Apple is switching from Lighting to USB-C for the port on the entire iPhone 15 lineup, but the company isn't stopping there. During today's event, Apple announced it would also be swapping out the wired charging jack on the second-gen AirPods Pro that debuted last year. You can use a USB-C cable to charge the AirPods Pro case from an iPhone 15 too. 

The second-gen AirPods Pro are a big improvement over the company's first version, with better audio quality and active noise cancellation (ANC) performance. Apple's earbuds and headphones have the most natural-sounding transparency mode of any we've tested, which is a huge boost for both video and voice calls. You can hear yourself so well you don't need to shout, and at times, it sounds like you aren't even wearing them. Conveniences like hands-free access to Siri, seamless switching between iCloud-connected devices and the added volume control also come in handy. 

Apple is also getting ready to add three new features to the latest AirPods Pro. Adaptive Audio will fine-tune ANC and transparency mode to your environment. The tool "dynamically blends" the two as you move from one spot to the next and encounter varying degrees of ambient distractions. Personalized Volume, according to Apple, uses machine learning to predict your desired listening level based on your activity over time. And lastly, Conversation Awareness will lower the volume while also focusing on voices and reducing background noise. It's triggered when you start speaking, so you don't have to press a button to use it. 

In addition to those main items, Apple's pending update will further improve seamless switching between various devices synced to your iCloud account. This includes jumping from iPhone to MacBook Pro when you have a video call, for example. Speaking of calls, you'll soon be able to mute/unmute by pressing the stem on the AirPods Pro. This feature will also be available on the first-gen AirPods Pro, AirPods Max and the third-gen AirPods. We expect the software-based updates to arrive soon, but there's no word yet on exactly when that will be.

Developing...

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Apple has pulled the cover off the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus and, as expected, it’s mostly another iterative update — but with a few nice new features nonetheless. That said, the biggest change will undoubtedly impact lots of potential buyers, as Apple is saying goodbye to the Lightning port it introduced in 2012 with the iPhone 5. In its place, as expected, is USB-C.

As you'd expect, USB-C will carry power, audio and video, and a USB-C Apple Watch charger cable will let you power up your Watch via your iPhone's battery. 

Like last year, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus include 6.1- and 6.7-inch displays, respectively. The big change this year is that the notch is gone, replaced by the so-called Dynamic Island that Apple first brought to the iPhone 14 Pro lineup last year. Almost everyone will likely appreciate a less obtrusive front camera cutout, though the notification utility of the Dynamic Island isn’t exactly the game-changer that Apple positioned it to be last year.

Another big change to the display this year is that it is brighter than ever before — the peak brightness in sunlight reaches 2,000 nits, while HDR video playback goes up to 1,600 nits.

The camera is getting some notable upgrades, as well. While there are still only two distinct camera lenses, the phone now has the same 48-megapixel sensor that Apple first introduced in last year's iPhone 14 Pro. It groups the pixels and makes a 24-megapixel output, but you can also crop in closer and use the middle 12 megapixels for a 2x telephoto option. Naturally, it still also has a wide-angle lens as well. There's also a new portrait mode that is enabled automatically when it sees you focusing on a person or pet.

Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 15 is using the A16 Bionic chip that Apple put in the iPhone 15 Pro last year. That’s not a big surprise, given that the A15 chip is now two years old — even though it’s still plenty powerful, it would have been surprising to see Apple try and stretch it for another year.

There's a new ultra-wideband chip in the iPhone 15, same as the one found in the Apple Watch Series 9. This makes it easier to find friends or devices when you're near them. You'll get an indicator showing you which direction to head and about how far away you are. Apple's existing SOS service is being extended to work with AAA roadside service, as well. 

Like Apple is doing with the Apple Watch, new iPhone cases will not use leather; instead they are using Apple's own FineWoven fabric. As usual, the iPhone 15 comes in five colors: Black, light blue, mint green, light yellow and pink. (These are my interpretations of these colors; I'm sure Apple will have their own names for them.) Pricing is unchanged from last year — the iPhone 15 will cost $799 and the 15 Plus will cost $899, both with 128GB of storage.

Follow all of the news live from Apple's 'Wonderlust' event right here.

Apple’s premium smartwatch is getting its first major upgrade. The company showed off the $799 Apple Watch Ultra 2, the first update for the high-end watch meant for extreme athletes and others with more specialized fitness-tracking needs.

As expected, the second-gen device will keep the same 49-millimeter form factor as the original, but still sports some significant upgrades. Notably, the Ultra 2 comes with a new extra-bright 3,000 Nit display to make the screen easier to read in any lighting conditions. The Ultra 2 will be among the first watches to get Apple’s new S9 chip, which will power the new “double tap gesture,” and upgraded Siri functionality.

As with the original Ultra, the second-gen device boasts a longer battery life than its smaller Series 9 counterpart. According to Apple, the Ultra 2 will top out at 36 hours of battery life on one charge, but can last up to 72 hours in low-power mode. That’s a slight improvement over last year’s model, which could go 60 hours in low-power.

Developing...

Follow all of the news live from Apple's 'Wonderlust' event right here.

Apple's watchOS 10 will officially be available on September 18, the company announced during its iPhone 15 launch event today. The update is simultaneously one of the biggest facelifts ever for watchOS, while also being a throwback to the original "Glances" feature from the original Apple Watch. Instead of focusing on individual apps, WatchOS 10 relies on widgets in every watch face — just turn the Digital Crown and you'll have quick access to things like timers, music, or a podcast episode that you're listening to. 

Given how confusing multitasking has been in watchOS for some time, it makes sense for Apple to reorient the platform around simple tasks, rather than have you flip through multiple app screens. (Maybe Apple just noticed that people really like using the Siri watch face, which offered a similar array of widgets.) 

As we saw during WWDC, watchOS 10 will come equipped with two new watch faces — a colorful view called Palette, and one featuring Woodstock and Snoopy — and includes a slew of other upgrades. You'll be able to add corner shortcuts to the Activity app, for one, while the Compass app will automatically log where you last had cellular connectivity (in case you need to backtrack for an emergency call).

watchOS 10 will be available on the Apple Watch Series 4 or later, and it also requires an iPhone XS running iOS 17. 

Follow all of the news live from Apple's 'Wonderlust' event right here.

Apple added a new gesture to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 that the company believes will change how you use your wearable. Double Tap lest you control various system functions by tapping your thumb and index finger together twice in quick succession — no need to touch the display or free up your other hand.

The company gave several examples of the feature in action. You can use Double Tap to answer or end calls, snooze alarms, play / pause music or start and stop timers. Apple COO Jeff Williams said it’s especially useful for times when your other hand isn’t free, like when walking a dog or carrying groceries.

Williams added that you can use Double Tap to call up the Smart Stack, watchOS 10’s new scrollable series of widgets you can also reach by twisting the Digital Crown from your watch face.

Apple says Double Tap requires the faster Neural Engine S9 SIP, so older models won’t be able to use it. The S9 will be found in the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, both of which debut next month.

Apple has spent a significant amount of its keynote today talking about its environmental bonafides, and part of that is the fact that it will no longer sell leather accessories, including things like iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands. The company noted that while leather is popular for things like watch straps, it has a serious impact on the environment, particularly at Apple's scale. 

Instead, Apple is introducing a new product called FineWoven that'll replace its leather straps. Visually, they do look quite similar to the leather bands it used to sell — the leather loop and "modern buckle" styles will still be available, just in this new FineWoven material. We haven't gotten to the iPhone yet, but presumably we'll hear about FineWoven cases for that device as well. 

Apple has long had a partnership for the Apple Watch with Hermès, a company known for high-end fashion products including a wide variety of leather products. The collaboration will continue, but Hermès straps won't be leather going forward either. It looks like they'll be made of custom Hermès canvas, rubber and other textiles. 

Developing...

Follow all of the news live from Apple's 'Wonderlust' event right here.

It's September, which means the air is thick with the promise of fall, school is back in session, and Apple just revealed a new Apple Watch. This year, the company is showing off the Apple Watch Series 9. The Series 9 features a new processor, the S9 chip, and a quad-core neural engine, which promises 18-hour battery life and overall performance boosts. On the software side, watchOS 10 is poised to be the biggest UI overhaul in Apple Watch history, with a renewed focus on widgets, and a slew of app and input updates.

The new neural engine enables offline Siri access and powers new gestures.

With watchOS 10, Apple is returning to its wearable roots. The original Apple Watch UI revolved around Glances, which offered a carousel of widgets and other features, but the company eventually transitioned to an app-first UI. WatchOS 10 puts widgets front-and-center once more, in a style similar to the existing Siri watch face. Rotating the digital crown opens a smart stack of widgets, and apps like timers, stopwatches and podcast players will populate as widgets when they're in use.

Other watchOS 10 upgrades include the ability to view FaceTime video messages and join Group FaceTime audio, track power and heart rate data during cycling sessions, and update your emotional state in the Mindfulness app using the digital crown. The software update also adds useful features to the Compass app, including a pin that will automatically drop near the last place you had cellular connection, which will be particularly useful while hiking and camping. Physical controls are changing with watchOS 10, too — press the side button to open the Control Center and double-press the digital crown to see recently used apps.

Of course, you won't need a shiny new Series 9 to take advantage of these new features. The watchOS 10 update will be available on Apple Watch Series 4 and later models.

The Apple Watch hasn't seen a significant design update in years, with incremental hardware and software changes in each new model since the Series 6 in 2020. This makes the S9 processor upgrade in the Series 9 notable. Bundle that with the rollout of watchOS 10, and it's a mildly exciting year for Apple Watch wearers.

Follow all of the news live from Apple's 'Wonderlust' event right here.

Native Instruments' Kontrol S series MIDI keyboards are a favorite among producers and musicians for their solid build and tight integration with the company's instruments like Kontakt and Massive X. This year the controllers are getting a pretty significant upgrade that pushes the hardware to new heights and tightens the integration with the company's flagship software.

Physically there are few immediately obvious differences on the Kontrol S MK3. For one the stark matte black aesthetic has been toned down a bit. Don't get me wrong, it's still a mostly black affair, but there are some additional lights and colored labels have been added to some of the buttons. The touch strip has also been moved above the pitch and mod wheels which, might seem like a minor tweak, but greatly improves playability. It could often get in the way and it's something that a lot of Native Instruments' customers complained about, so it's good to see the company listening to feedback.

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

The other glaring difference is the screen. Where the MK2 had two small, but functional screens, the MK3 has one large hi-res screen. It's bright and crisp and easy to view from any angle. Many of the graphics and UI elements have been updated to take advantage of the new display, too. You can't do everything in your DAW on the keyboard, the way you might with say with an Ableton Push, but you can do almost anything inside of Komplete Kontrol. The screen allows you to browse through all your Native Instruments plugins and sound packs, and even many third party VSTs, like those from Arturia, complete with artwork. And then change parameters, complete with visual feedback, until you get the sound you're looking for.

If you'd rather not deal with the additional overhead of Komplete Kontrol, the keyboard can tap directly into Kontakt 7. Frankly I much preferred this. While being able to browse, load and tweak presets, regardless of instrument directly from the keyboard is nice, it can be a little overwhelming. And there is a touch more lag loading Kontakt soundbanks when you're going through the middleman of Komplete Kontrol. (And they open slow enough on my four-year-old Dell as is.)

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

The eight knobs under the screen give you quick access to a number of parameters based on what instrument you've loaded. And in Kontakt, there's additional flexibility because they can vary based on preset, which loads with a performance mode by default. These are the eight parameters deemed most important for live tweaking. But you can dive deeper by hitting a button above the screen to switch to edit mode where you can page through the complete set of options and get really detailed designing a patch. All of this is thanks to the new NKS 2.0 (Native Kontrol Standard) platform.

Two of the other major changes to the S Series are a little less obvious. For one there's a new unibody shell that, might not make any practical difference, but does give generation a slightly more solid feel. The capacitive encoders and pitch and mod wheels are all made from machined aluminum as well. This is a keyboard that feels worthy of a professional studio. 

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

More exciting though, is the new keybed which was developed in coordination with Fatar and brings polyphonic aftertouch to the Kontrol series. While there aren't a lot of Native Instruments' plugins that take full advantage of this yet, it does add a bit of future proofing to the lineup. With MPE gaining in popularityThe company had to do something to keep pace with the time.

It feels great too. I tested the Kontrol S49 which, like its slightly bigger sibling the S61, has a semi-weighted keybed. The travel for aftertouch is short, but satisfying and in general it responds to playing naturally allowing you to get a lot of nuance from your playing. The S88 however will have a full hammer action keyboard that might appeal more to serious piano players. 

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

Lastly, it's worth noting that there is plenty of connectivity on board as well. Obviously, there's MIDI over over USB-C, but there's also dedicated five-pin MIDI ins and outs, plus four pedal input jacks (one sustain, one expression and two assignable).

The Native Instruments Kontrol S Series MK3 keyboards are available for preorder today starting at $749 for the S49, $849 for the S61 and $1,299 for the S88. All three are expected to start shipping sometime in October.

In a world of generic electric bikes, the JackRabbit is hard to ignore. The micro, pedal-free ride blends the convenience of a scooter with the sitdown comfort of a bicycle. We loved the original, but there was plenty of room for improvement. That room has been dramatically reduced with the unveiling of the JackRabbit XG — a newer, more powerful and slightly (just slightly) bigger version available starting today.

The XG initially looks very similar to the “OG” (as it has since been dubbed) that came before it. What you will notice is that it sports a more conventional diamond-style frame. There are also two batteries this time around for up to 20 miles of range (double the original). As mentioned earlier, the wheelbase is a shade longer, but only by an inch or two. The result is a more refined bike with not only more range but, thanks to a new 500W motor, more power for going up hills with the same 20 mph max speed.

The quality-of-life enhancements also extend beyond extra power and range. The JackRabbit XG comes with an actual bike computer so you can see real time speed, trip length and a more refined battery life gauge. Before, the only feedback you had for anything were three LEDs to indicate remaining power. Additionally, there are new all-metal footpegs, which is great as the original used rubber “shoes” on its pegs and they easily fell off — I lost both within two short rides.

The addition of the extra battery, combined with that new motor are what really makes the JackRabbit XG feel like an improvement on the original. I stated in my review that the battery life was perhaps on the shorter side and if you ever ran out of juice, like I once did, it wasn’t a very fun time getting back home on, effectively, an adult balance bike. Thankfully, with double the amount of cells, the XG now reaches up to, and maybe even beyond 20 miles of normal usage putting it well on par with what you’d expect from a scooter. (There are no pedals here, so that range is motor-only.)

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

One of the first things you noticed when you rode the original was the higher center of gravity which gave the JackRabbit a “lively” riding experience. Thankfully, the XG feels a lot more stable and doesn’t seem to feature any of the twitchy physics at higher speeds. And thanks to the three power modes, you have more control over the maximum speed (and thus range and ride feel) of the bike.

Naturally, that extra battery and longer frame add a bit of heft. The OG model weighed in at 24 pounds, while the XG adds another eight to that. You can still easily lift the bike with one hand though, and a dash up the subway stairs with it is still perfectly manageable. By keeping with the same battery as the OG, upgraders might even have some spares ready, but also the double battery bay means you can ride on just one cell if needed, or if you just fancy a lighter ride with less range. Thankfully, the batteries no longer require a key to unlock them for swapping out, with new permanent clips on the underside of the XG instead, which is much easier and saves having to carry another, easily losable, key.

Some smaller details show how the JackRabbit is maturing. For example, while the bike doesn’t come with a powered light (there are reflectors), the XG has an extra power port should you wish to add one. There’s also a front brake now to augment the rear one so you won’t have to pull a rad slide in certain strong braking situations. That said, there are a couple of other listed features that are perhaps more creative on the marketing side than practical for the user. For one there’s a “walk mode” — which typically has the bike roll itself along slowly as you stroll. But here that mode is achieved not by holding down a button to engage the throttle slightly, instead you loosen the handlebars, rotate them 90 degrees (so that the bike is “thin”) and Jackrabbit’s “walk mode” is “activated.” That said, the same process does easily allow for tidy storage of the bike.

Photo by James Trew / Engadget

It’s in the riding that the XG comes to life. The OG model would pull away when you pressed the accelerator, but the new model requires you to push off first, much like on a scooter. It’s a minor change, but one that does stop the bike pulling away from you if you accidentally activate the throttle. In “high” mode, you don’t need to push off to start moving, so if that’s what you prefer you can keep it in that setting. Having the three power modes is a welcome way of moderating battery usage without having to be as judicious with the accelerator. I won’t lie though, “high” is the most fun and that’s where I find myself keeping it now that it sports the extra range.

The OG model had a few rough edges, but was a fun alternative to scooters or small e-bikes. The XG feels much more refined and practical with all the major pain points addressed with very little tradeoff — though it’s a shade larger and heavier making it just that much less convenient than a foldable scooter. With all these changes though comes a much higher price tag. The original was $1,200 when we wrote about it but has since dropped back to $1,000. The XG will cost $1,750 at launch.

That’s a decent step up, but it bests its younger sibling in every conceivable way. That also puts it up in the same price range as many regular e-bikes. If you’re considering the XG purely as an alternative to a scooter then it’s clearly a pricier option. If, however, you want the flexibility of a bike that can perk up your daily commute and go on adventures that scooters can’t, the JackRabbit XG suddenly seems much more attractive.

Once again, we're at Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, waiting for the company to unveil new hardware. But unlike WWDC earlier this year, there is much less hype over what we expect to see. Instead of a mixed reality headset that was a first for the company, this time we're most likely getting new iPhones and Apple Watches — things that Tim Cook and friends have spent so many years refining it's hard to imagine them looking drastically different. 

Still, iPhones are the most popular phones around, and we might still be treated to surprise announcements. Stick around as we bring you all the news straight from Apple Park. The keynote begins at 1pm ET (or 10am PT), and we'll begin liveblogging about an hour before that, so come through with your favorite snacks and beverages!