said more about the project.

The Galaxy Tab S9 might not be the only tablet, for that matter. Rumors have long persisted of a Galaxy Tab S8 FE that, like the S7 FE, will bridge the gap between Samsung’s budget A-series tablets and the S9.There aren’t many details, but WinFuture’s Roland Quandt hears the S8 FE may use an LCD with a Wacom digitizer for pen input. A lower-end chip and other compromises wouldn’t be surprising, either.

Tesla remains the top US EV producer with a new internal record internal record with 479,700 vehicles built and 466,140 of them delivered in Q2, up ~87 percent YoY.

The company made headlines in Q2 after opening its previously-proprietary charging port design to the rest of the industry. Mercedes, Volvo, Rivian, and GM vehicles will use the design for their North American models beginning in the 2024 model year. Texas went so far as to require its state-funded EV charging stations accommodate the standard. Tesla's charging network station capacity has grown by a third from this time last year, with 48,082 chargers in total spread across 5,265 stations, globally.

The first production Cybertruck rolled off the assembly line this quarter as well, though you couldn't see much of the vehicle from its official release photo. The Cybertruck line has entered tooling, according to the company, and is expected to begin steady production sometime next year.

"We are now testing Cybertruck vehicles around the world for final certification and validation," the company wrote in its Q2 investors deck. "This might be the most unique vehicle product in decades; with that comes trialing and testing new technologies."

This past quarter has seen a number of scandals at the company including its executives accused of being overpaid by a cool $735 million dollars since 2017 as well as Elon being suspected of misappropriating company funds to build a glass house. Not a fancy aboratorium, not a metaphor for Twitter, a literal "glass house."

Wednesday's investor deck specifically noted Tesla's "commitment to being at the forefront of AI development" with the start of production for its Dojo training computers, which will be used to help Autopilot developers iterate future designs and features. Details were sparse but we do expect company executives to further discuss this initiative during the Q2 investors call which begins at 5:30pm ET.

Stay tuned to Engadget for up to the minute breaking news from that call, as well as whatever wacky and problematic-for-Legal statements CEO Elon Musk shares.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Blizzard is bringing some of its PC games to Steam for the first time. The company announced today that the transition will start with Overwatch 2 on August 10th, but did not go into detail as to what other titles may be coming to the platform.

President of Blizzard Mike Ybarra said in a press release that Battle.net will remain a priority for them but that “we’ve heard players want the choice of Steam for a selection of our games.” The company wants to remind users that while Overwatch 2 will be available on Steam, it still requires that you have a Battle.net account in order to play the game and access features such as cross-platform play. Players will also have access to their Steam friends list and will be able to invite friends on Steam. Blizzard did not announce Steam Deck support, though that won’t stop players from trying to get the game running on it.

Along with Steam support, Overwatch 2 is getting a big update on the same day. Players can expect PvE missions, a new PvP mode and a new hero. Blizzard calls it Overwatch 2: Invasion and says that it will be “a great opportunity for new players.”

Blizzard hasn’t announced what or when other titles will be coming to Steam, noting that it will be sharing that information “when the time is right.” Those eager to download the game on Steam can add it to their wishlist now and you’ll be notified when the game comes out on August 10th.

It’s a sporting spectacle that only happens once every four years. The FIFA Women’s World Cup returns this week as the United States Women’s National Team seeks a historic third-straight title. Will the US be able to repeat the magic it unlocked in 2015 and 2019? Is it finally “coming home” for the Lionesses of England? Will an unexpected contender shock the world? We’ve got all the information you need to know about when and how to stream the entire tournament, starting with the first matches early tomorrow morning Eastern Time (Thursday, July 20th).

When does the Women’s World Cup start?

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup begins Thursday, July 20th at 3AM ET. Why so early? The tournament is being hosted by Australia and New Zealand, which will certainly put a strain on fans in the US wanting to watch the action live. As is tradition, the host plays on the first day and that means there will be two games instead of the typical one since there are two hosts. New Zealand plays Norway first and Australia follows against Ireland at 6AM ET. The US Women’s National Team kicks off its group play schedule Friday, July 21st at 9PM ET versus Vietnam and England steps on the pitch for the first time Saturday, July 22nd with Haiti at 5:30AM ET.

The group stage consists of three matches for each team and continues through Thursday, August 3rd. The Round of 16 begins Saturday, August 5th and ends on Tuesday, August 8th. Quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, August 10th-12th with the two semi-final matches taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 15th and 16th. The third-place game is Saturday, August 19th while the championship final is Sunday, August 20th.

How to stream the 2023 Women’s World Cup

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Fox Sports is the broadcaster for the Women’s World Cup in the US and all games will air on either FOX or FS1. The company says the entire tournament will be available for streaming on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, but you’ll need to sign in with your TV provider to watch in those places. Full replays will be available in those two spots as well, which will come in handy if you plan to skip a 3:30AM ET kickoff.

Any live television streaming service that carries FOX networks – like Hulu, Sling or YouTube TV – will also show all of the games as they happen. Most of those services offer cloud-based DVR, so you can record any games you want to sleep through.

Unlike what Turner does for select games of March Madness, there’s no free streaming option for any of the scheduled matches during the Women’s World Cup. In order to watch some of the games without paying, you’ll need an old-fashioned antenna that picks up the main FOX channel in your area. For US fans, all of the United States’ group-stage matches are scheduled to air on FOX and all of the knockout rounds (quarterfinals through the final) will be there as well. Of course, taking this route means you’ll miss a lot of the action that will be broadcast on FS1 (35 games).

For fans in the UK, the BBC is the broadcaster for the Women’s World Cup. It plans to show 33 live games across BBC TV and iPlayer with audio coverage for some matches on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds. In terms of streaming, all of those games will be available live on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. The BBC will offer highlights of all 64 matches in the tournament which will be available to watch when each one concludes. The other 31 games will be shown on ITV.

Robosen announced a new auto-converting Transformer today. After launching its self-transforming Optimus Prime in 2021, the company set its sights on Grimlock, the Autobot-allied leader of the Dinobots who changes from a robot into a mechanical T-Rex. However, its $1,699 sticker price (a mere $1,499 for pre-orders) also allows it to transform your finances for the worse.

The Grimlock collectible stands 15 inches tall in robot mode and 15.4 inches in dinosaur mode. Robosen describes its auto-transforming as “the epitome of auto-conversion” while calling the product “the world’s first dual-form, bipedal walking robot.” (The Optimus Prime version walks as a robot but drives in truck form.) The manufacturer says Grimlock includes 85 microchips, 34 high-precision intelligent servos while running on “advanced SOC chip technology” and “a comprehensive robot operating system.” In addition, it has six-axis IMU sensors for balance monitoring.

This Grimlock is based on the Transformers G1 version, which debuted in 1985. The collectible includes the original toy’s Energon sword, galaxial rocket launcher, and crown accessories. Robosen and Hasbro even brought back the original voice actor from the G1 animated series, the now 72-year-old Gregg Berger, to record “150+ original Generation 1 Transformers audio lines” for the expensive toy. For the uninitiated, the character is known for a simplistic speaking style, including the well-trodden phrase, “Me Grimlock!”

Robosen / Hasbro

In addition to hearing Grimlock’s classic voice (synchronized with “robotic actions”), you can also control it by speaking to it. The product recognizes 42 voice commands, letting you tell it to transform, walk and perform various “stunning stunts.” You can also create new poses and actions for the Dinobot using four programming modes (block-based, manual, voice and computer-based). And if money truly is no object, you can pair it with the $699 Optimus Prime robot to watch them reenact your favorite classic Transformers battle scenes. This would be wonderful for children, but its pricing mostly limits it to nostalgia-stricken adults with more money than meets the eye.

The Grimlock auto-converting robot is available for pre-order now from Robosen and Hasbro. It’s expected to ship in late fall. Although its pricing may be a tough sell, at least they’re throwing in a limited edition collector’s coin so you can demonstrate that you spent the equivalent of a month’s rent on a robotic T-Rex that speaks about itself in the third person.

Being a smartphone startup is hard, particularly when you’re up against tech giants like Apple, Google and Samsung. But after selling more than 500,000Phone 1s last year, Nothing has returned with a sequel: the Phone 2. And while it looks similar to the previous model, it feels like Nothing is finally figuring out its groove. Not only does it have a significantly faster CPU, its cameras have been improved, and we’re finally seeing Nothing’s vision of a more thoughtful and deliberate UI. Even the phone’s most distinctive feature – its Glyph interface – offers enhanced customization and added functionality. But perhaps most importantly, the Phone 2 will officially be available in the US. And while this added sophistication comes at an increased cost, it’s still very affordable at $600. In a sea of Android phones that often blend together, getting an eye-catching device for a reasonable price is definitely something notable.

Design

Compared to most phones that are clad in a blank sheet of glass, the Phone 2 (which is available in white or a new gray color) is a stunner. Its transparent Gorilla Glass back reveals a monotone assortment of components, allowing you to see things like its magnetic charging coil, power cables and more. It’s not messy, though. Everything is buttoned up just enough, and there are human touches like arranging some of the components to look like an elephant. I’ve been told there are other creatures hiding as well, but I haven’t spotted them yet. It’s like having a cyberpunk art installation in your pocket.

Of course, there’s also the Glyph interface which consists of a number of LED strips that pulse, strobe and glow. For this model, Nothing more than doubled the number of lights from five to 11, while also adding support for addressable zones, which allows for gradient effects. Unfortunately, there’s still only one color to choose from: white.

As for the rest of the device, it’s very similar to the Phone 1 including a metal frame with flat boxy sides and an iPhone-like button layout for power and volume. The one big change is that Nothing used 2.5D glass with rounded edges in back which sports curves that sit more naturally in your hand without digging in.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Meanwhile, its 6.7-inch OLED display delivers excellent brightness (with peaks of well over 1,000 nits in my testing), rich colors and a speedy 120Hz refresh rate. You also get an in-screen fingerprint reader for simple and secure biometrics which is both fast and accurate.

Performance

The Phone 2 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, 8GB or 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Sure, its chip is a year old, but it handled games and editing photos without a hint of lag. When combined with speedy UI animations and a lightweight Android skin, the Phone 2 feels incredibly responsive and snappier than some flagship phones that cost a whole lot more. Additionally, while the phone is only available as an unlocked model, it has been certified to work on both T-Mobile and AT&T’s networks (sorry Verizon folk), so it’s pretty flexible when it comes to bringing it over to your carrier.

Cameras

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Tuning a phone’s cameras and image processing can be extremely difficult when you don’t have the same level of resources as a trillion-dollar megacorp. And while the Phone 2’s 50MP main cam and 50MP ultra-wide cams are decent, they’re still a tier or two below what you get from a Pixel 7. During the day, the Phone 2 captures images with bright, rich colors and good sharpness. It’s only when you zoom to 100 percent that you notice things like color fringing and worse dynamic range. Nothing has a hard time keeping up with Google’s Night Sight mode in low light too, sometimes struggling when trying to nail white balance while also preserving detail. Still, coming from the Phone 1, it’s a big improvement and if you aren’t an avid photographer, the Phone 2 is still serviceable.

Software

Compared to the previous model, the Phone 2’s software may have the biggest number of improvements. This time instead of a barebones version of stock Android, Nothing has included its Monochrome UI which consists of new widgets, wallpapers, icon packs and more that create a distinctive experience that ties into the phone's exterior design. Not only does it look great, you can also make all the app icons grayscale and even remove the name of the app entirely. The idea is that, by making apps a touch harder to find, you’re forced to be more deliberate about how and when you use your phone. That’s a refreshing change from just reflexively doom scrolling through social media every time you have a spare minute.

Nothing also added a new tab in the settings menu for its Glyph interface so you can get more granular control over all those LEDs. Features range from simple things like using its rear lights to show battery status or volume to more sophisticated things like what Nothing calls “Essential notifications.” That allows you to set specific apps to activate LEDs on the back of the phone. This way, you can put the phone facedown on a table and really pay attention to the people you're with. This was convenient for me because since my wife and I seem to be the only people we know that use Google Chat, I set that as my essential notification so I never miss her messages.

And while it’s limited to a single app for now, Nothing is even integrating its Glyph interface with a third-party app in Uber, so you can see a real-time arrival estimate for a car just by looking at the back of the phone. It’s a neat trick that could have a ton of potential. Instead of using a special API, the LEDs are simply getting info from your notifications to update the lights. That makes it easier to develop more custom Glyph integrations without needing to partner with every single app developer. So while third-party app integration is still a work in development, it’s off to an interesting start.

Finally, while it’s not quite as long as what you get from Google or Samsung, Nothing is promising three years of OS updates along with four years of regular security patches.

Battery Life

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

I wasn’t sure what kind of endurance I was going to get from the Phone 2 between its 4,700 mAh battery and slightly older, less power-efficient chip. But on our video rundown test, Nothing crushed it with a time of 24 hours and 25 minutes. That’s the second longest time we’ve seen in recent history, only behind the Samsung’s Galaxy S23+ (25:02). On top of that you get 15-watt wireless charging, 45-watt wired charging and 5-watt reverse wireless charging.

Wrap-up

In a time when new generations of phones never seem quite as exciting as the last, Nothing has still managed to make the Phone 2 stand out. Its eye-catching design captures some of the best qualities of clear plastic gadgets from the ‘90s, like Gameboys and Nintendo 64’s, but in a much more sophisticated way. Meanwhile, Nothing’s Monochrome UI asks users to be more thoughtful about how they use their device while giving them tools like the Glyph interface that can surface info and notifications in novel ways. And even though its specs don’t jump out at you, it never felt slow and it’s well-equipped with handy features like reverse wireless charging.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

That said, for $600, the Pixel 7 is still the better value. It’s got a newer chip along with a much more sophisticated software package which includes features like Call Screener and robust language detection, and its cameras are in a class of their own. But its screen is smaller and its battery life isn’t quite as long. And you know what, that’s totally fine because the Phone 2 isn’t for everyone. It’s a phone that wants you to think differently about how you use your device while giving you the tools to do so. It’s the offbeat choice, and for people who want to be excited by their phone again, it’s definitely an interesting mainstream alternative.

After almost six years, Beats is back with new over-ear, noise-canceling headphones. A significant update from the Studio 3 Wireless, the new Studio Pro is a familiar formula that’s been reconfigured from the inside out. A second-generation version of Beats’ own audio chip powers this new model, delivering improvements to active noise cancellation (ANC), spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and wired audio modes via USB-C connection. Small design tweaks and slightly better battery life are also on the spec sheet, while the price remains $350 for Beats’ flagship headphones.

Design

To refresh the aesthetics, Beats enlisted the help of Samuel Ross, a fashion and product designer who has worked with Hublot, Nike, Oakley and others. The result is an updated look with new colors, materials, packaging and branding. While the tweaks are subtle and the folding design remains the same overall, there are a few notable changes to point out. First, Studio Pro is available in four new colors and even the black option now has a matte finish. Where the headband hinge used to have a contrasting color for most of the variants, that’s now a tone-on-tone finish and the model name has been removed. The iconic lowercase “b” logo remains on both sides, though.

Another key change is to the earpads. Beats and Ross opted for a seamless design here, with cushions made of a new UltraPlush memory foam, though they’re still wrapped in leather. Beats is clear the clamping force from previous Beats models remains the same, unfortunately and the weight hasn’t changed. Indeed, the new ear pads help to a degree, but after about an hour of use, I start to feel the pressure that’s been an issue with Beats headphones for years.

Since Beats headphones first debuted, the company’s models have become mainstays for gym goers and pro athletes. You won’t catch warm-ups for many professional sports events without at least one person wearing Beats headphones. Still, the company hasn’t issued a proper IP rating for sweat and water resistance. Beats says it’s confident the Studio Pro will be just fine for workouts, but it’s also clear that earpad replacements won’t be available through the company. You’ll need to find a third-party supplier should they get too grimey.

Physical on-board controls are back on the Studio Pro. On the outside of the left ear cup, a multi-function button in the center handles single, double and triple taps to control music and calls. A long press here will activate your voice assistant, even though the headphones support hands-free Siri on Apple devices. Above and below this center button are the volume controls, while the noise modes are toggled with a double press of the power button on the right ear cup. If you’re in USB-C audio mode, two taps of that button will cycle between three EQ presets specifically designed for wired use (Signature, Entertainment and Conversation). A line of five LEDs below the power control blinks when you’re in pairing mode and gives you a battery life estimate with a single press when the headphones are powered on.

Software and features

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Beats continues its move away from Apple’s audio chips with the Studio Pro. These headphones contain the company’s own second-gen platform instead, but a lot of the features that Apple silicon offers are still here. Hands-free Siri, one-touch pairing, iCloud pairing, Apple Watch hand-off and Find My compatibility are all baked into iOS. Multipoint pairing and automatic switching between devices isn’t available on iOS, iPad and Mac right now, but Beats says it may arrive later. There’s no need to download a separate app on iOS to access the settings though, they’re also available in the Control Center. For Android users, the Beats app offers one-touch pairing via Google Fast Pair, automatic connection to Android or Chrome devices through your Google account, seamless device transitions, Find My Device, customization and widgets.

Beats has added Transparency Mode to the Studio Pro, giving its over-ear headphones a very useful tool that was missing from the Studio 3. The company’s audio chip also powers Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. While the previous model supported immersive sound, it didn’t offer head tracking or the ability to personalize audio, the latter of which Apple debuted last year.

For the first time, Beats has enabled USB-C wired audio on the Studio Pro. In addition to listening to high-resolution and lossless tunes, you can also take calls while the headphones are actively charging. The Studio Pro has a built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that can accommodate sample rates up to 24-bit/48kHz. That’s enough to handle the high-res streaming from Apple Music, Amazon Music HD and Tidal. Beats has also included three USB-C sounds profiles for wired listening: Signature, Entertainment and Conversation. As the names suggest, each one is tailored to music, movies/TV shows and calls, adjusting the frequency curve for what the company thinks is the best in each scenario. And yes, there’s still 3.5mm playback, which can be used with ANC and Transparency Mode as needed.

Sound quality

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Inside, Beats swapped out the drivers for new 40mm units. A two-layer diaphragm combines with micro vents and fine acoustic mesh to streamline the airflow and minimize distortion. The company says the new drivers can provide “near-zero” distortion even at high volumes, which is an up to 80 percent improvement from the Studio 3. That claim holds true as the Studio Pro doesn’t distort when you crank it up to the eye-watering full volume. However, what the new components have done to improve clarity while providing a more balanced sound profile is more impressive.

In its early days, Beats had a reputation for being too heavy-handed with the bass. While that hasn’t been the case for a while, the company still has a propensity to highlight low-end. For the Studio Pro, there’s still ample bass when a track calls for it, but that boom doesn’t come at the sacrifice of mids and highs – or more importantly detail. Even the driving thump of the kick drum on TesseracT’s “War of Being” has noticeable texture throughout the song. It’s not just a repetitive boom.

Overall, the attention to clarity and the even-handed tuning across the EQ curve gives the Studio Pro quite immersive sound out of the box. Everything seems open and airy, with even the instruments in chaotic metal tracks remaining perfectly discernible. Turn on something softer like Charles Wesley Godwin’s Live From The Church or Nickel Creek’s Celebrants (country and bluegrass, respectively), and you immediately hear the layers of acoustic instruments and finer detail unique to each. Those records can sound like you’re in the room while they’re being recorded on the best-sounding headphones, and there’s a sense of that on the Studio Pro. As you might expect, this latest Beats model excels with hip-hop tracks. The droning bass lines on albums like Killer Mike’s MICHAEL lay a thick foundation for the rest of the song to be built.

While Spatial Audio returns, chances are it won’t sway your buying decision. The integration is similar to previous Beats and Apple earbuds and headphones, with Personalized Spatial Audio added in this time around. The technology still simulates the sound of 64 speakers, capable of moving with you if you have head tracking enabled. If you’ve experienced Spatial Audio before, you know exactly what to expect: slightly louder, more airy tunes where the technology’s immersive nature can vary from album to album and genre to genre. When it hits though, like on Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow,” older tracks have new life. With boygenius’ The Record though, I can’t tell the difference when Spatial Audio is on. I’m also less sold on the dynamic head tracking Beats added on the Studio Pro.

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Then there are the new USB-C EQ profiles. When you’re connected to a computer or other compatible device, ANC and Transparency mode are disabled. Instead, the power button on the Studio Pro cycles through wired presets for music, entertainment and calls. That 5-LED array below the power control indicates which profile you’re on and will be essential until you memorize the audible tones for each one. Signature and Conversation work best for music and calls respectively, while I’m less impressed by the Entertainment setting. All three are fine, but those two are the ones I found myself coming back to in wired mode. Like Spatial Audio content in Dolby Atmos, mileage can vary listening to lossless tunes via Apple Music. Some albums are noticeably better with wired USB-C, while others sound nearly identical to streaming over Bluetooth.

Although Beats doesn’t quantify with a number, it says ANC performance is improved on the Studio Pro when compared to the Studio 3. Fully adaptive active noise cancellation uses outward facing mics to monitor your environment while inward pointing units catch any sounds that might sneak through due to fit. The company explains that the ANC boost is also partially due to updated microphones all around as they have higher sensitivity and a better signal-to-noise ratio. While the Studio Pro doesn’t beat the noise-blocking powers of Bose or Sony, the ANC on the Studio Pro is noticeably better than the Studio 3 – especially for things like television noise and human voices. And similar to the previous model, the latest Beats headphones analyze audio up to 48,000 times per second to maintain pristine clarity.

Lastly, let’s discuss Transparency Mode. While I welcome the inclusion here over not offering ambient sound at all, I did have higher hopes. It works fine, but lacks the natural clarity of Apple’s AirPods Max or AirPods Pro. I thought Beats might come close since it works closely with Apple on several aspects of its products, but that’s not the case. Apple remains truly unmatched when it comes to Transparency Mode. It often sounds like you’re not even wearing headphones at all, mostly due to how natural your own voice sounds fed back through those devices.

Call quality

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Beats says you can expect up to 27 percent better voice clarity than the Studio 3 Wireless, thanks to voice-targeting microphones and a machine-learning algorithm. The company explains that it trained the system on over 7,000 hours of “real-world environments” in order to create a setup that can “precisely hone in” on your voice. Those are lofty claims for sure, and part of them hold true.

The Studio Pro is great at cutting out constant background noise, like a fan or A/C unit. Neither of those came through on calls when I was sitting right underneath one or the other. It’s better than the speakerphone-like quality most headphones and earbuds offer, but it isn’t pristine.

Battery life

When it comes to battery life, Beats says you can expect up to 40 hours with ANC off. That’s the same figure it promised on the Studio 3. However, with noise cancellation or Transparency Mode enabled, the company offers two hours more than the previous model at 24 hours. There’s still a quick-charge feature here, dubbed Fast Fuel, that gives you up to four hours of use in just 10 minutes.

During my tests with the Studio Pro, I still had 23 percent battery left after 25 hours of use with either ANC or ambient sound active. That’s also doing a mix of music, podcasts, streaming TV and taking calls. I powered the headphones completely off several times during that span as well and I plugged them in via USB-C for a few minutes to test those modes.

The competition

Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

When it comes to flagship headphones at this price, Beats’ biggest competition remains Sony and Bose. Sony’s 1000X line has been our top pick for best wireless headphones for years, as the company’s mix of stellar sound, powerful noise cancellation and a literal truckload of handy features is unmatched. With the latest version, the $400 WH-1000XM5, the company simply packs so much into their headphones that many others can’t compete. The Bose 700 is that company’s best option, which is currently available for about $10 less than Sony’s 1000XM5. Bose doesn’t come close to Sony in terms of features, but it does do slightly better when it comes to ANC performance. If blocking out distractions is your primary goal, the 700 is worth a look.

Wrap-up

While Beats didn’t completely redesign its over-ear headphones for the Studio Pro, its latest model is a significant update. The company did well to incorporate features and technology other companies have introduced over the last five years, and its relationship with Apple continues to enhance its products. The improvements to ANC and sound quality alone are good, but the fact that the company was also able to add in a wired USB-C audio, upgrades to Spatial Audio and better voice performance while keeping the price the same is notable. There’s no doubt these are still premium headphones, but the Studio Pro positions Beats to better compete with the likes of Sony and Bose in a number of areas where it used to fall short.

Beats Studio Pro is available to order today in black, brown, navy and Sandstone color options for $350. The headphones will be available at Apple retail stores and other resellers starting tomorrow, July 20th.