Revamped open-fit earbuds improve popular formula with advanced features and smaller case, but are still disposable Apple’s latest AirPods have a new trick up their sleeves, offering noise cancelling without the need to block your ears with silicone tips. The AirPods 4 come in two versions. A standard set that are direct replacements for the outgoing model with a slightly refined shape, a smaller case and better sound for £129 (€149/$129/A$219). But more interesting are the AirPods 4 with noise cancelling costing from £179 (€199/$179/A$299). Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC, H2 chip Battery life: up to five hours playback (30 hours with case) Water resistance: IP54 (splash resistant) Earbud dimensions: 30.1 x 18.3 x 18.1mm Earbud weight: 4.3g each Charging case dimensions: 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2mm Charging case weight: 34.7g Case charging: USB-C or wireless (Qi or Watch) Continue reading...

The tech firm’s federal approval to turn its earbuds into hearing aids is one in the eye for the monopolistic US healthcare agency Like many professional scribblers, I sometimes have to write not in a hushed study or library, but in noisy environments. So years ago I bought a set of Apple AirPods Pro, neat little gadgets that have a limited degree of noise-cancelling ability. They’re not as effective as the clunky (and pricey) headphones that seasoned transcontinental airline passengers need, but they’re much lighter and less obtrusive. And they have a button that enables you to switch off the noise cancellation and hear what’s going on around you. I remember wondering once if a version of them could also function as hearing aids, given the right software. But then dismissed the thought: after all, hearing aids are expensive, specialised devices that are often prescribed by audiologists – and also signal to the world at large that you are hard of hearing. Continue reading...

Autumn and winter are the best time for gamers, and if your set-up is looking a little stale, here are the key ingredients for a serious seasonal upgrade With summer gone and the skies already greying over in preparation for six months of uncontested rain, you may well be thinking more seriously about video games. September and October tend to see the biggest releases of the year, so you can expect many evenings spent hiding from the world while playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or Mario Party Jamboree. If your gaming set-up is looking a little tired and you want to treat yourself to a serious seasonal upgrade, here are some suggestions. Continue reading...

New running headphones combine bone conduction and open-air speakers for more rounded sound So-called bone conduction headphones are a runner’s best friend, allowing you to be fully aware of the outside world while you listen to your motivational tunes. But the technology simply can’t generate decent bass – a problem that the open-ear headphone firm Shokz thinks it has solved with its latest OpenRun Pro 2. The follow-up to the popular OpenRun Pro and OpenSwim lines, the OpenRun Pro 2 cost £169 (€199/$175/A$299) and resemble most competitors, with bone conduction pods held in place in front of the ear by two loops and a band that runs behind your head. Water resistance: IP55 (spray resistant) Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 (SBC) Battery life: 12h Dimensions: 30.9 x 21.7 x 24.3mm Weight: 30.3g Drivers: Air and bone conduction Charging: USB-C Continue reading...

New Pixel phones, foldable, watch and earbuds feature Gemini Live for free-flowing conversations with AI bot Google is launching four phones, one of them foldable, two smartwatches and a set of earbuds packing its latest AI tech including the new advanced Gemini Live conversational experience, as the Android maker tries to outdo Apple and Samsung. The array of new Pixel products, announced at an event in California, mark the latest evolution of Google’s own-brand Android devices as it attempts to prove its integrated AI and devices work better than rivals. Continue reading...

Cut-price Bluetooth Beats are small, comfortable and last a long time, with great Android and iPhone support Apple’s latest Beats-branded earbuds offer the sound, fit and Android-loving features of its popular Studio Buds but in a smaller, much cheaper and longer-lasting package. The Solo Buds follow in the footsteps of last year’s Buds+, offering full integration with Apple’s various devices and Google’s Android, making the best of both platforms. Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC Battery life: 18 hours Water resistance: none Drivers: 8.2mm Earbud weight: 5.7g each Earbud dimensions: 16.7 x 18.5 x 18.9mm Case weight: 22g Case dimensions: 34.7 x 66.1 x 23.7mm Charging: USB-C Continue reading...

Company’s long-awaited headphones deliver top sound, long battery life, supreme comfort and killer home-cinema feature The wifi hi-fi maker Sonos has finally released its much-anticipated first set of headphones, the Ace, which combine the best elements from Bose, Apple and other high-end rivals with supreme comfort, sleek styling and a killer party trick for owners of the company’s soundbars. The hi-tech noise-cancelling headphones cost an eye-watering £449 (€499/$449/A$699) and rub shoulders at the top of the market with a range of extremely accomplished competitors such as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 and Apple’s AirPods Max. Weight: 312g Dimensions: 191 x 160 x 85mm Drivers: 40mm Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint, wifi, USB-C audio and charging Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive with Lossless Battery life: 30+ hours with ANC over Bluetooth Continue reading...

Funky transparent design backed by good sound and noise cancelling make these budget buds winners The tech firm Nothing’s latest set of cut-price Bluetooth earbuds offer great sound and noise cancelling for an even more competitive price, while continuing to stand out from the crowd through cool design. The London-based firm has launched the budget Ear (a), which keep almost everything that was great about previous Nothing earbuds and cost £99 (€99/$99). That is £30 less than its previous offering and the new £129 (€149/$149) Ear, which offer a few more customisations for sound and other features. Continue reading...

Repairable electronics pioneer shows noise-cancelling Bluetooth earbuds do not have to be disposable Fairphone, the repairable and ethical electronics pioneer, is back with a pair of some of the first Bluetooth earbuds to make it so easy and cheap to replace their batteries that you can do it at home in minutes. Bluetooth earbuds have become a ubiquitous part of life, driven by the success of Apple’s AirPods. Until now they have all compromised on sustainability by being very difficult to repair, in effect making them disposable. Continue reading...

Quality earbuds with improved Bluetooth, great battery life, good controls and future-proofed tech Sennheiser’s latest high-end earbuds aim to retake the crown as the best-sounding noise-cancelling earbuds you can buy, with cutting-edge chips, tricks and future-proofed tech. The Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds cost £259.90 (€299.90/$299.95), pitting them directly against the best from Bose and Sony. Water resistance: IP54 (splash) Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4, SBC, AAC, aptX adaptive, LC3 Battery life: Seven hours; up to 28 hours with case Earbud weight: 6.2g each Driver size: 7mm Charging case weight: 66.4g Case charging: USB-C, Qi wireless charging Continue reading...