Apple is planning to update its entire lineup of AirPods in 2024 and 2025, Bloomberg reports. The company will apparently begin with new versions of its “regular” AirPods and AirPods Max headphones next year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also reports that a new AirPods Pro model will follow in 2025.

The company’s current lineup includes the second-generation AirPods that debuted in 2019, priced at $129, and the third-gen model that arrived in 2021. The more recent version is pricier at $169, but it comes with an updated design, longer battery life, wireless charging and better sound quality of its own. However, Bloomberg explains that customers don’t see the benefit in the third-generation model as the cheaper second-gen version and the noise-canceling AirPods Pro are better sellers.

For this reason, Apple will reportedly replace both the second- and third-gen models in 2024 with two new versions with more varied spec sheets. Bloomberg reports that the two new models will have a design that blends the 2021 AirPods with the look of the AirPods Pro and both with have short stems. What’s more, the more expensive version will offer active noise cancellation (ANC) and speakers in the case for Find My sounds — both of which are features of the current AirPods Pro. Both of the new models will have a better fit, but Bloomberg reports that neither of them are expected to have replaceable tips. Unsurprisingly, the fourth-gen models will make the switch to USB-C on the charging cases following this year’s update to the Pro.

Rumors of an AirPods Max refresh have been circulating for a long time now, mostly focusing on the timing of an updated model rather than any real details. Bloomberg reports that Apple will make the change to USB-C for its over-ear headphones late next year, with some new colors but not much else. A new version of the AirPods Pro isn’t coming until 2025, according to the report. The outlet explains that Apple is working on new health features for AirPods Pro centered on hearing. The company debuted its H2 chip in the second-gen AirPods Pro last year, a component that powers features like Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume and Conversation Awareness.

Engadget has reached out to Apple for comment and will update this article if we hear back.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-will-reportedly-bring-anc-to-its-regular-airpods-next-year-180153720.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple will reportedly bring ANC to its ‘regular’ AirPods next year

Apple’s buy now, pay later system is finally available to all customers in the US after its soft launch back in March. To pay later and begin making equal payments over the course of six weeks, you must be set up on Apple Pay with an eligible debit card.

There is a limit, though. Pay Later only works for purchases that cost between $75 and $1,000 made on iPhone or iPad through a vendor that accepts Apple Pay. The company says during the repayment period you won’t accumulate interest and there are no late fees. However, in the fineprint, Apple says your bank could charge you extra fees “if your debit card account contains insufficient funds to make loan repayments.” After opting to finance a purchase during checkout, your Pay Later loan and payment history gets shared with credit bureaus.

In a video tutorial, Apple breaks down how to start. Simply choose between paying in full through Apple Pay or paying later. If you choose the latter, the tool will automatically tell you how much each payment will cost every two weeks, which is subject to approval. You need to confirm your personal information and ‘Agree & Apply’ before beginning a repayment program.

Once you start making payments, Apple makes it easy to track your progress. Your total remaining balance, upcoming and previous payments are all laid out through the Wallet app. Here, you can set up autopay and change the bank or debit card you’re sourcing your payments from and if you’d like to, tap to pay early. Apple also integrated the calendar tool with the Pay Later feature so that an iPhone user can see everything they owe in a single place to keep tabs on progress.

The introduction of Pay Later puts Apple in competition with other digital repayment apps like Afterpay, Klarna and Affirm, which partnered with big tech giants like Amazon to expand their services. Roughly three in four US iPhone users have activated Apple Pay, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The popularity of the company’s tap-to-pay tool among iPhone users could help it gain a foothold in this new market.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-pay-later-is-available-to-everyone-in-the-us-174654047.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple Pay Later is available to everyone in the US

The latest version of watchOS 10 is here and it brings a key feature to Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Double Tap capability that Apple showed off when it revealed the new devices in September is now available.

Double Tap affords you some control of your watch without having to touch the display or the Digital Crown. The idea is to make it easier for you to carry out the primary action in an app when your other hand is perhaps occupied.

Let’s say you wear your Apple Watch on your left wrist. If you’re, for instance, carrying groceries in your right hand but want to answer (or end) a call or pause what you’re listening to, all you’ll need to do is to tap your left thumb and forefinger together twice. You can also use Double Tap to call up Smart Stack widgets while your watch face is active and do things like snooze alarms and start or stop timers.

We weren’t able to spend much time testing out Double Tap before publishing our Watch Series 9 review, but it seems like a useful feature (especially to help get used to Apple moving more toward gestures as a way of controlling devices). However, it might take you a little while to learn the right cadence for triggering an action with a Double Tap.

It’s worth noting that Double Tap follows the accessibility-minded Assistive Touch feature that arrived on Apple Watch devices in 2021. Apple designed this to help folks with a range of mobility needs to more easily use their Watch by using hand gestures. There’s long been a similar feature on iOS.

If your Apple Watch is set up for automatic updates, you can wait for your device to install watchOS 10.1. If you want to check out Double Tap sooner, there are a couple of ways to install the update manually.

On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app. Tap the My Watch tab, then General > Software Update. You may need to enter your iPhone or Watch passcode during the installation process.

To update watchOS directly on your Apple Watch, you’ll first need to make sure that you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. Open the Settings app, then tap General > Software Update > Install. The latter prompt will be available whenever there’s a new software update ready to download.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-rolls-out-watch-series-9-and-ultra-2s-useful-double-tap-feature-170912230.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple rolls out Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2’s useful Double Tap feature