Since Sony announced its latest flagship soundbar at the end of July, we’ve been patiently waiting for the company to release the HT-A7000 to put it through testing. That hasn’t happened yet, but starting today you can pre-order the unit, as well as the supporting speakers Sony announced at the same time, from Amazon.
Part of what makes the $1,300 HT-A7000 intriguing is all the features Sony packed into it. Highlights include an HDMI 2.1 connection with eARC and both 8K and 4K/120 Hz passthrough, in addition to Dolby Atmos support. It also comes with the company’s DSEE Extreme technology for upscaling compressed audio. Another nifty feature is a set of built-in microphones the speaker can use to calibrate itself to your space.
Starting today, you can also pre-order the SA-SW5 and SA-SW3 Sony announced alongside the HT-A7000. The $700 SW5 is a 300-watt subwoofer with a 7-inch speaker, while the more affordable SA-SW3 will give you 200-watts of bass for $400. Also up for pre-order today are the SA-RS3S satellite speakers. They’re priced at $350 for the pair.
If you want to take your home theatre in a different direction, Sony’s HT-A9 system is another option. $1,800 nets you four cylindrical speakers the company says you can adapt to almost any space and layout. The system comes with a wireless control box that features an HDMI 2.1 connection with eARC output and 8K and 4K/120 Hz passthrough alongside Dolby Vision. They also come with Sony’s Sound Mapping Technology, which the company claims allows them to create a more immersive soundstage.
Labor Day weekend may be over, but some of the sales that came with it are still ongoing. A number of Apple products have been discounted ahead of the company's event next week, including the iPad Air and the MacBook Air M1. Amazon has a bunch of deals onFire tablets, knocking the Fire HD 10 tablet down to $100 and the Fire HD 8 down to $60. Plus, you can still save a ton on things like Samsung portable drives, eero 6 WiFi systems, Pixel smartphones and more. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
iPad Air
Dana Wollman/Engadget
Apple's iPad Air is $100 off right now, bringing it down to $500. All five colors are on sale at Amazon. thanks to automatically applied coupons, although with various shipping times. We gave the Air a score of 90 for its speedy performance and WiFi, healthy battery life and support for the second-gen Apple Pencil.
The Apple Watch SE is on sale for $240 right now on Amazon thanks to a few automatically applied coupons for certain color options. We gave the Watch SE a score of 88 for its comfortable, familiar design, solid performance and comprehensive feature set for the price.
Apple's MacBook Air M1 is back down to an all-time low of $850 thanks to an automatically applied coupon. It earned a score of 94 from us for its stellar performance, attractive, fanless design and its comfortable keyboard and trackpad.
Apple's Mac Mini M1 returned to its all-time-low price of $600 thanks to a sale and an automatically applied coupon. You're getting all of the performance boosts provided by the M1 chipset in a compact desktop package. This is a good machine to get if you have an older desktop that needs replacing, but you don't want to spend a ton of money.
Eufy's SpaceView baby monitor with one camera is down to $125 thanks to a clippable coupon and the code eufybbm20 that you can use at checkout. The camera can pan 330 degrees and tilt 110 degrees to give you a full view of your baby's room, and you can expand the field of view up to 110 degrees thanks to the included extra lens. It also uses a FHSS connection instead of WiFi, which lets you check out your kids' activities in real time in a more secure way.
Amazon's Labor Day sale on eero 6 systems is still ongoing so you can pick up a pack with one router and two extenders for $195, or $84 off its normal price. A pack of three routers is also down to $244. These gadgets support a peak bandwidth of 900Mbps and they include a built-in Zigbee smart home hub, so you can connect things like smart lights directly to it.
A number of Fire tablets are still on sale after the Labor Day holiday. The top-tier Fire HD 10 is $50 off, bringing it down to $100, while you can grab the Fire HD 8 for $60 or the Fire 7 for only $40. These devices make good starter tablets for kids as well as good couch devices for email-checking, web-surfing, online shopping and more.
Both the first- and second-generation Echo Show 5s are on sale right now — the original is down to $45 while the updated version is only $10 more. These stand out as excellent smart alarm clocks thanks to their compact size, sunrise alarm feature and tap-to-snooze function. The main difference between the two is the improved, 2MP camera on the second-gen version, which will make for slightly better video calls.
Google's Pixel 4 smartphone is down to a new low of $379 at B&H Photo. We believe the launch of the Pixel 6 to be right around the corner, so you may want to wait if you want the latest phone from Google. However, the Pixel 4 remains a solid handset — we liked its speedy performance, lovely display and stellar camera experience.
Samsung's T7 Touch portable SSD in 1TB is down to $170, or $10 off its normal price. It has dropped to $160 in the past, but this is the best price we've seen in a number of months. In addition to read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds up to 1,000 MB/s, this tiny SSD has a shock-resistant body and a built-in fingerprint reader for an extra layer of security.
Google's Nest WiFi pack with one router and one access point is down to $199 right now at Best Buy. That's $70 off its normal price and a great deal on one of our favorite mesh systems. We gave it a score of 84 for its minimalist design, simple installation and built-in smart speaker.
Samsung's Premiere Projector is $1,000 cheaper both at Amazon and Samsung's own site. The 4.2.2 sound channel model is down to $5,498, which is still quite expensive, but much better than its normal $6,500 price. We included this in our best projectors guide for its separate red, green and blue lasers that cover the full Rec.2020 color range, maximum 2,800 lumens of brightness and 4K resolution.
Through September 18, Omaze is giving away another $20,000 to build your ultimate gaming PC. This sweepstakes is free to enter, but funds donated with purchased entries will benefit Schools on Wheels, an organization that provides free tutoring and mentoring services to children experiencing homelessness across Southern California.
Through December 8, you can enter to win four-day passes to San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Along with the passes, you'll get access to a special preview night, reserved seating in Hall H, a personal concierge, a private tour of the Comic-Con Museum, dinner in Balboa Park and tickets to the "Night at the Comic-Con Museum" event. It's free to enter, but funds from this sweepstakes will go to the San Diego Comic Convention.
A few Dyson cordless vacuums are still on sale even after the Labor Day holiday. Of note are the Dyson Outsize for $700, or $100 off its normal price, and the Dyson V8 Animal for $350, which is $50 off. Although both models are a few years old at this point, they remains solid cordless vacuums made even better by these sale prices.
Weber knocked hundreds off its high-end SmokeFire grills — both the EX6 and EX4 are $200 off, bringing them down to $999 and $799, respectively. These WiFi-connected grills are some of our favorites because they're relatively easy for even grilling novices to use and their companion mobile app gives you a number of convenient features like remote temperature adjustment and SmokeBoost activation.
The new Galaxy Buds 2 are on sale for $125 at Woot, which is $25 off their normal price. These buds earned a score of 84 from us for their improved sound quality, small and comfortable design and wireless charging capabilities. A note: Woot's return policy is not the same as Amazon's, despite being owned by the retail giant, so check it out before you make a purchase.
Woot also has a one-day sale on the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2, knocking it down to $270. This is a great deal considering this Chromebook is usually prices between $375 and $500. You're getting a lightweight 2-in-1 design here with an Intel Celeron 3965Y processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 12.2-inch FHD display and a built-in stylus. A note: Woot's return policy is not the same as Amazon's, despite being owned by the retail giant, so check it out before you make a purchase.
Wellbots is having a sale on a bunch of Garmin smartwatches — you can get $100 off the Fenix 6 series using the code GARMIN100 at checkout, $75 off the Garmin Venu with the code GARMIN75 at checkout and $50 off the Garmin Lily with the code GARMIN50. These are some of Garmin's latest wearables and they serve most types of people — the Fenix 6 will be best for the most outdoorsy among us, while the Venu and the Lily are good options for those that want an alternative to an Apple Watch or a Wear OS device.
One of our recommended VPNs is running a decent sale on a two-year subscription. You can sign up for NordVPN for $99 for the first two years, which comes out to $49.50 per year, and get three additional months of access for free. We like NordVPN for its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.
In just a few days, Apple will be hosting an event that we’re all but certain will be the iPhone 13 launch. The company sent out invites earlier this week that featured the words “California Streaming,” which of course led many of us in the industry to speculate like crazy what surprises might be in store. My money is on new TV+ or Apple Music content, while others are guessing game streaming or a cloud-based macOS might be possible. But as always, we already have a good idea of what to expect thanks to analysts, leakers and FCC filings. Here’s a selection of the more-credible leaks that have been swirling around so you can catch up on all the iPhone 13 rumors ahead of the September 14th keynote.
iPhone 13
Just as there were four iPhone 12 models last year, we’re expecting the same number of iPhone 13s next week. This was pretty much confirmed by an FCC filing about upcoming MagSafe updates, which didn’t name them but referred to four “New Phone” items in addition to the existing generation. Those four devices are most likely the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, and I’m personally glad Apple is keeping the baby iPhone around.
As early as February this year, rumors of the new iPhones featuring Always On displays have been floating and have only gainedtraction since. This would allow Apple to constantly have the time and other system indicators appear on your lock screen. Another popular rumor suggests the next iPhones will have smaller notches, and that a 120Hz screen is coming to the Pro model. If that’s true, Apple would be catching up to Samsung, though Google still hasn’t hit that high of a refresh rate on its flagships yet.
With the potential Always On display and faster refresh rates, battery life could be a concern for the new flagships. But it sounds like Apple might be mitigating that by using lower power LTPO (or Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) screens and bigger batteries. There’s also talk of an in-display fingerprint reader coming to the iPhone 13 line, though the reports on that are less consistent. It’d also be weird since the main iPhone series, haven’t had a Touch ID sensor since the iPhone X was launched in 2017.
Chris Velazco / Engadget
Beyond their screens, the iPhones are also expected to get some camera upgrades. On the hardware front, we’re reportedly getting improved ultra-wide cameras across the lineup, with better sensors and lenses. As for imaging software, Apple is supposedly adding an automatic astrophotography feature and a portrait video mode that could blur out the background while you film. Samsung already offers this on its S21 series, so it’ll be interesting to see how the two compare.
A surprising recent rumor suggests the iPhone 13 might even support satellite communications, which could let you make emergency calls if you’re out of a typical cellular coverage area. This would be a unique feature in modern smartphones, and almost hard to believe. But the report said Apple would be using a modified Qualcomm radio to enable this, meaning the components could already be easily available, making it more possible this is coming this year.
Externally, the phones aren’t expected to look significantly different from their predecessors, other than a potentially “gripper” texture on their backs. Reports seem to agree that the lightning port will remain, and that the updated MagSafe charger (and the phones) will have stronger magnets to prevent accidental slippage.
Finally, as we’ve been referring to it throughout this article, the next generation is most likely going to be called the iPhone 13. Not the iPhone 12S or the iPhone 14, because apparently Apple is not superstitious. Which is cool. Courage.
Some reports suggest the new wearables will also sport thinner bezels, a flatter design, a faster chip and updated “ultra-wideband functionality,” which might improve its communication with doors, locks and other devices. And that’s about all we’ve heard so far.
According to various sources, anticipated features like a body-temperature sensor or blood sugar monitor won’t be ready for this year’s Watch. Those waiting for a rugged variant will also probably have to wait till 2022 at least.
AirPods 3
Speaking of waiting, we’re coming up on about two and a half years since Apple launched the AirPods 2nd gen in 2019. It took about the same amount of time for the company to introduce the follow-up to its original wireless earbuds, though, so it’s very likely we’ll see the next generation come September 14th.
At some point, rumors suggested they might arrive earlier this year. We’re now well into the 2nd half of 2021, and all we’ve seen of the third-generation AirPods is a photo leaked in February. The image is purportedly of the regular model, not the Pro, and includes the device’s carrying case. The holder appears wider than the second gen’s and the buds seem to have an in-ear design similar to the AirPods Pro. That fits with other rumors swirling around.
52Audio
Beyond what can be seen in the picture, the source 52Audio also claimed that the third-gen AirPods would support active noise cancellation and spatial audio. That contradicts an earlier Bloomberg report that said those features wouldn’t make it. The Bloomberg story did say the AirPods would offer a new chip and longer battery life, though.
iPad 9, iPad mini 6, MacBook Pro and more
Those three product lines seem all but guaranteed to show up at next week’s launch, but let’s not forget about the iPad. Apple’s next entry-level tablet should be the iPad 9 and multiple reports from sources like Digitimes and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggest that it’ll arrive this month alongside the iPhones. An iPad mini 6 is also supposedly on the horizon.
In general, rumors indicate that the iPad 9 is going to look quite similar to its predecessor, with a somewhat thinner design and slightly bigger screen. The more noteworthy upgrades are likely to be internal, with faster chips and more RAM being a popular speculation. If Apple does launch a new tablet next week, these incremental improvements do seem like a given. It’s also possible that the iPad 9 may offer MagSafe support, though since a slate wasn’t mentioned in the FCC filing I mentioned earlier, this seems unlikely.
As for the iPad mini 6, it appears as if a redesign might be in the works that would make the compact tablet look more like the M1 iPad Pro, with thinner bezels and a squarer design. It could also come with a USB-C port instead of Lightning, as well as a potential Smart Connector for keyboards and other accessories.
That’s a whole smorgasbord of Apple devices that might be unveiled next week, as the company readies new products for the upcoming holiday shopping season. But there could still be more surprises up its sleeve. Though a new Apple TV was already launched earlier this year, based on the words California Streaming on the invitation, we’ll probably hear about new shows coming to TV+. Plus, Bloomberg’s Gurman also wrote in a newsletter that he’s expecting a redesigned MacBook Pro between September and November this year, which means it could be announced alongside the iPhones. Or maybe Apple is saving that for another event later in the year.
Whatever you might be most interested to see come September 14th, it’s clear Apple has plenty to show off. We’ll be hosting a live show on the Engadget YouTube channel when the event is over, so that we can all be disappointed or excited together with you in real time. I hope you’ll come hang with me and UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith and have some fun then!
The judge in the case between Apple and Epic Games has issued a permanent injunction against Apple. The company must allow developers to direct users to other payment systems, which would let them bypass the 30 percent cut of in-app payments Apple takes. The judge issued the ruling several months after the trial drew to a close.
WhatsApp began quietly testing end-to-end encryption for chat history backups earlier this summer. Now, the company is making the feature official: WhatsApp announced today that all users will be able to encrypt backups of their chat history.
While WhatsApp messages have been encrypted since 2016, the app hasn’t offered end-to-end encryption of backups, which rely on iCloud or Google Drive. But with the latest update, users will be able to opt-in to end-to-end encryption for their backups before those backups hit their cloud storage service. Users can expect the update “in the coming weeks,” according to the company.
Once end-to-end encryption is enabled, “neither WhatsApp nor the backup service provider will be able to access” the backup, WhatsApp writes in a blog post. Backups are encrypted with a “unique, randomly generated encryption key.” Users will then be able to choose between two options: manually storing the 64-digit key, or setting a password, which can be used to access the key.
While the feature certainly makes backups more secure, there are a few factors to keep in mind. The first is that opting in means there will be no way to recover your backup should you lose the 64-digit encryption key (you are able to reset the password if you forget it). Next is that even though WhatsApp recently announced support for multiple devices, you’ll only be able to use encrypted backups on your primary device.
It’s also worth pointing out that end-to-end encryption doesn’t guarantee your chats will never be used in a way you might not like. This week, ProPublica published a lengthy story on WhatsApp’s use of human moderators who review chats that are reported by WhatsApp users. And earlier this year The Information reported that Facebook may be researching AI that could one day allow it to serve users ads based on encrypted messages. While neither of these “break” the security offered by encryption — and there are many very good reasons why people should be able to report abusive messages — it's a good reminder that privacy is about much more than just the presence of end-to-end encryption.
Apple isn't just bringing brand new shows and movies to TV+. It's picking up some existing series to build out the library, but it's selective about which ones to add. After it became the home of Peanuts specials in 2020, Apple has acquired another notable kids' show: Yo Gabba Gabba!.
All existing Yo Gabba Gabba! episodes and specials are coming to Apple TV+. There are 20 new half-hour episodes being made for the service too, as 9to5Mac notes. Apple is working on the episodes with WildBrain and Yo Gabba Gabba LLC, which co-own the Yo Gabba Gabba! IP.
Apple previously picked up Fraggle Rock and is rebooting the show with a new season. It was a similar case with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's travel docuseries Long Way Down and Long Way Round — Long Way Up, another show featuring the actors traveling across South and Central America on electric motorbikes, debuted on Apple TV+ last year.
Meanwhile, reports suggest Apple is ramping up its output for the streaming service. According to The Information, Apple plans to add at least one movie or TV show a week in 2022, which would more than double its pace of releases in 2021. The publication's sources also said the company is planning to spend north of $500 million on Apple TV+ marketing this year.
After over a year of canceled auto shows due to the pandemic, Munich's IAA Mobility 2021 auto show is the first big opportunity for automakers to display their upcoming vehicles to the masses.
Companies including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, and Porsche dropped new electric concepts and even showed off some production vehicles. Engadget has been in Germany this week, and here are four of our favorite new models.
Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan
Right out of the gate, Mercedes took no time to unveil its latest electric sedan, the EQE. While the EQS is the top of the luxury heap, the EQE gives potential buyers the opportunity to slide into Mercedes luxury without dropping as much cash. The EQE shares many of the same design elements and features as the more-expensive EQS including the optional 6-inch Hyperscreen and rear-wheel drive.
Mercedes-Benz EQG electric concept
Not stopping at sedans, Mercedes also unveiled a near-production concept version of the iconic G-Class aka, G Wagon. The EQG has the same distinctive look of the rugged, expensive offroader, but with a whole lot of lighting flourishes.
How many of those will make it to production is unknown, and there's also no word on what it’ll cost and how long its range will be. But if Mercedes can pull off with the G-Wagon what it did with the EQS then the future of offroading — or driving around while shopping for high-end clothing — will be electrified.
BMW i Vision CIrcular Concept EV
BMW already has two electric production vehicles, the i4 and iX, headed to the US. In Munich, it took the opportunity to unveil the i Vision Circular concept, a vehicle that’s more about the future of manufacturing than it is about the future of driving. Built entirely out of recycled materials, the Circular is manufactured from mono-materials that are easy to recycle and take apart.
Porsche Mission R electric concept race car
For those excited about motorsports and the future of sports cars, the Porsche Mission R concept race car gave fans of the German brand a peek at what the future has in store. The all-wheel-drive vehicle uses a 900-volt architecture that supports DC fast charging at up to 340kW, and its battery is tuned for intense track days rather than cruising around town. While it’s currently a concept, the technologies found in the Mission R will likely make their way to the motorsports division and potentially into a future Cayman electric.
The long-awaited next entry in the Metroid series is just a few weeks away, and Nintendo has offered another taste of what’s in store for Samus with a new overview trailer. The five-minute Metroid Dread clip delves into Samus’ abilities, the enemies she’ll face and more.
The trailer takes time to explain the moves Samus has in her tool belt, including the slide mechanic, her jumping prowess and a melee counter, which should come in very handy as long as you get the timing right. Unlockable abilities include targeting missiles, flash shift (a dash move), a tether to pull large obstacles out of the way and a way to morph into a ball to help Samus squeeze through narrow passages.
Hunter robots called EMMI will pursue Samus if they hear or see her. If they catch Samus, it’s game over. Your best bet is to use her abilities to avoid detection, since you can’t damage them with regular weapons. The clip offers a look at some of the many, many other enemy types Samus will face on planet ZDR too.
The trailer also shows how Metroid Dread Amiibo will work, if you're fortunate enough to get your hands on them. If you tap Samus against your Joy-Con, you’ll gain an extra energy tank that increases your energy reserves. Use the EMMI Amiibo instead, and you’ll get another missile+ tank to boost missile capacity by 10. You can use each of these once per day to replenish resources.
Metroid Dread arrives on Nintendo Switch on October 8th. It’s the first mainline Metroid game since Metroid Fusion all the way back in 2002. Not much longer to wait now, though.
This week, Devindra and Cherlynn chat with Wired Reviews Editor Julian Chokkattu about Apple’s upcoming launch event on September 14th. What will the next iPhone be called, and what new features will it bring? We’ll bring down everything we know so far, along with other new hardware to expect from Apple. Also, Devindra and Engadget Senior Editor Karissa Bell chat about Facebook’s first smart glasses, the Ray-Ban Stories. Are we ready for a world where everyone has cameras on their faces? Probably not!
Listen below, 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!
Samsung is making its Android-based Galaxy Watch 4 more fashion forward via a new collaboration with designer Sami Miró, the company announced. The Sami Miró Vintage collection features six watchbands and three watch faces, all with a theme of sustainability and wellness, the company announced.
Samsung
Two colors called "Stratus Sky" and "Midnight Black" are made from an "innovative apple peel skin material sourced from waste recovered from the fruit industry," Samsung noted. They go with most outfits, offer the premium look of leather but are "completely vegan and cruelty free." The other bands are made of an eco-friendly, non-toxic TPU material that are non-plasticized and can be recycled. Those come in "Aurora Night," "Cloud Navy," "Earth Sunrise" and "Dawn Atlas" colors.
The color palette of the bands runs from violet to aqua blue to a mauve pink, along with the black and grey leather-look models. Those colors are all found in the watch faces as well, dubbed SMV Atlas I, SMV Serenity and SMV Atlas II.
"The collection draws inspiration from the beauty and colors of Mother Earth to serve as a reminder to prioritize mindfulness, health, wellness, and sustainability each day," Samsung wrote. That matches up with the Galaxy Watch 4's focus on health, with features that can measure oxygen, stress, water intake and sleep patterns. It also offers fitness features like guided workouts, group challenges and more. The limited-edition collection is now available on Samsung.com starting at $40.
