Apple just announced a forthcoming update at today’s iPhone event: multitrack recording inVoice Memos.
The demo showed a guitar player laying down a progression and then simply singing on top of it. It looks like the magic stops at two tracks, but there’s a simple editing interface that lets allows for adjustments to each layer.
There’s also some algorithmic and machine learning mojo happening under the hood, as the demo doesn’t show the user wearing headphones when singing on top of the guitar track. In the old days, doing overdubs without headphones would be a one-way ticket to a ruined recording.
Apple didn’t announce when this feature is coming or what iPhone models it would be available for. The recently-announced iPhone lineup features a new microphone array, which could enable this feature. We’ll update this post when we know more.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-voice-memos-app-is-getting-simple-multitrack-recording-184721503.html?src=rss
Say hello to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. Apple’s latest high-end models may look familiar, but they have slightly larger displays than the iPhone 15 Pros: The screen on the iPhone 16 Pro is 6.3 inches and the Pro Max is 6.9 inches, an increase of 0.2 inches in both cases. This means the bezels on the 16 Pros are ultra slim.
Apple
Really, it’s all about the camera button this time around. Both of the new Pro models have a dedicated button just for snapping photos and filming video, professional style. It’s touch-sensitive, too: A light press opens up additional tools that are controlled by swiping along the button, such as setting the zoom, exposure and aperture. A long hold on the Camera Control button swaps between still photo and video modes. Apple plans to update the button with a two-state focus feature later this year, allowing a half press to activate the focus and a full press to actually snap a picture.
The Camera Control button feels like a natural evolution for Apple, as part of the company’s long-standingmission to position the iPhone as an all-inclusive filmmaking machine. The button is also built into the non-Pro iPhone 16 models.
Internally, the camera is getting a little boost. The telephoto lens is capable of 5x optical zoom — that’s an increase specifically for the smaller Pro, which previously maxed out at 3x zoom. The ultra-wide-angle camera has been upgraded from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels in both Pro models. The new phones support customizable Photographic Styles, and users are able to change their chosen style after a photo is taken, which is a useful improvement.
The iPhone 16 Pro can shoot video in 4K at 120 fps, and after shooting, you're able to select frames to be played in slow motion if that's your jam. It also supports spatial audio capture in videos. With Audio Mix, you can isolate the voices of people on camera, make the shot sound like it was recorded inside a studio, or pull in environmental noise with speaking voices highlighted, resulting in a more cinematic feel.
Apple
The iPhone 16 Pros have a larger battery, delivering us another classic line during Apple's live event: This is the "best iPhone battery life ever," apparently. The new phones run on the A18 Pro chip, which is an upgraded version of the A18 found in the regular iPhone. It has a 16-core neutral engine, and Apple says its AI features will run up to 20 percent faster than on the iPhone 15 Pro.
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have built-in support for Apple Intelligence, as do the non-Pro models this time around. Apple Intelligence is an AI system that touches every aspect of the new phones, improving Siri, the Writing Tools feature, phone call summaries and other apps. This includes a new Visual Intelligence feature, which functions a lot like Google Lens — using the new camera button, users are able to take photos of signs and objects to instantly receive information about those places and things.
Apple
The newest Pros come in gold (Apple calls it "desert") titanium, or the standard white, black or natural titanium colorways that we’ve grown accustomed to. The gold titanium replaces last year’s blue titanium case for the iPhone 15 Pro.
The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1,199. They come in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB sizes. This is a show of consistency from Apple — The iPhone 15 Pro was priced at $999 with 128GB of storage, while the 15 Pro Max was $1,199 with 256GB of storage.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-16-pro-has-a-dslr-like-camera-button-and-a-slightly-bigger-display-181605027.html?src=rss
Apple was very busy when it came to AirPods announcements this week. Alongside new fourth-generation AirPods (and an ANC option) and updated AirPods Max, it's also giving attention to the AirPods Pro, with a focus on hearing health. This leans heavily on hearing loss prevention, with noise levels limited by default, and an app to measure exactly how noisy your surroundings are. Apple notes that one in three people are regularly exposed to environments that can damage hearing, even with in-ear buds like AirPods Pro and noise cancellation.
The company is now introducing a clinically-validated hearing test on your iPhone. The test taps into large-scale data studies that Apple used to develop its hearing loss features, and it only takes five minutes. It'll ask you to tap the screen when you hear a series of tones at different frequencies. Your hearing profile will also be automatically applied to audio content across music, movies and phone calls.
But Apple took it even further and has developed an over-the-counter, professional-grade hearing aid feature. It'll boost the specific kinds of sounds you need help with. It's a big move from Apple, as existing OTC hearing aids can cost between $1,000 and $1,500. The second-gen AirPods Pro are just $250 by comparison.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apples-airpods-pro-update-turns-them-into-a-clinical-grade-hearing-aid-174919818.html?src=rss
Apple is giving every iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro model brand new chips, instead of just using last year's hardware in its cheaper phones. The company unveiled the A18 and A18 Pro chips at the iPhone 16 launch event today, and as you'd expect, they're built with Apple Intelligence in mind. The chips offers more memory and a new 16-core Neural Engine, in addition to some incremental performance boosts over older models. More so than the past few years — where you could point to new camera lenses or hardware tweaks as a reason to get the new iPhone — the chip is the key selling point for the iPhone 16 lineup.
Other than last year's iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, older iPhones can't run Apple Intelligence features like the revamped Siri, Genmoji and integrated ChatGPT search. (Anyone who splurged for those higher end iPhones chose wisely, as there's little reason to upgrade.) AI workloads require plenty of RAM to juggle large language models, so that alone disqualifies the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, which only had 6GB of RAM on the A16 chip (a holdover from the iPhone 14 Pro). The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, on the other hand, featured 8GB of RAM with the A17 Pro chip.
The A18 chip, along with thermal design optimizations, helps the iPhone 16 achieve 30 percent faster sustained gaming performance, according to Apple. And just like the A17 Pro last year, the new chip supports hardware accelerated ray tracing, which helps it deliver more realistic lighting in some titles. Apple also revealed that Honor of Kings: World will be coming to iPhones next year.
Apple's A18 Pro goes a step further than the A18, delivering up to 15 percent faster speeds than the A17 Pro, as well as 2x faster hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Notably, the A18 Pro also uses 20 percent less power than the A17 Pro. All of that hardware isn't just meant for Apple Intelligence, it also powers the complex new photography features in the iPhone 16 Pro's cameras.
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Apple's older strategy of using the previous year's chips on the iPhone and iPhone Plus made sense. Those devices didn't require the demanding camera processing of the Pro models, which were entirely geared towards power users. Apple could cut manufacturing costs and still deliver a solid user experience for iPhone owners with older chips. (Even though it debuted in 2022, the A16 chip in the iPhone 15 is still very capable today.)
But now that Apple is centering the iPhone experience around Apple Intelligence, a family-wide spec bump isn't too surprising. And even if you're not excited about Apple's AI offerings (which they'll never actually call AI), it's nice to have some more RAM in the base iPhone line.
There are arguably only three sure things in life: death, taxes and a new bunch of iPhones every September. Like clockwork, Apple has revealed this year's iPhone lineup, which is anchored by the iPhone 16 and its larger sibling, the iPhone 16 Plus. Apple has made some alterations to the external design, but the company’s main focus this year is on Apple Intelligence, with the new phones designed from the ground up to support that.
There are a few notable changes to the exteriors of both devices this year. First, the rear camera array is arranged vertically on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus with a pill-shaped bump. These lenses will now support spatial video recording — in other words, the 3D footage that you can view using a Vision Pro headset. You'll be able to take spatial photos too. There's also support for 4K video capture at 60 frames per second with Dolby Vision.
Apple
Apple is doing something else interesting with the camera array in the iPhone 16. One camera seems to combine a 48MP main lens with a 2x telephoto lens in what's called a "Fusion camera." The other is a 12MP Ultra Wide camera. This now has an f/2.2 aperture, which is an improvement on the previous f/2.4 aperture. As such, that means that Apple will offer a macro mode for the base iPhone models for the first time, so folks who don't opt for an iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max should be able to take better close-up photos.
Second, the Action button that debuted on last year's Pro models has arrived on the lower-end models. This button, which replaces the mute switch, is customizable. You might set it up to activate the flashlight or a Voice Memos recording. It can trigger Shortcuts and, starting in iOS 18, you can use it to adjust a Control Center setting. You can set up the Action button to have different functions at different times of day.
Third, there's another new Camera Control button that's dedicated to capturing photos and videos, so you won't have to tap your display, press one of the volume buttons or use a remote trigger to take a snap or a recording. Clicking the button opens the Camera app. The touch-sensitive button works in a similar fashion to the capture button on a DSLR camera — lightly press to focus on a subject, then fully press to take a photo. You can hold it down to start recording a video.
You'll be able to adjust camera settings (such as the zoom) by sliding your finger back and forth on the touch-sensitive button. This could well be a game-changer for iPhone-focused photographers.
The Camera Control button also works with a new Google Lens-style visual intelligence feature that's coming to the iPhone 16 later this year. For instance, you an point your phone at a new restaurant, click the Camera Control and find out details about the menu and opening hours.
Apple
The other key upgrades are on the interior. Apple says there's a new thermal system made from 100 percent recycled aluminum to replace the copper one from previous devices. That should help reduce overheating and improve temperature regulation – Apple says you’ll get 30 percent higher sustained performance while gaming. In addition, there’s support for hardware-accelerated ray-tracing, which is said to deliver five times higher frame rates than with software-accelerated ray-tracing.
Some games that were previously only supported on the iPhone 15 Pro (at least in terms of phones) will be available on iPhone 16. Those include Assassin's Creed Mirage and several Resident Eviltitles.
Apple Intelligence will be powered by the all-new A18 chipset. It has a CPU that's up to 30 percent faster than the one found in the iPhone 15, and a GPU that's up to 40 percent faster. There's an upgraded neural engine that is said to be up to two times faster for machine learning. As expected, Apple Intelligence features will start rolling out in the US in English in October, before expanding to some other countries in December and other languages in 2025.
As part of the Apple Intelligence shift, a new Siri experience is coming into play. This isn't a huge surprise as it was part of the iOS 18 preview when we got our first look at WWDC in June. Not only does Apple claim that Siri will have deeper understanding of language and users' personal context, the voice assistant will have a new glowing interface. That's what the iPhone event's "It's Glowtime" tagline is based on. However, it may be several more months before Apple fully rolls out all of Siri's upgrades.
The iPhone 16 is built with aerospace-grade aluminum and is available in some new colors, including ultramarine, teal and pink to go with white and black. It’s built for greater durability too. Apple says it’s water- and dust-resistant, and has a new glass-ceramic screen that’s said to be 50 percent tougher than the one of the iPhone 15 and twice as strong as "any other smartphone." Much like the Apple Watch lineup, the screen can be as dark as 1 nit or as bright as 2,000 nits. The screen sizes remain the same at 6.1 inches for the iPhone 16 and 6.7 inches for the iPhone 16 Plus.
Apple claims there's a bigger battery in the iPhone 16 as well, which is always welcome to hear. The company claims it will work in concert with the A18 and the power efficiency features of iOS 18 to deliver longer battery life. Apple says the iPhone 16 will deliver up to 22 hours of local video playback, 18 hours of streaming video and 80 hours of audio playback on a single charge.
Apple
On the safety front, you'll be able to share live videos if you need to use the Emergency SOS function. Messages via satellite and other messaging features are coming to the US and Canada, while Emergency SOS and Find My via satellite are available in 18 countries, including the US.
Elsewhere, Apple is bringing Wi-Fi 7 to the base models for the first time this year. That's a nice upgrade — as long as you have a compatible router, of course. That should help future-proof the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus to a degree as well.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus open on Friday, and they will be available on September 20. Pricing starts at $799 for the iPhone 16 and $899 for the iPhone 16 Plus, each of which have 128GB of storage at the base level. They'll also be available with 256GB or 512GB of storage.
Catch up on all the news from Apple’s iPhone 16 event right here!
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-iphone-16-gets-a-camera-button-action-button-and-the-a18-chip-174756253.html?src=rss
After nearly four years, Apple finally delivered an update to its most premium headphones. But instead of a new generation of AirPods Max, the company simply refreshed the existing over-ear headphones with USB-C support and a handful of new colors.
With the same $549 price tag, the updated AirPods Max will maintain their status as Apple’s most expensive AirPods, though the updates are mainly cosmetic. The over-ear headphones will now be available in five new colors: midnight, blue, purple, orange and starlight. Apple is also ditching the lightning connector for a USB-C port, much like it did with its Beats Studio Pro headphones. The lightly refreshed headphones go on sale September 20 and are available for pre-order now.
But anyone hoping for more significant upgrades will likely be disappointed. The latest AirPods Max will have the exact same design, with Apple’s “breathable knit mesh” band, stainless steel frame and memory foam cups. The company also didn't upgrade its chip from the H1, or add any new audio features to the almost four-year-old headphones. That may be because Apple is saving a bigger update for 2025. Bloombergreported that Apple has an AirPods Max upgrade planned for the end of next year.
Those looking for upgraded audio, however, will find some major improvements elsewhere in the AirPods lineup. Apple introduced two new versions of its standard, non-pro buds with the AirPods 4. The in-ear buds come with the H2 chip, support "adaptive audio" features, and an option for active noise cancellation.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-refreshes-its-airpods-max-with-new-colors-and-usb-c-174330979.html?src=rss
Apple’s annual iPhone event sure brought the fire on the handset side of things, but the company also announced two new AirPod models to join the ever-growing lineup. There's the standard AirPods 4 and a slightly more high-tech AirPods 4 with ANC.
The biggest news is perhaps the addition of USB-C to the charging cases. This finally brings the AirPods in line with the rest of the world and, most importantly, newer iPhone and iPad releases. The AirPods 4 earbuds should also fit better, thanks to some design refinements.
Both versions of the earbuds also include the H2 chip, allowing for an improvement in sound quality. There's even personalized spatial audio, voice isolation and gesture-based Siri controls. You can nod your head, for instance, to make certain adjustments. All told, these buds should get 30 hours of battery life.
Apple
AirPods 4 with ANC may look identical to the standard model, but there’s an advanced feature set. This includes active noise cancellation, which isn't always a given with earbuds, and wireless charging. Both models are available to preorder right now, with shipments going out on September 20. The fourth-gen AirPods cost $129 and the AirPods 4 with ANC costs $179.
The company also announced a refresh of the AirPods Max over-ear headphones, after four long years of waiting. The latest model boasts USB-C charging (yay) and comes in new colors, like black, blue, purple and orange. The company did not announce a refresh of the AirPods Pro earbuds, and its long overdue.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/airpods-4-have-a-new-design-and-an-anc-upgrade-option-173900817.html?src=rss
Apple is bringing sleep apnea detection to some Watch models as it tries to position its wearable as a one stop shop for all things health. At the iPhone 16 launch event, the company announced the new Watch Series 10, highlighting the new feature. If you wear your watch to bed, you’ll get an alert pushed to your phone in the morning if it detects disturbances in your breathing. You will also be urged to visit your clinician, and can show them Watch data. All of this information will be collated in the Health app on iPhone.
Rather than using oxygen saturation, which would be the logical approach, Apple says it’s using motion tracking. This is likely tied to Apple’s longstanding patent row with Masimo that has seen the company hurriedly offer workarounds for its blood oxygenation sensor. Your Apple Watch will look for “small movements at the wrist” that are indicative of “interruptions to normal respiratory patterns during sleep.” The company added its work has been validated by a sleep study of “unprecedented” size.
Apnea detection is also coming to both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, and Apple says it expects the FDA and other regulatory agencies to give their blessings in the coming days. It says the feature will be available in more than 150 countries and regions later this month. The feature had been rumored for a while but there were hints suggesting Apple had struggled to make its workaround as effective as required. Samsung, meanwhile, already has FDA approval for a similar feature on the Galaxy Watch.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-brings-sleep-apnea-detection-to-the-watch-series-10-172316987.html?src=rss
We likely won't have to wait much longer to get all the official details on the PlayStation 5 Pro. Sony has announced a PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation that it will stream at 11AM ET on September 10 on the PlayStation YouTube channel.
All indications point toward this being the official unveiling of the PS5 Pro. Mark Cerny, the lead architect of the PS5, will host the stream, which will focus on the "PS5 and innovations in gaming technology." This comes just a few days after Sony teased a redesigned PS5 in an image that lines up with various PS5 Pro leaks. It was also expected that the company would unveil the PS5 Pro in mid-September ahead of the holiday shopping season.
Add all that up, plus a tagline that reads "The Journey Continues" in a teaser video, and it's pretty clear what's in store. For what it's worth, Cerny detailed the PS5's specs from behind a lectern in a 2020 livestream (Sony had to pivot from a planned Game Developers Conference talk after COVID-19 took hold).
The PS5 Pro rumor mill suggests that the mid-cycle refresh will deliver improved and consistent frame rates at 4K resolution as well as an 8K performance mode in supported games. Game rendering is said to be 45 percent faster than on the standard PS5, while the Pro's ray-tracing capabilities are reportedly two to three times faster.
Tune in tomorrow for a PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation hosted by Mark Cerny
Update, September 10 2024, 9:05AM ET: This story has been updated with a link to the PlayStation livestream.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-looks-set-to-announce-the-ps5-pro-today-in-a-strangely-short-livestream-152342331.html?src=rss
The black version of Apple’s latest Magic Mouse accessory is just $85 via Amazon, which is a discount of $15. This is nearly a record low price, as this colorway rarely goes on sale.
This is a wireless Bluetooth mouse specifically made for Apple products like Mac desktops and iPads. If you’ve ever owned an iMac or even a Mac tower, you know the drill. It’s a good mouse. It pairs quickly and gets the job done. No muss and no fuss.
There’s a multi-touch surface that allows for gestural controls like swiping and scrolling, which is pretty cool. The mouse also boasts an optimized foot design for better gliding across surfaces. This isn’t one of those older models powered by AA batteries. There’s an internal battery pack that lasts around a month before requiring a trip to the USB-C port for a charge. To that end, it ships with a fairly high-end woven USB-C cable.
That leads me to the one major caveat with Apple’s Magic Mouse. Though the mouse doesn’t have to charge often, this process is kind of annoying. The port is on the underside of the accessory, so you can’t use it while charging. It just turns into a useless, upside-down brick. Maybe whoever finalized the port placement was a nepotism hire.
As for requirements, you need a Bluetooth-enabled Mac with OS X 10.11 or later or an iPad with iPadOS 13.4 or later. For those who don’t care about colorways, the original white model is not on sale, but it is cheaper at just $68.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-black-magic-mouse-drops-to-85-in-a-rare-deal-151352919.html?src=rss