Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is the best e-reader for the money bar none, and you can now pick one up at the lowest price we've seen. It's back on sale at its Prime Day price of $135, for a savings of $55 (29 percent). Amazon has also knocked 29 percent off the regular Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Oasis devices, so if you're in the market for an e-reader, it's a great time to pick one up.
The Paperwhite Signature Edition scored an exemplary 97 in our Engadget review thanks to a number of nice features. With smaller bezels, it has a big and responsive 6.8-inch E Ink touchscreen, with gentle backlights you can turn on and off or adjust to suit your reading conditions. It offers USB-C and wireless charging (with up to 10 weeks of reading on a single charge), 32GB of storage, waterproof reading, automatic brightness and warm light options. The only complaint we had was the $190 price, but it's an easy decision at the $135 sale price.
If you don't need quite that much storage, the regular Kindle Paperwhite is also on sale with 8GB of memory ($100, or $40 off) and 16GB ($105, or $45 off). You get most of the features of the Signature Edition, like the warm light, 10 weeks of battery life and waterproof reading, though it lacks the wireless charging and extra storage.
Also on sale is the Kindle Oasis, available at $200 for the 32GB model instead of the regular $280 price. We called it "the perfect e-reader for the 1 percent" in our review because although it's insanely thin and light and comes with a charging case, $280 is quite expensive. The sale goes a fair way to mitigating that problem by knocking $80 or 29 percent off the price, making it a far more affordable indulgence.
While the Fire HD 10 is the older of the two devices, the deal on that tablet is still the highlight here. For the money, you get a 10.1-inch display with full HD resolution, an eight-core 2GHz processor, 3GB of RAM, 12 hours of rated battery life and up to 64GB of internal storage (expandable to as much a 1TB via a microSD card).
As for the Fire 7, we need to caution you that it earned a lackluster score from us when we reviewed it last summer. Although we acknowledged the then-$60 tablet got some basics right, including battery life, USB-C charging and, well, the affordable price, we dinged it for its unimpressive display quality and sluggish performance. If we were to review it fresh today with a $45 list price, perhaps we'd be a little more generous in our rating.
It's unclear when Amazon will refresh either its 10- or 7-inch tablet line. At its hardware launch last month, Amazon only mentioned a new $100 8-inch model, which promises 30 percent faster performance, slightly improved 13-hour battery life and a new Tap to Alexa feature that allows you to summon the voice assistant without speaking.
This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into the massive amounts of news from Amazon’s recent event. There’s a Kindle you can write on! And Amazon also wants to track your sleep on bed. We discuss what’s interesting about all of this gear, as well as why we still don’t trust Amazon with some of our data. Also, Cherlynn tells us what she likes (and doesn’t) about the Apple Watch Ultra, and Devindra explains why the Sonos Sub Mini is a pretty great value.
Stay tuned to the end for our chat with Josh Newman, VP of Mobile Innovation at Intel. He discusses Unison, Intel’s new app for sending texts and taking calls on your PC via your iPhone or Android phone. It’s something PC users have been waiting for, and it sounds like Intel is serious about making it work smoothly.
Listen above, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Amazon hardware event unveils a writable Kindle, QLED Fire TV, and Alexa improvements – 1:19
Google’s Search On event details new features for search and maps – 26:29
Apple Watch Ultra, Fitbit Sense 2, and Sonos Sub reviews – 39:54
Intel and Samsung debut a PC with a slidable screen – 58:37
Intel’s 13th gen CPUs look impressive – 59:54
NASA’s Dart mission might have smacked an astroid out of orbit – 1:05:32
Oura releases 3rd generation smart ring – 1:06:42
Working on – 1:07:34
Pop culture picks – 1:08:24
Intel Unison interview – 1:15:26
Livestream
Credits Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos Graphic artists: Luke Brooks and Brian Oh
A few years ago, Samsung had major battery issues when several faulty Galaxy Note 7 phones had exploding batteries. The devices were recalled, and the company spent a lot of time over the following years outlining all the rigorous battery tests it did to ensure it didn’t happen again.
Now, YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss, as well as others, have noticed batteries in Samsung phones are swelling up at a disproportionately high rate. This usually affects older devices, but some are only a couple of years old – the 2020-era Galaxy Z Fold 2, for instance.
Samsung hasn’t formally responded yet, but battery swelling isn't a new problem, nor one unique to Galaxy phones. As lithium batteries age, their increasingly flawed chemical reactions can produce gas that inflates battery cells. Many companies suggest you keep device batteries at a roughly 50 percent charge if you won't use it for extended periods.
$1.5 billion is available to fund charging stations along highways.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked $5 billion in funding over five years to help states install chargers along highways, and that process just took an important step forward. The Department of Transportation has approved EV charging plans for all 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico. The proposals cover 75,000 miles of highways.
The biggest change with iPadOS 16 may be Stage Manager, a totally new multitasking system that adds overlapping, resizable windows to the iPad. The latest iPadOS 16 developer beta can run Stage Manager on several older devices: It'll work on the 11-inch iPad Pro (first generation and later) and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (third generation and later). However, there is one notable missing feature for the older iPad Pro models – Stage Manager will only work on the iPad's built-in display. You won't be able to extend your display to an external monitor.
Intel's 13th-gen Core chips, AKA Raptor Lake, have landed. The company's new top-end chip, the Core i9-13900K, sports 24 cores (eight performance cores and 16 efficiency cores) and can reach up to a 5.8GHz Max Turbo frequency. Last year's i9-12900K offered 16 cores and a maximum speed of 5.2 GHz. Intel claims the new 13900K is 41 percent better for multi-threaded work, like video encoding. If you skipped last year's chips or are running even older Intel hardware, the 13th-gen CPUs look like the update you've been waiting for.
Set to debut on its upcoming flagship EX90 electric SUV, Volvo's new radar system monitors both the cabin and trunk, to prevent a car from being locked while anyone is inside. The idea is to guard against situations where pets or children may be inadvertently trapped inside a car on a hot day, with the car surfacing reminders if it recognizes there are occupants inside when being locked. Volvo says the multiple radars in the trunk, in the car's overhead console and in roof-mounted reading lamps can detect "sub-millimeter" movements.
Apple, of all companies, delivering the most competitively priced smartwatch you can buy in 2022? Apple’s starter smartwatch offers a comprehensive suite of health and fitness tracking tools, emergency features and snappy performance. As long as you’re not extremely clumsy or impatient, you won’t miss features like the hardier screen, dust resistance or the always-on display found on the more expensive models.
The chain is also piloting AI that tells kitchen staff what to cook.
Chipotle's tortilla-making robot is moving to a real restaurant. In October, the machine will start cooking tortilla chips in Fountain Valley, California. Feedback from customers and workers will help the company decide on a national rollout. Artificial intelligence will influence some human cooks, too. Chipotle is piloting a demand-based cooking system that uses AI to tell staff what and when to cook based on forecasts for how much they'll need.
With the X-H2S, Fujifilm has a new flagship camera. It features a new 26.2-megapixel stacked sensor that delivers shooting speeds up to 40 fps in electronic shutter mode. At the same time, it has the most advanced video features of any APS-C camera, with up to 6.2K video. It also offers in-body stabilization, a high-resolution EVF, CFexpress support and more. The main drawback: The autofocus still isn’t quite as fast as rival cameras.
Samsung may not have left its battery troubles completely in the past. YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss (aka Arun Rupesh Maini) and others have noticed that batteries in Samsung phones are swelling up at a disproportionately high rate. While this most often affects older devices where ballooning batteries are more likely, some of them are only a couple of years old — the 2020-era Galaxy Z Fold 2, for instance. It's usually obvious (the phone back pops loose), but it can be subtle enough that you may not realize your battery is in a dangerous state.
Battery swelling isn't a new problem, or unique to Samsung. As lithium batteries age, their increasingly flawed chemical reactions can produce gas that inflates battery cells and increases the risk of a fire. This author has had two non-Samsung phones meet their ends this way. It's more likely to happen if you leave a battery without charging or discharging for a long time, and many companies (such as Apple) recommend that you keep batteries at a roughly 50 percent charge if you won't use a device for extended periods.
The concern is that swelling appears to affect Samsung phones of the past few years more than other brands, and that the power packs are rated to last five years without hazards like this. Tech video creators are uniquely well-suited to track issues like this — Maini and people like him often store dozens or hundreds of phones in identical conditions, although they don't necessarily keep the handsets at appropriate charge levels.
It's not clear just how broad the problem is, or how systemic it might be. We've asked Samsung for comment and will let you know if we hear back. However, it's safe to say the company would rather not deal with more battery woes. The Galaxy Note 7's fire-prone battery led Samsung to conduct a massive recall that (temporarily) tarnished the firm's reputation. With that said, the crisis also prompted a focus on battery safety and served as a warning sign to the phone industry. If nothing else, the swelling reports could educate users and manufacturers.
Probably the biggest change Apple announced with iPadOS 16 earlier this year is Stage Manager, a totally new multitasking system that adds overlapping, resizable windows to the iPad. That feature also works on an external display, the first time that iPads could do anything besides mirror their screen on a monitor. Unfortunately, the feature was limited to iPads with the M1 chip — that includes the 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro released in May of 2021 as well as the M1-powered iPad Air which Apple released earlier this year. All other older iPads were left out.
That changes with the latest iPadOS 16 developer beta, which was just released. Now, Apple is making Stage Manager work with a number of older devices: it'll work on the 11-inch iPad Pro (first generation and later) and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (third generation and later). Specifically, it'll be available on the 2018 and 2020 models that use the A12X and A12Z chips rather than just the M1. However, there is one notable missing feature for the older iPad Pro models — Stage Manager will only work on the iPad's build-in display. You won't be able to extend your display to an external monitor.
Apple also says that developer beta 5 of iPadOS 16. is removing external display support for Stage Manager on M1 iPads, something that has been present since the first iPadOS 16 beta was released a few months ago. It'll be re-introduced in a software update coming later this year. Given that some of the iPad community has been pretty vocal about issues with Stage Manager, particularly when using it with an external display, it makes sense that Apple is taking some extra time to keep working on it.
I finally went ahead and *disabled* Stage Manager on my iPad Pro. For now.
As much as I love using 3-4 apps at once, the implementation just isn't there yet. Crashes every few minutes; hard to use multi-window for the same app; UI glitches everywhere.
Obviously, we'll need to try Stage Manager on an older iPad Pro before we can say how well it works, but the A12X and A12Z chips are still plenty powerful, so the experience should hopefully not be any different than on an M1 iPad. It's a bummer that external monitor support isn't included, but this should still be welcome news to people who bought Apple's most expensive iPads in the last few years.
Apple provided Engadget with the following statement about this update:
We introduced Stage Manager as a whole new way to multitask with overlapping, resizable windows on both the iPad display and a separate external display, with the ability to run up to eight live apps on screen at once. Delivering this multi-display support is only possible with the full power of M1-based iPads. Customers with iPad Pro 3rd and 4th generation have expressed strong interest in being able to experience Stage Manager on their iPads. In response, our teams have worked hard to find a way to deliver a single-screen version for these systems, with support for up to four live apps on the iPad screen at once.
External display support for Stage Manager on M1 iPads will be available in a software update later this year.
The Google Play Store is notorious for making it difficult to find apps optimized for non-phone devices —you've often had to guess and hope for the best. Now, however, it just involves a couple of taps. Google says it recently added Play Store home pages to its Android app with recommendations for Android Automotive, Android TV and Wear OS apps. Visit "other devices" and you can find a health tracker for your Galaxy Watch 5, or a video service for your Chromecast.
New search filters also limit results to those that support non-phone hardware. If you find something you like, you can remotely install it from your handset. Google also noted that it previously revised the Play Store website to improve navigation and features like remote installs.
Google
The move follows efforts to accommodate tablet users, and could be helpful if you can't (or just don't want to) search for apps on the device where you'll use them. That's particularly helpful for Wear OS users who might have to browse apps on a tiny screen. You might find more apps for your devices and (as Google no doubt hopes) increase your chances of sticking to the Android ecosystem.
It's also difficult to ignore the timing. Google is formally debuting the Pixel Watch at its New York City event on October 6th, and just revamped the 1080p Chromecast. The improved app discovery could help sell these products to customers wondering if their favorite app is available. Not that you'll likely mind if you prefer third-party gear — this might boost Android as a whole.
Next year’s iPhone could introduce a change to Apple’s naming convention. According to Bloombergreporter Mark Gurman, the company could call its largest and most expensive device in 2023 the iPhone 15 Ultra instead of the iPhone 15 Pro Max as you would expect given its recent track record. The shift would reportedly coincide with the most significant redesign of the iPhone since Apple released the iPhone 12 in 2019. Gurman expects the iPhone 15 to feature USB-C, among other “bigger changes.”
Apple’s smartphone line has seen a couple of branding tweaks over the years. In the early days of the iPhone, when the company released a substantial update every two years, iterative models carried an “S” designation. Since 2019 and the diversification of the line to include separate mainstream and premium variants, the company has employed “Pro” and “Pro Max” designations to market its most advanced phones. Moreover, earlier this year saw the return of the Plus branding, which Apple had not used since 2017. Dropping Pro Max in favor of Ultra would make a lot of sense since the Apple Watch line now includes an Ultra model.
The iPhone 15 rumor mill has already produced a few interesting predictions. Gurman previously reported that Apple was testing USB-C iPhones ahead of the European Union implementing a law requiring all new smartphones made after 2024 to feature the port. More recently, display analyst Ross Young said the entire iPhone 15 line would feature the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island display cutout.
Looking to the more immediate future, Gurman also wrote today that Apple might not hold another event this fall. He says the company plans to announce new Mac mini, MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models before the end of the year. However, as those will be primarily iterative updates to existing devices, Gurman suggests Apple is “more likely” to share the existence of those products with the world through a series of press releases.
Apple released its latest iPhone lineup and mobile platforms earlier this month, and a couple of annoying bugs quickly made themselves known to users. The good news is that the tech giant has quickly whipped up patches to fix the issues and has now released them as part of the iOS 16.0.2 update. One of the problems the update solves is the iPhone 14 Pro's compatibility troubles with third-party apps that use its camera, such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
Users found that when they fire up those apps and use the device's rear cam, the camera view shakes on screen and the phone emanates grinding and rattling noises. In its patch notes, Apple said the update fixes an issue wherein the "[c]amera may vibrate and cause blurry photos when shooting with some third-party apps on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max." The company didn't elaborate on the cause behind it, but it's possible that the apps weren't meshing well with the device's optical image stabilization system, causing the rattling noises.
Another troublesome problem the update fixes is the persistent appearance of permission prompts when trying to copy and paste content between apps. Apple senior manager Ron Huang previously admitted that it was "absolutely not expected behavior" and said the company was dealing with it. iOS 16.0.2 will get rid of other bugs, as well, including one that causes the device's display to go black during setup and another that renders the touch input on some iPhone X, iPhone XR and iPhone 11 displays to be unresponsive after they're serviced.
Three years ago, Apple finally gave the people what they wanted: active noise cancellation (ANC) in a set of AirPods. That first-generation model retained the overall look of the company’s classic earbuds, but added an ear tip for noise isolation along with a better fit. After a total redesign of the “regular” AirPods last year and introducing some over-ear noise-canceling headphones in 2020, Apple finally unveiled its latest premium earbuds alongside the iPhone 14: the second-generation AirPods Pro ($249).
For version 2.0, Apple hasn’t totally re-written the formula. If you were hoping for an updated design for the new AirPods Pro, Apple surely left you disappointed. Instead of a complete overhaul, the company focused instead on the internals, adding several new features and refining what was already there with the help of some new silicon. So, even though Apple didn’t abandon its aesthetic, these AirPods Pro are still vastly different from the previous edition.
Design
We’re now on our fifth set of earbuds from the company and so far it has only tweaked the look of the “regular” AirPods – and that wasn’t until gen three. Even then, the company kept its stickbuds look, a polarizing design element that has become the hallmark of Apple’s true wireless lineup. Expecting the folks in Cupertino to ditch the stem at this point is likely an exercise in futility, but hey, I welcome Apple to prove me wrong.
Even with the familiar look, there are some small but significant changes. First is something you can’t see: the new swipe gesture. The AirPods Pro stem is still clickable for the core controls (play/pause, skipping tracks, sound modes and Siri), but now the side of that panel accepts swipes. This touch gesture is used to control volume and is mirrored on both sides. Unfortunately, you can’t just swipe it or the earbud will fall out of your ear; you have to use your thumb to brace the stem, just like you would if you were going to press the main button. One addition you can see is the extra small (XS) ear tip size that will improve the fit (not to mention passive noise reduction) for even more people. It’s notable Apple is adjusting these AirPods for small ears in an effort to boost overall performance and comfort.
The other key design changes have to do with the AirPods Pro charging case. First, it has a built-in speaker this time around, making it easier to hear pings when you’re looking for the earbuds or activate tones for low battery, charging and pairing. Accordingly, the grille is now visible on the bottom edge. The case is IPX4 rated just like the AirPods Pro, meaning it, too, is sweat and water resistant. Additionally, there’s now a lanyard loop on one side. In true Apple fashion, there isn’t one included in the box, so the added convenience will cost you more money. The company currently sells a lanyard in its online store from Incase for $13, but you can expect other accessory makers to offer alternatives soon enough.
Software and features
Billy Steele/Engadget
All of the features for the AirPods Pro are baked into iOS, so there’s no need to download a separate app to make changes. For this reason, the earbuds seamlessly pair with your phone when you open the case and tap the on-screen pop-up. Just like before, you can quickly access noise cancellation, transparency, spatial audio and head tracking with a long press on the volume slider in the Control Center.
In iOS 16, there’s now a shortcut in the main view of your iPhone settings, saving you the extra taps through the Bluetooth menu. Once you make it to the AirPods Pro settings page, you’ll see battery figures for the earbuds and the case (one number for both). Noise control options for ANC, transparency and turning both off are just below with the ability to reconfigure the long press to activate Siri rather than cycle through those sound modes. Apple’s ear tip fit test also lives in this menu, as do sliders for disabling Adaptive Transparency, in-ear detection, charging case sounds optimized charging and Find My.
Apple has offered Adaptive EQ before, but a new feature for the second-generation AirPods Pro is Adaptive Transparency. This helps when you’re in ambient sound mode by applying a level of noise reduction to loud noises like a siren or a jackhammer. When you sync the AirPods Pro with your Apple Watch, the Noise app will show you how many decibels the earbuds are suppressing in real time. What’s more, that info is then sent to the Health app so you can track auditory exposure levels. Indeed, the AirPods Pro allows you to still hear these things (you’ll want to know about an approaching siren after all), but it noticeably reduces their harshness in the best interest of your ears.
Billy Steele/Engadget
Another new feature Apple introduced on the AirPods Pro is Personalized Spatial Audio. From this main settings menu, you can initiate the process of tuning the device to your ears, which Apple says will improve the immersive quality of Spatial Audio with more accuracy and clarity for dirational elements in movies, TV shows and videos. To set it up, you create a personal profile with the front-facing TrueDepth camera on an iPhone. After taking a scan of your face and ears, your phone does the rest.
It’s similar to setting up FaceID, only you capture the sides of your head too. Sony does a similar thing to tailor 360 Reality Audio to each person with a phone camera and a quick scan. Personalized Spatial Audio will also be available on the first-gen AirPods Pro in addition to third-gen AirPods and AirPods Max. And once you configure it, the sound profile syncs across your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV
The upgraded charging case houses a U1 chip that enables Precision Finding in Find My. Until now, you got a general location for a missing AirPods case. But with the AirPods Pro, Apple offers direction and distance info like it does for AirTags. As a refresher, U1 is the company’s ultra wideband chip that’s been in every iPhone since the 11 for precise location capabilities. The component does the same thing it’s doing for the new AirPods Pro case on AirTags.
H2 chip
Billy Steele/Engadget
Apple’s H1 chip has powered its earbuds and headphones, including Beats products, for years now. The component handles everything Adaptive EQ and active noise cancellation to hands-free Siri. However, every good piece of tech runs its course and on the new AirPods Pro, Apple is introducing the H2. The company says that the new chip not only offers improved sound quality and improved ANC, but it handles new features like Adaptive Transparency.
H2 is more powerful, but it’s also more efficient. With Adaptive Transparency, for example, the chip is capable of on-device processing 48,000 times per second to recognize and quiet those harsh noises you may encounter. For ANC, Apple says H2 can run algorithms that weren’t possible before on devices as small as AirPods. So, when coupled with the drivers, vents and microphones, AirPods Pro cancels double the noise as the first-gen model. H2 also boosts Adaptive EQ with algorithms for improved and more consistent audio performance and works to help you sound more natural when you’re hearing yourself speak in transparency mode.
I know, that’s several claims of performance boosts in a variety of areas. But all you really need to know is that the new H2 chip makes everything possible that Apple has either added, improved or refined since the 2019 model.
Sound quality
Billy Steele/Engadget
Inside the new AirPods Pro, Apple says new algorithms, amplifier, driver and transducer combine for “richer” sound, increased clarity and consistent performance across volumes and frequencies. It’s a lot of audio jargon, but what you need to know is that the overall sound quality of the second-gen model is massively improved from the first version. Apple wasn’t lying when it promised music would sound better at lower volumes. Even when I turn down the levels, the spacey shoegaze and post-hardcore riffs of The Darling Fire still cut through clean. The band’s atmospheric sound remains intact rather than being compressed down to a muffled murmur. It’s seriously impressive what this new model can do with quieter volume, right down to the bass.
What Apple has done with regular volume is great too. The overall sound is indeed richer with more depth, clarity and a wider soundstage to create a fuller listening experience. The echo on the snaps and the sustain on the low, boomy synth on Lorde’s “Royals” are on equal footing, but at opposite ends of the frequency range. This keeps the track airy and dimensional, showcasing subtle nuance in both sounds. The sound isn’t just immersive, it’s more detailed too.
When it comes to Personalized Spatial Audio, I actually prefer what the AirPods Pro offer out of the box. Once I scanned my face and ears, the customized sound profile was too heavy on the treble for my taste. Music sounded a bit less immersive and thundering or bombastic elements of movies were slightly muted. Spatial Audio benefits movies and shows more than music anyway, unless you’re listening to one of Apple’s live concerts that was specifically captured for the format. Switch on dynamic head tracking and Luke Combs’ recent Apple Music performance sounds much more lifelike. Songs are noticeably louder and clearer in Spatial Audio even without head tracking, but the directional element gives things more of a “live” feel with a band on stage.
The new personalization feature can’t be turned on with a tap either. Once you set up Personalized Spatial Audio, it’s always active, and if you want to stop using it, iOS deletes your profile. To use it again, you have to repeat the scanning process. Apple argues you won’t need to go back and forth because you’ll want it on all the time. I think it would be good to have the option of toggling it on for movies, for example, but being able to use regular Spatial Audio for music.
I also have to mention Apple’s transparency mode. I don’t understand why no other company comes close to AirPods on ambient sound, but the truth is Apple has the most natural sounding audio here. I first noticed it on the AirPods Max, but the new AirPods Pro are just as impressive. You can keep these in during a meeting and it sounds like you’re not even wearing them. You’ll notice the AirPods Pro when you start to speak because your ears are plugged, but that’s about it. It’s the best transparency mode you’ll find on earbuds, and the closest competition is still a ways behind.
Apple has also improved SharePlay audio, so when you’re watching something with a friend, you can now expect 48kHz “cinema quality” audio. I don’t recall any issues with how things sounded like before, but I can tell you that House of the Dragon remains pristine when the audio is beaming audio to two sets of AirPods.
Call quality
Billy Steele/Engadget
Most earbuds can only muster speakerphone-quality audio for calls, and the AirPods Pro do a slightly better job that most of the competition. You won’t sound crystal clear, but the voice performance doesn’t immediately indicate you might be speaking into a phone that’s resting on your desk. The AirPods Pro also do a decent job with background noise, quieting but not all-out silencing things like white noise machines. The best call quality I noticed with Apple’s new is in FaceTime, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Group FaceTime calls already had Spatial Audio, but Apple has added dynamic head tracking to the video chat app too. With the newer AirPods models, you can get an even more realistic sense of being in the room with people instead of just conversing virtually. Personalized Spatial Audio also works in FaceTime, so if you enjoy that bit of customization, it will also be applied to your group chats. When you pair Apple’s immersive sound with the natural audio in transparency mode, you only really notice you’re wearing earbuds when you’re speaking. Again, that’s due to your plugged ears.
Battery life
When it comes to battery life, Apple says you can expect up to six hours with ANC on or up to seven hours with noise cancellation disabled. There are three additional charges in the new case which can now be replenished with an Apple Watch charger in addition to MagSafe and Qi-certified accessories or a Lightning cable. If you find yourself in a pinch, five minutes in the case will give you up to one hour of use. The company explains that Personalized Spatial Audio and dynamic head tracking decrease overall listening time by 30 minutes and that you can expect up to 4.5 of purely talk on calls.
During my tests, I managed six hours and fifteen minutes of use with a mix of noise cancellation, transparency mode and calls. That’s more than the previous generation (4.5 hours) and it’s on par with most of the competition these days. Sure, some companies offer 10-plus hours on a charge, but the average is around five to seven for the noise-canceling products I’ve tested. More battery life would always be nice, but the six or seven hours Apple musters is enough to get you through the workday if you take a short break.
The competition
Billy Steele/Engadget
Like Google and Samsung, Apple reserves the best features on the AirPods Pro for the iPhone, iPad and Mac faithful. You can use these earbuds on other devices, but you won’t have access to things like hands-free Siri and Spatial Audio. For that reason, Apple’s buds aren’t really in direct competition with Pixel Buds and Galaxy Buds as all three companies have created a walled garden that rewards loyal customers with the best their audio products have to offer.
If supreme ANC is your goal, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are your best bet. Bose’s latest true wireless product is smaller and more comfortable, with massive upgrades to both overall audio and noise canceling performance. They’re pricey at $299 and they lack basic features like multipoint connectivity and wireless charging. For pure sound quality, look at the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3. The company is consistently at the top in terms of audio performance and that continues with its latest model that debuted this spring. Lastly, if a load of convenient features are what you’re after, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 has a full suite of tools. Other headphone companies have started to ape Sony’s spec sheet, but things like Speak-to-Chat automatic pausing when you speak and location-based sound settings still come in handy.
Wrap-up
Apple’s noise-canceling earbuds were way overdue for an update. While the company didn’t see the need to change the overall design, it did extensive upgrades on the inside, introducing new features and improving performance along the way. Importantly, it made all of these changes while keeping the price at $249. Things like improved audio, more powerful ANC, Adaptive Transparency and even the upgrades to the charging case make the new AirPods Pro a worthwhile update to a familiar formula. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another three years for a full redesign.
