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Two models of AirPods were largely expected at today's iPhone 16 event, one of which would add active noise cancellation (ANC) to the "regular" AirPods for the first time. There are other upgrades for the $179 version, but after a brief demo of the ANC setup on the AirPods 4, I wager the noise-blocking tools will be the key selling point for most people. Apple is using this version of the AirPods 4 to bridge the gap between the AirPods and the AirPods Pro. As such, this model has some features that were previously exclusive to the company's priciest buds. Those include Siri interactions that allow you to accept or reject calls with a head nod, Adaptive Audio, Voice Isolation and more all thanks to the H2 chip that powers the Pro model. All of these will be welcome improvements for people who prefer the open fit of the AirPods 4, but the ANC is the most impressive addition in my book. I got a brief demo of the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation in the chaotic hands-on area at Apple Park. Honestly, it's a perfect place to test ANC. Once I had the AirPods 4 in my ears and I got some music going, I activated noise cancelling to silence the room. And it nearly did. I was blown away by how effective the ANC is on these earbuds that don't completely seal off your ears. Most open-type designs with ANC barely put a dent in ambient distractions, but do affect battery life. Here, I might as well have been in a room on my own, and I was only aware of the environmental noise when transparency mode jolted me back to reality. Billy Steele for Engadget Apple updated the design for the AirPods 4, calling them "the best-fitting AirPods ever." This refined shape, in addition to some software tricks and acoustic performance, helps boost passive noise isolation while keeping your ears open for that default audio mode. ANC is yet another place Apple is able to flex the muscle of the H2 chip, and the AirPods 4 performance in that regard is a testament to the component's abilities. I will note that transparency mode on the AirPods 4 didn't sound as natural as it does on the AirPods Pro. That's mostly due to the fact that I didn't feel like the earbuds were piping in as much of my own voice as that pricier model. In fact, I felt like it hardly did so at all. An Apple rep explained that the difference could be attributed to a number of factors, including the fact that my ears weren't completely closed off. Catch up on all the news from Apples iPhone 16 event!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-airpods-4-hands-on-seriously-impressive-anc-performance-211526269.html?src=rss
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At its big iPhone 16 event, which also included a new Apple Watch and AirPods, the company snuck in a new MagSafe charging cable. Although theres nothing to see here if youre standing pat with an older handset, the new magnetic accessory will boost charging speeds for iPhone 16 owners. 9to5Mac spotted that the new MagSafe charger supports maximum charging speeds of 25W when paired with an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro and a 30W (or higher) wall charger. The OG MagSafe charger only offers speeds of up to 15W, the same max speed the new accessory will give you when used with an iPhone 15 or older. So, other than future-proofing, theres no reason to get the new charger if you have an older handset and already own the original MagSafe charger. The new MagSafe accessory comes in two variants: One with a 1m (3.3 ft) cable and another with a 2m (6.6 ft) cable. The shorter cable costs $39 (the same as the original), while the longer one will set you back $49. The new MagSafe charger is available to order now at the Apple Store with standard shipping times. The iPhone 16 series is available for pre-order with a September 20 release date. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-new-magsafe-charger-will-juice-up-the-iphone-16-faster-than-the-old-accessory-can-203435004.html?src=rss
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Apple unveiled a quartet of iPhones on Monday, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. As expected, the updates are largely iterative. The standard models now have the programmable Action button from last year's Pro series, slightly improved battery life and an updated camera module that's stacked vertically instead of diagonally. The Pro phones, meanwhile, feature bigger displays with slimmer bezels, improved battery life and a handful of camera upgrades, including a 5x optical zoom for the smaller Pro and a sharper ultrawide camera. The standard models run on Apple's new A18 silicon, while the Pro models, fittingly, use a faster and more efficient chip called the A18 Pro. The most notable hardware change across the board might be a new touch-sensitive "Camera Control" button that makes capturing photos and video a little more DSLR-like. Mostly, though, these phones don't look to be massive departures from the iPhone 15s before them. Much of Apple's sales pitch will come down to how helpful its "Apple Intelligence" AI tools are out in the wild. We already have a hands-on preview for the iPhone 16 Pro up on the site, and we'll have full reviews for the entire iPhone 16 lineup in the near future. But if you're thinking about pre-ordering right away, we've broken down how the new iPhone 16 Pro compares to two of its most prominent rivals in the $1,000 price bracket, the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24+, on the spec sheet. Per usual, raw specs won't tell the full story you'd probably buy an iPhone because you want iOS and an Android phone because you prefer Android but if you're wondering what a $1,000 smartphone gets you in 2024, here's how Apple's latest handset stacks up. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Google Pixel 9 Pro Samsung Galaxy S24+ Pricing (MSRP) $999 (128GB), $1,099 (256GB), $1,299 (512GB), $1,499 (1TB) $999 (128GB), $1,099 (256GB), $1,219 (512GB), $1,449 (1TB) $1,000 (256GB), $1,120 (512GB) Dimensions 5.9 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches 6 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches 6.2 x 3 x 0.3 inches Weight 7.03 ounces 7 ounces 6.9 ounces Screen size 6.3 inches 6.3 inches 6.7 inches Screen resolution 1,206 x 2,622 (460 ppi) 1,280 x 2,856 (495 ppi) 1,440 x 3,120 (512 ppi) Screen type OLED Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz) Up to 2,000 nits (peak brightness) Ceramic Shield LTPO OLED Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz) Up to 3,000 nits (peak brightness) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 Dynamic AMOLED 2X Up to 120Hz (1-120Hz) Up to 2,600 nits (peak brightness) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 SoC Apple A18 Pro (6-core) Google Tensor G4 (8-core) US/Canada/China: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (8-core) Int'l: Samsung Exynos 2400 (10-core) RAM Not specified 16GB RAM 12GB RAM Battery "Up to 27" hours video playback 4,700 mAh "24+ hours" with mixed usage 4,900mAh "Up to 29" hours video playback Charging Wired: not specified 25W wireless (with MagSafe charger; up to 15W with Qi2 chargers) 27W wired 21W wireless (with Pixel Stand; up to 12W with other Qi chargers) 45W wired 15W wireless Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (1TB only available with Obsidian model) 256GB, 512GB Rear camera Main ("Fusion"): 48 MP, f/1.78 Ultrawide: 48 MP, f/2.2, 120° FOV Telephoto: 12 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom Main: 50 MP, f/1.68, 82° FOV Ultrawide: 48 MP, f/1.7, 123° FOV Telephoto: 48 MP, f/2.8, 5x optical zoom Main: 50 MP, f/1.8, 85° FOV Ultrawide: 12MP, f/2.2, 120° FOV Telephoto: 10MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom Front camera 12 MP, f/1.9 42 MP, f/2.2, 103° FOV 12 MP, f/2.2, 80° FOV Video capture Rear: 4K at 24/25/30/60/100/120 fps, 1080p up to 240 fps Front: 4K at 24/24/30/60 fps, 1080p up to 120 fps Rear: 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p up to 240 fps Front: 4K at 30/60 fps Rear: 8K at 24/30 fps, 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p up to 240 fps Front: 4K at 30/60 fps Water and dust resistance rating IP68 IP68 IP68 Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 6e Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3 OS iOS 18 Android 14 Android 14 Colors and finish Glass front, glass back, titanium frame Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame Porelain, Rose Quartz, Hazel, Obsidian Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Onyx Black, Marble Gray, Jade Green, Sandstone Orange, Sapphire Blue Catch up on all the news from Apples iPhone 16 event!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-iphone-16-pro-vs-the-competition-bigger-with-more-buttons-194622608.html?src=rss
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