Powerful speakers and subwoofer blast MacBook Pro rig’s sound [Setups]
Want to crank up your computer setup's sound? This MacBook Pro user added a subwoofer to his stand-mounted Audioengine speakers. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple is the world’s most valuable company and it’s still underestimated
The Dow Jones Market Data team have tracked Apple’s stock around every iPhone release and found that the stock has declined an average… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Hands-on with AirPods 4: better in every way
, and they are awesome. As a pair of on-ear wireless earbuds, they are really hard to fault. I have used AirPods 2 for the past five years — skipping the third-generation model due to fit concerns — and AirPods 4 are what I have been waiting for. The new AirPods are available in two models: $129, or . I have the ANC buds and I’m thrilled with them, but I predict even the base model is going to drive a lot of sales this holiday season. more…

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Today in Apple history: Apple lays out its core company values
On September 23, 1981, Cupertino laid out its "Apple Values." The Apple mission statement established a positive, productive corporate ethos. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple’s next chance to build a Mac with cellular is almost here
Why doesn’t the Mac have built-in cellular? The iPad has long retained this one key advantage over MacBooks. Whatever issue you may have with iPadOS, cellular support is undoubtedly a strength. But despite years of waiting, there’s still little evidence that Apple is building its first cellular Mac. Except, perhaps, for one recent development that’s sparked hope again. Here’s why Apple’s next chance to offer cellular Macs is almost here. more…

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Why you should choose iPhone 16 or 16 Plus over iPhone 16 Pro [Review]
Our iPhone 16 and 16 Plus review shows these might be a better choice for many people than the more expensive Pro and Pro Max. Here's why. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Feature Request: It’s time for a one-step iPhone setup process
The iPhone setup process has improved dramatically over the years. This year, as last year, I put my new iPhone next to my old one, and a good chunk of the setup was automated. However, there are still more manual steps than I would like, and one particular pain point is that some of the gaps in the setup process don’t make themselves known until the first time you need to actually carry out particular tasks … more…

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How to install an older macOS over a new one
Macworld There are a few reasons why you might want to install an old version of macOS or Mac OS X. Perhaps you are relying on software you have discovered doesn’t work properly with the newest version of macOS and you want to downgrade macOS. Maybe you are a developer and you need to be running multiple versions of macOS so that you can be sure that your software runs correctly on them. Or possibly you just don’t like the version of macOS that you have installed. If you just want to downgrade the latest version of the Mac operating system to the one before then you might find it helpful to read: How to revert a macOS Sequoia to Sonoma. If you’ve been running the beta and want to stop, read: How to remove the macOS Sequoia beta. In this article, we will help you install older versions of macOS on your Mac. We’ll walk you through all the steps for installing an older version of macOS on your Mac–from making sure your Mac can run the version, to where to get the old version of macOS from, and how to install the old version on your Mac. We’ll offer various methods and we’ll also explore some of the issues you might encounter along the way. Unfortunately, if your Mac is running a newer version of the macOS you won’t be able to just install an older version on top of it. You will have to completely wipe your Mac before you can install an older version of macOS or Mac OS X. Not keen on completely wiping your Mac? There are options. You could install the version you require on an external drive, or you could run two or more versions of macOS alongside each other. Read about installing macOS on a separate volume (also known as dual booting) or running it on a separate drive. Best way to install an old version of macOS There are multiple methods you can use to install an older version of the Mac operating system on your Mac. The most appropriate method for you will depend on a number of factors including whether you want to run more than one version of macOS. Below we will look at the following options: Recover from a Time Machine backup. Revert to the version of macOS installed when you purchased your Mac. Install macOS using a bootable installer. Run a version of macOS on an external drive. Run a version of macOS in a partition or a volume. Run a version of macOS in a virtual machine. We also have dedicated articles for these different methods that go into more detail, you’ll find links below.  1. Check your Mac can run the older macOS version New Macs won’t run older versions of macOS. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry First you need to confirm that your Mac will be able to run the version of macOS or Mac OS X you want to install.  As a guide, expect your Mac to be able to run any version of macOS or Mac OS X that was supported when that Mac launched, and any that were released in the few years immediately following your purchase. Now for the bad news: It is unlikely that your Mac will be able to run a version of macOS or Mac OS X that is older than the one that was installed on it when you bought it. You may find you can’t install an old version of Mac OS X on a new Mac because the drivers for the hardware in your new Mac simply don’t exist in the old software, so it can’t run. If you want to run older versions of OS X on your Mac, you need to get an older Mac that can run them. However there may be exceptions, for example, if you bought a Mac in 2017, but the spec hadn’t changed from the predecessor, or the model was actually introduced a few years earlier, you may find you can run an older version of macOS on it. To help you find out what versions of macOS your Mac supports we have a full list of which Macs run each version of Mac OS X and macOS. Similarly, if you were hoping to install newer version of macOS on an old Mac you might find that you can’t. This is because newer versions of macOS tend to drop support for older Macs. We have a separate article about installing a new macOS on an older Mac. 2. Back up your Mac Foundry Most of the processes for installing an older version of macOS mean you will need to wipe your Mac. You will therefore need to make a backup of anything you don’t want to lose. Normally our advice would be to use Time Machine to back up your Mac, which is a great solution if you have a Time Machine backup from before you updated macOS. The problem with Time Machine is that it makes a complete backup, including the operating system, so you would just reinstall the version of macOS you are trying to revert from. If you have a Time Machine backup from before you updated macOS you can use that – but make sure to back up any new data that you won’t want to lose when you wipe your Mac. If you don’t have such a backup, you need a backup of your data that won’t include the operating system. We have some suggestions for backup options here: Best backup software for Mac, but you could just copy your files, folders, photos and music onto an external drive. We discuss the best ways to back up a Mac separately. If, like us, you use iCloud you may find that a lot of what you need is actually in the cloud rather than on your Mac. Our advice would be to be absolutely sure that everything you need is in the cloud before you wipe your Mac though: we are so accustomed to everything being in the cloud we can forget about the things that aren’t. 3. Restore an old macOS from an old Time Machine backup (if you have one) Foundry If you have a Time Machine backup from before you updated your Mac to the newer macOS it’s quite easy to revert to the old version–but you will lose any new data you have created since the update, so we recommend that you save things like new files and photos to an external drive before you revert using Time Machine. How to revert to an old macOS using Time Machine Here are the steps you need to take to recover an older macOS from a Time Machine backup: Start up your Mac in Recovery mode: Shut down the Mac. On an Intel Mac start it up while holding down Command + R and on a M-series Mac press and hold the Power Key. Keep holding the keys until you either see the Apple logo (Intel) or a message to say you can stop (M-series). When you see the Utilities window choose Restore from Time Machine Backup and click on Continue. Click Continue again. Choose a Time Machine backup from before you installed the version of macOS you wish to revert from and click on Continue. Remember that if you recover from an old backup you will lose the data you have added since updating to the version of macOS you wish to uninstall, so back up any new data before you do this. Here’s more on how to restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup. If you don’t have a Time Machine back up try one of the other options detailed below. 4. Downgrade to the version of macOS that shipped on your Mac Foundry You might like to try the following method of downgrading your Mac to the version of macOS it shipped with or the closest version still available. (It didn’t actually work for us when we tried, perhaps because our internet connection wasn’t good enough, but it should work in theory!) This has been a feature in macOS Recovery since macOS Sierra 10.12.4, and it should reinstall whatever version of the macOS your Mac shipped with, according to Apple. However, this option is reserved for Intel-powered Macs. One of the benefits of this option is that it might not result in your Mac being wiped as reinstalling macOS this way shouldn’t remove data from your Mac. However, we still recommend you make a backup just in case. Apple explains that to reinstall the version of macOS your Intel-powered Mac shipped with you should shut down your Mac and then, as the Mac restarts, press Shift-Option/Alt-Command-R together (this is not easy one-handed!) Here are the steps Apple describes: Shut down your Mac. Start up your Intel-powered Mac pressing Shift-Option/Alt-Command-R. Once you see the macOS Utilities screen choose the Reinstall macOS option. Click Continue and follow the on-screen instructions. Select your startup disk and click Install. Your Mac will restart once the installation is complete. If you have an M1 or later Mac you will only see the option to reinstall the version of macOS you are running, and you won’t be able to install any macOS older than Big Sur anyway. 5. Download the version of macOS you require and install it using a bootable installer Foundry If you don’t have a Time Machine backup from before you installed the new version of macOS, and Recovery didn’t offer the option to revert to the original version of macOS your Mac shipped with, your next best option is to download the installer for the version of macOS (or even Mac OS X) you wish to install and use it to create a bootable USB macOS installer so you can install it on your Mac. As with the other options above, this process will require you to delete everything on your Mac, so make a backup of anything you don’t want to lose–but don’t back up using Time Machine because if you recover files from that you’ll also be recovering the version of macOS you don’t want to use. You will need to get your hands on the version of the Mac operating system you want to install. We have a separate article about how to get old version of macOS or Mac OS X, which includes links to where to download each version of macOS, so if you haven’t got the version of the Mac operating system you want pop over there for advice on how to get it. The most recent are here: Sonoma Ventura Monterey Big Sur Catalina Once you have downloaded the installer don’t click to install it–you won’t be able to install an old version of macOS over a new version unless you follow the process to create a bootable USB macOS installer detailed below. How to install an old macOS using bootable installer To revert to an older version of macOS this way you need to use a process known as a clean install, which we look at in more detail here: How to do a clean install of macOS. You will be wiping your Mac and installing the version of macOS you require on a clean slate.  Download the installer of the version of macOS that you require from the Mac App Store. Follow the instructions here. Use this installation file to create a bootable installer on an external storage device. Read about creating a bootable installer here. Next you need to completely erase everything from your Mac, restoring it to factory settings. The process to do this depends on the version of macOS you are running. Newer macOS versions have an Erase All Content and Settings option that allows you to easily reset your Mac to factory settings. In Somona and Sequoia the option is in System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset, in Monterey you can find Erase All Content and Settings in the System Preferences menu. In older versions of macOS you will have to use Recovery mode and access Disk Utility to erase the Mac. The full instructions for how to wipe a Mac can be found here. Once you have erased your Mac, and formatted the drive correctly, you are ready to install the version of macOS from your bootable installer. Start by plugging in the bootable installer that you created using the instructions linked to above. Switch off your Mac and start up while holding the following keys: Intel Mac: press and hold Option/Alt until you see a screen showing the bootable volume; M-series Mac: power button to turn on the Mac–but keep it pressed until you see the startup options window including your bootable volume. Choose the bootable installer volume. Click Continue. Follow the onscreen instructions to install macOS. 6. Run an older macOS on an external drive Foundry Running a version of macOS on an external drive is a great solution if you wish to continue to run the version of macOS currently installed on your Mac. It is possible to run a version of macOS or Mac OS X on an external storage device plugged into your Mac. Rather than go through the steps here, we’ll direct you to this article about how to run How to run macOS on an external drive.  Once you have installed macOS on the external drive all you need to do is hold Option/Alt down when you start up your Mac you can choose to boot from that drive. The benefit of this method is you don’t need to wipe your Mac. The disadvantage is that the older version of macOS might run slowly. 7. Run an older macOS in a partition or volume Foundry Another great option, if you don’t want to be limited to running just one version of macOS, is to install the other version (or versions) on a partition or volume on your Mac. Whether it’s a partition or volume depends on the version of macOS that is primarily installed on your Mac. It’s a lot easier to install a version of macOS on a volume, but only newer versions of macOS support volumes. We look separately at how to run two versions of macOS on separate partitions/volumes. 8. Install an older macOS in a virtual machine IDG Before we look at how to install a version of macOS on a virtual machine we need to look at Apple’s end-user license agreement. This is a legal minefield. Read about Apple’s Terms and Conditions and the EULA here. Since Mac OS X 10.7 versions of the Mac operating system are only licensed to be run in a virtual machine if the host Mac is running the same version. This means that installing an OS X 10.8 VM on a Mac running another version of OS X is a violation of the 10.8 software license agreement. The newest version of OS X that can legally be run in a virtual machine with a different OS X host is Snow Leopard (10.6). The solution here is too run the server versions of the OS that you require, as long as you have the software license from Apple. Despite this, VMware Fusion and Parallels do support OS X client as well as server versions. Another thing to note is that Apple’s end user agreement does allow you to run the Mac OS on two virtual machines on one computer, but these virtual machines cannot be used for business (unless you’re a registered Apple developer). Also bear in mind, as we mentioned earlier, Macs cannot boot into an OS X version older than the one they shipped with when new, even if it’s on a virtual machine. If you want to run older versions of OS X on your Mac, you need to get an older Mac that can run them. Several software packages make it possible to run multiple versions of the Mac OS (and even Windows) on your Mac. These include Parallels, VMware Fusion, Virtual Box. Find out which is best by reading: Best VM for Mac: Parallels, VMware, VirtualBox compared. You can also run Windows and use Windows apps the same way, read: How to run Windows apps on a Mac and How to install Windows on a Mac.

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Next-gen Apple Intelligence-powered Siri could be coming sooner than expected
The biggest iOS 18 update after iOS 18.1 will be iOS 18.4, which will include many of the new Siri features… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Shazam rolls out support for Apple Music Haptics in iOS 18
Popular music recognition app Shazam has released an update integrating the new Music Haptics accessibility feature.Shazam now supports Music HapticsReleased alongside iOS 18, Music Haptics takes advantage of the powerful Taptic Engine that can "tap" and vibrate the iPhone, and combines it with music playback. In short, your iPhone will vibrate in time and intensity to match the music being played back.Currently, the feature is available to work with Apple Music, Apple Music Classical, and, as of Monday, Shazam. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Watch MLS soccer playoffs for $10 or free
An MLS Season Pass is down to $10, just in time to watch the playoffs then the MLS Cup. There's still plenty of Messi! (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Jony Ive confirms working on an AI hardware product with OpenAI’s Sam Altman
Former Apple design head Jony Ive has confirmed reports that he was working on an AI hardware product in partnership with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. We still have no idea what it will do, or what form it will take (image is just a conceptual one of a mystery device). Ive also shared that he bought a chunk of real estate in one of San Francisco’s most famous blocks, and plans include a LoveFrom store selling everything from notebooks to clothing … more…

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iMessage and FaceTime experiencing ‘performance’ issues, Apple says
On its System Status webpage this morning, Apple says that iMessage and FaceTime are experiencing ongoing “performance” issues. The problems, however, appear to be relatively minor. more…

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Compared: Aqara U50 vs U100 vs U200 – Good, better, best in Apple Home security
Aqara has three Apple Home smart locks with Home Key support, but they address different needs depending on required security and protocols. Here's how they compare.Aqara smart locks with Apple Home compatibility supporting Home KeySmart home product manufacturers are a dime a dozen, but they are not all equal in their execution. Aqara's 13 years of experience has led to over 1,000 smart home devices in more than 30 categories, and they are a leader in Apple Home products.Internet-connected smart locks are some of the most critical smart home products you can buy — so trust is paramount. The U50, U100, and U200 smart locks from Aqara offer a range of features at affordable prices. Continue Reading on AppleInsider

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Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max is noticeably snappier than its predecessor
Apple's new iPhone 16 Pro Max, built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence, larger display sizes, new creative capabilities with… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Cameras on iPhone 16 Pro Max are fourth-best in the world
The camera system in the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the fourth-best of its kind in the world, but it manages to top the list when it comes to video capabilities.The cameras of the iPhone 16 Pro modelsFollowing the release of the iPhone 16 generation, testing on its various features and components have commenced. In one of the more important tests it could undertake, the iPhone 16 Pro Max's camera has been given a great set of results.According to Monday's testing by DxOMark, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has scored 157 points overall, giving it a global ranking of fourth place. It lags behind the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra (163), the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (158), and the Honor Magic6 Pro (158). Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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iPhone 16 Pro owners complain of display ‘dead spots’
Macworld Some iPhone 16 Pro owners are complaining that their brand-new and extremely expensive handsets are failing to achieve one of their most basic functions: responding correctly to touchscreen gestures. Certain actions appear to be setting off the touch-rejection algorithm, causing the screen to reject all or nearly all valid taps and swipes for a short period of time. The issue may be related to the new Camera Control feature. As one Redditor explains, “If one’s skin accidentally touches the area next to the new Camera Control button first, the whole screen becomes unresponsive until released, except for the home bar.” The subsequent behavior varies according to context, but is consistently obstructive: no tapping or swiping in Settings, no swiping on the home page although tapping into apps may be possible. The affected Redditor adds that the zone around Camera Control “is the only area that causes the issue,” but that doesn’t quite track with the experience of other users. One commenter on that very thread claims to have found a similar “dead spot” on the left-hand side of the phone, and 9to5Mac reports that the bug has been spotted on all four edges. It should be noted, however, that not every unit is affected. Numerous respondents to the Reddit thread said they couldn’t reproduce the problem; many more said they could, but only with difficulty, particularly when using a case. Other users were seemingly able to replicate the issue with older models, but those instances were less common. What seems to be happening is users are accidentally triggering the iPhone’s palm- or touch-rejection system. This is an important element of a touchscreen interface that lets the device ignore skin contact from the hands that are holding it rather than trying to control it. But in this case, we’re getting false positives and it’s rejecting valid touches. 9to5Mac further theorizes that the 16 Pro’s especially thin screen bezels may be partially responsible because this will lead to more skin contact with the active screen. Despite the possible involvement of the bezel design in triggering the problem, the good news is that it seems to be fundamentally a software rather than a hardware problem, which should make it easier to fix in a customary iOS 18.0.1 update. Once Apple has identified the problem and come up with a solution, users can simply install a software update; they won’t have to take their handsets into a repair shop or send them back to be replaced. However, Apple has not yet publicly acknowledged that the problem exists, let alone come up with a solution, so the answer for now may be to be patient. And, of course, don’t hold it that way.

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iPhone Diary: First impressions of the iPhone 16 Pro Max are all about Camera Control
It’s a common claim that each year’s new iPhones are much the same as the previous models, and there’s of course some degree of truth to this. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman went as far as arguing in his latest newsletter that Apple’s pace of development with iPhones is such that we only see something truly new every five years … more…

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AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: What’s new?
Macworld Apple has updated the AirPods, removing the 3rd and 2nd generation AirPods from the line-up and introducing AirPods 4 in two formats: with and without ANC (Active Noise Cancellation). The 2024 AirPods feature a new design intended to make them more comfortable to wear, new acoustic architecture with low-distortion driver and high dynamic range amplifier, personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, an H2 chip and more. If you own AirPods or any generation should you update? And if you have never owned the AirPods before could it be time to invest? New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: Specifications AirPods 4AirPods 4 ANCAirPods 3AirPods 2Price$129/£129$179/£179Were $179 / £179 with Magsafe ($169/£169 with Lightning)Were $129 / £129Weight (earbuds)4.3g / 0.15 oz4.3g / 0.15 oz4.28g / 0.15 oz4.0g / 0.14oz)Weight (case)32.3g / 1.14 oz34.7g / 1.22 oz37.91g / 1.34 oz38.2g / 1.35 ozBattery life5 hrs + 25 hrs from Charging case5 hrs (4 hrs with ANC) + 25 hrs from charging case 6 hrs + 30 hrs from Charging case5 hrs + 24 hrs from Charging caseChargingUSB-CUSB-C / WirelessMagSafe or LightningLightningProcessorH2H2H1H1Noise-cancellationNoYesNoNoConversational AwarenessNoYesNoNoTransparency ModeNoYesNoNoSpatial AudioYesYesYesNoSiri InteractionsYesYesNoNoPersonalised VolumeYesYesNoNoControlsNew Force Sensor on StemNew Force Sensor on StemForce Sensor on StemDouble tapWater/Dust resistanceIP54IP54IPX4No New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: Design and Build Over time the look of the AirPods has evolved from the long stems of the original AirPods introduced in 2016, to the 3rd-gen AirPods of 2021, which had shorter stems and redesigned earpieces. Over the years there has been no change to the white colorway that harks back to the iPod’s heyday and those classic silhouetted adverts. The AirPods 4 haven’t detracted much from the looks of the 3rd gen models. Look a bit closer though and there are some noticeable differences on the 4th generation models. Apple has refined the design to give the new models a fractionally shorter stem and slimmer body, which it claims will provide a secure fit for “more people than ever.” So, if AirPods have been falling out of your ears in the past, maybe these ones will finally stay in place. Foundry Foundry Foundry There’s also a change to the speaker grill on the side of the buds that face your ears. On the older variant, it’s a single, long horizontal opening, while the AirPods 4 have a smaller one that’s accompanied by a vertical grill on the upper part of the bud. Presumably this enhances the sound, as the new buds have what Apple describes as a ‘vent system for pressure equalization’. It could also contribute to the addition of dustproofing that has the new models bestowed with an IP54 rating, where the older ones come with IPX4. Another reason could be to accommodate the new sensors, with the skin-detecting ones of the previous generation replaced by optical in-ear sensors for the 4th Gen models. Here’s how the dimensions compare: AirPods 4 – 30.2 mm (1.19 inches) x 18.3 mm (0.72 inches) x 18.1 mm (0.71 inches); 4.3 grams (0.15 ounces) AirPods (3rd Gen) – 30.79 mm (1.21 inches) x 18.26 mm (0.72 inches) x 19.21 mm (0.76 inches); 4.28 grams (0.15 ounces) AirPods (2nd Gen) – 40.5 mm (1.59 inches) x 16.5 mm (0.65 inches) x 18.0 mm (0.71 inches); 4.0 grams (0.14 ounces) You still get the same controls on the stems that you can use to play, pause, skip back and forth through tracks, answer or end calls, as well as engaging the assistance of Siri. The latter also comes with Siri Interactions on the 2024 AirPods, which allow you to nod or shake your head in response to notifications, which could be great if you’re wearing them in class or a meeting and don’t want people to know. Apple Apple Apple The charging cases have also been tweaked somewhat, with the MagSafe version of the AirPods 3rd Gen being replaced by a USB-C charging one on the standard AirPods 4 buds and a USB-C/wireless version on the AirPods 4 with ANC, the latter of which can use your Apple Watch charger and Qi-certified chargers. The ANC model also benefits from the case now able to use the Find My service, so you can quickly locate it by looking on your iPhone and getting the case to emit a loud noise. The size has been slimmed down too, as you can see from these dimensions: AirPods 4 Charging case – 46.2 mm (1.82 inches) x 50.1 mm (1.97 inches) x 21.2 mm (0.83 inches); USB-C – 32.3 grams (1.14 ounces), USB-C/Wireless 34.7 grams (1.22 ounces). AirPods (3rd Gen) Charging case – 46.40 mm (1.83 inches) x 54.40 mm (2.14 inches) x 21.38 mm (0.84 inches); 37.91 grams (1.34 ounces) AirPods (2nd Gen) Charging case – 53.5 mm (2.11 inches) x 44.3 mm (1.74 inches) x 21.3 mm (0.84 inches); 38.2 grams (1.35 ounces) New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: Sound & Audio Apple has upgraded the processor in the new AirPods to the H2, replacing the older H1 found in the 3rd and 2nd Gen offerings (the original AirPods has a W1 chip). The acoustic architecture has also been given a redesign, with new low-distortion drivers and high dynamic range amplifiers. You get head tracking on all models, as well as spatial audio for that immersive sonic experience. The AirPods 4 get a few extra features from the AirPods Pro, with the introduction of Voice Isolation to make it easier to be heard on FaceTime calls, plus the Personalised Volume, with the buds (and your iPhone) monitoring the volumes at which you usually like to listen to content as well as where that is, and adjusting it automatically to suit your perceived preference. Apple Apple Apple The big difference though is of course Active Noise Cancellation. This is the first time that Apple has offered this on its open-ear design, as the Pro models have the in-ear buds that create a closed chamber in your ear canal. Apple refers to the noise cancellation in the 2nd gen AirPods Pro as Pro-level Active Noise Cancellation compared to the Active Noise Cancellation in the AirPods 4 with ANC and the original AirPods Pro. Pro-level seems to indicate it is double the amount of noise cancellation. Along with reducing the sounds in your immediate environment, so that you don’t have to blast out your music (and ear drums) to be able to hear anything, the AirPods 4 with ANC also get the Transparency mode (also on the AirPods Pro) that uses the dual microphones to blend in sounds from your surroundings. Add to this Conversation Awareness, which lowers the volume when you start speaking to someone, and you have a pretty decent range of advanced features for not a lot more money. Apple moves from Bluetooth 5.0 on the AirPods 3rd Gen to 5.3 on the AirPods 4, which should give a stronger connection to devices. The AirPods (3rd Gen) always sounded good, but (on paper at least) the updated models will bring higher quality to the table, especially if you opt for the noise cancelling option. New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: Battery life In a strange precedent, battery life is actually worse on the new models. This could be because the H2 processor is a power-hungry beast, or it might be due to Spacial Audio, Active Noise Cancellation, and other features. The AirPods 3rd gen offered up to 6 hours battery life, while if you choose the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and don’t turn off that feature, then battery life is just 4 hours. It certainly seems to be the case that these additional features have impact on battery life: on the 3rd gen AirPods, when the Spatial Audio was enabled, battery life was reduced from 6 to 5 hours. Similarly, the AirPods Pro 2 sees a half hour loss from 6 hours to 5.5. hours if Personalised Spatial Audio and head tracking are enabled. If you enable Active Noise Cancellation with the AirPods 4, listening time is reduced from 5 hours to 4 hours. Even the non-ANC version sees some impact compared to the previous generation: 5 hours of listening time from 6 hours previously. This doesn’t sound like sufficient battery life if you are about to embark on a long journey, but luckily the charging case adds 30 hours of listening time (and that number applies for the AirPods 3rd-gen and AirPods Pro as well). Don’t forget your charging case: you are going to need it. Don’t forget your charging case: you are going to need it.Apple Don’t forget your charging case: you are going to need it.Apple Apple New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: Price and Availability You can order the AirPods 4 for $129/£129 on the Apple store or from other retailers. They effectively replace the AirPods 2, which did cost $129/£129 until they were discontinued. Retailer Price $129 View Deal $129 View Deal $129 View Deal $129.99 View Deal $129.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The AirPods 4 with ANC are $179/£179. These replace the AirPods 3rd gen with Magsafe case. Retailer Price $179 View Deal $179 View Deal $179 View Deal $179 View Deal $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket With the introduction of the new AirPods, Apple has now retired the AirPods 3rd Generation, although you should still be able to pick them up from third-party retailers. At the time of writing, they were still available on Amazon as well as several other suppliers. Prices will obviously fluctuate, depending on supply and demand. The AirPods 3rd gen with Magsafe were $179/£179. For deals on all the old AirPods see our round-up of the Best AirPods deals. New Refurbished Retailer Price $169.99 View Deal $179.99 View Deal $199.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple AirPods 3rd gen (2021) – MagSafe Charging case $104 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket New AirPods 4 vs old AirPods: How much better are the new AirPods 4? There’s no doubt that the real star of the show is the ANC powered AirPods 4. Not only do you get the noise cancelling features that are so useful, but there’s also improved audio design, new fit, and wireless charging for the ANC case. That being said, dropping an hour of battery life (or two with ANC engaged) is not great, especially if you’re used to listening to content for long sessions. With that in mind, it’s worth considering what’s more important to you – how the music sounds or how long you can hear it.

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iPhone 16 Pro Max DXOMARK results: Ranks #4 overall, #1 for video
The iPhone 16 Pro Max DXOMARK test results are out, based on a rigorous analysis of 3,000 photos and 150 hours of video. Apple’s latest flagship model was ranked #4 in the overall smartphone camera line-up, though the organization said that it delivers better video than any other mobile device it has ever tested … more…

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