iPod shuffle updated with much-needed new hues

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Terrence O'Brien

iPod shuffle updated with much needed new hues

It's been quite a while since the Shuffle has been updated, but we're happy to say that Apple has shown the tiniest of its music players some much needed love. There's only one change here, but it's by far the most important -- colors! Now the tiny PMPs will match their revamped "iTouch" brothers. Just, you know, with much less functionality. There's even a soft and subtle pink model for all those ladies out there that love being pandered to and a Project (RED) version for the socially conscious. The latest generation of the shuffle should start shipping today.

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2012 event hub!

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

iPod shuffle updated with much-needed new hues originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s signature earbuds rebranded for iPhone 5 as ‘EarPods’

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Ben Gilbert

Yes, finally -- finally -- Apple's years-long headphone debacle may finally be at an end, with the introduction this morning of redesigned earbuds. Their new name: "EarPods." Like so many things from today's Apple press conference, the new earphones look an awful lot like a leak we saw earlier this month. Apple says the new earphones feature, "a breakthrough design for a more natural fit and increased durability, and an incredible acoustic quality typically reserved for higher-end earphones." As seen above, they feature a main and secondary grill on each "pod," and the iPhone version has an inline remote / microphone built-in along the wire. The set looks starkly different from past Apple earphone offerings -- no rubber, distinctly less visible metal, and an all-plastic outer shell.

Rather than create a plugged-up seal as most in-ear headphones do, the pods rest at the edge of your ear canal with the main grill directed straight into it. A port on the back of each bud helps airflow to enhance the midrange, while dual ports on the bottom of each stem helps the bass response. Overall, the intention is to maximize airflow for optimal sound quality. Apple claims the design results in, "overall audio quality [that's] so impressive, they rival high-end headphones that cost hundreds of dollars more." They're available today for purchase as a standalone, and will ship with the new iPod Touch, Nano, and iPhone 5. A standalone set with an inline remote / mic will cost you the same $29 price point of its predecessor -- and they're already available at the source link below.

Gallery: Apple's infamous earbuds rebranded for iPhone 5 as 'EarPods'

Joe Pollicino contributed to this report.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Tablets, Mobile

Apple's signature earbuds rebranded for iPhone 5 as 'EarPods' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple announces fifth-generation iPod touch: 4-inch screen, 6.1mm thick, Siri included, starts at $299

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Dana Wollman

Today at its iPhone launch event, Apple announced yet another piece of hardware: the fifth-generation iPod touch. As rumored, it has a 4-inch display, the same 326 ppi panel used on the new iPhone 5. As you might have guessed, this is also the thinnest iPod touch to date, measuring in at 6.1mm and weighing 88 grams (3.1 ounces). On the inside, it packs an A5 chip promising seven times the graphics performance of the last-gen model. The battery is rated for 40 hours of music playback, or eight hours of video -- a slight improvement over the last-generation touch.

The rear camera has also gotten an upgrade: it's now built on a 5-megapixel sensor, paired with a backside-illuminated f/2.4 lens. It also now shoots 1080p video, and Apple has also added image stabilization. And yes, it supports the same panorama shooting feature as the iPhone 5. The front camera, meanwhile, is 720p and supports FaceTime (over WiFi only, of course -- no 4G models here).

If that image stabilization feature doesn't do it for you, there's also a protruding button on the back, to which you can attach a wrist strap -- you know, so that if the shakes get really bad you at least won't drop the thing. Perhaps the biggest news, though, is that the new iPod touch has Siri built in, making it the first non-iPhone device from Apple to get this feature. Finally, it comes loaded with iO6 and if you don't know what that entails, well, we've got your feature summary right here.

The iPod touch will be available in two flavors: a 32GB model ($299) and a 64GB number ($399). It will be sold in five colors: "raw aluminum," black, blue, yellow and red, and a (PRODUCT) RED version will also be available. Three hundred bucks too pricey for your next PMP? The last-generation touch will remain on the market, with the 16GB one going for $199 and the 32GB version selling for $249.

Gallery: iPod touch (2012)

Gallery: iPod Touch 5th generation

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Continue reading Apple announces fifth-generation iPod touch: 4-inch screen, 6.1mm thick, Siri included, starts at $299

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

Apple announces fifth-generation iPod touch: 4-inch screen, 6.1mm thick, Siri included, starts at $299 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple refreshes iPod nano: 2.5-inch multitouch display, 16GB, Bluetooth, available this October for $149

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Joseph Volpe

With news of Apple's shining star, the iPhone 5, out of the way, the company's shifting focus to its other major pillar: the iPod. Now seven generations in, the iPod nano is getting a refresh with a 38-percent thinner profile and svelte 5.4mm thickness. The multitouch screen now measures 2.5-inches across and sports a physical home button right below. Also packed in to this evolutionary PMP leap is an FM tuner with DVR-like functionality for playback control, Bluetooth radio (for wireless streaming support), inbuilt pedometer and, of course, that slimmed-down Lightning dock connector. And, according to Cupertino, this wee media player should last for up to 30 hours, making it the longest lasting nano the company's ever built. You can snag this 16GB lil' fella in a near rainbow of colors -- seven in all -- this October when it goes on sale for $149. Official PR after the break.

Gallery: Apple outs refreshed iPod nano

Gallery: iPod nano (2012)

Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens!

Continue reading Apple refreshes iPod nano: 2.5-inch multitouch display, 16GB, Bluetooth, available this October for $149

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

Apple refreshes iPod nano: 2.5-inch multitouch display, 16GB, Bluetooth, available this October for $149 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple announces redesigned iTunes for Mac, Windows and iOS devices

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Donald Melanson

It's gone through quite a few minor revisions as of late, but Apple has today taken the wraps off a fairly big redesign of not just iTunes for OS X and Windows, but iOS devices as well. The latter will be making its debut with iOS 6 on the 19th, and you can expect a simpler interface in all incarnations -- "dramatically simpler," according to Apple's Eddie Cue -- with a carousel up top paired with a flattened grid of icons below. The desktop version also sports a new mini player, which now boasts search functionality while staying decidedly minimalistic, and a new "Up Next" feature lets you cue up songs and see what's coming at a glance. Those UI changes naturally extend to the store component as well, and Apple is also promising improved performance throughout. No firm release date for the desktop version just yet, but Apple says we can expect it sometime in "late October."

Check out our liveblog for the latest from Apple's event.

Gallery: Apple announces redesigned iTunes for Mac, Windows and iOS devices

Continue reading Apple announces redesigned iTunes for Mac, Windows and iOS devices

Filed under: Internet, Software

Apple announces redesigned iTunes for Mac, Windows and iOS devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple discounts iPhone 4S to $99 in the wake of the iPhone 5, iPhone 4 is now free on contract

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Billy Steele

Not sure if you want to splurge for that newfangled iPhone 5 just yet? Well, the folks in Cupertino are now offering a handsome discount on the previous model. That's right, the iPhone 4S will now set you back $99 (with a requisite agreement, of course) and the iPhone 4 is free on contract. In the midst of the all the excitement, Apple also announced that the 3GS will be discontinued.

Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens!

Continue reading Apple discounts iPhone 4S to $99 in the wake of the iPhone 5, iPhone 4 is now free on contract

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Apple discounts iPhone 4S to $99 in the wake of the iPhone 5, iPhone 4 is now free on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS 6 coming to iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod Touch on September 19th

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Mat Smith

We know what we're getting from iOS 6 and won't have to wait long for it. Apple's new mobile OS will land on existing phones, tablets and media players on September 19th -- a week from today. As was mentioned when we first saw iOS 6, the cut-off appears to be the iPhone 3GS, while tablets starting from the second iteration will be able to access Apple's new feature set.

Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens!

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

iOS 6 coming to iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod Touch on September 19th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S: what’s changed?

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Daniel Cooper

Its name is enough to send CEOs into cold sweats, which is why the rest of the mobile world spent last week announcing their hardware back-to-back to steal a march on this handset. Now, after all of the rumor, speculation and leaks, Apple's sixth iPhone has finally been unveiled in San Francisco. We've got around 45 minutes before the world begins idly speculating about next year's iteration, so let's spend what little time we have delving into what's changed between now and the last time we were here.

Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens!

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2012 event hub!

Continue reading iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S: what's changed?

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S: what's changed? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS 6 gets official debut on the iPhone 5: Maps, Passbook, iCloud Tabs and more

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Sarah Silbert

Now that the iPhone 5 is officially out of the bag, it's time to talk software. Apple hasn't exactly kept its cards close to its chest in regards to iOS 6: Cupertino teased the software at WWDC, letting us in on the direct Facebook integration, the new Maps application, Passbook and "Do Not Disturb" in the process. Today the OS gets official, and Scott Forstall demoed the software on the iPhone 5.

Not too much new here, but the software is out of its beta phase and ready to ship. One of the most hyped additions to iOS 6 has been the Maps application, which includes Siri navigation, 3D building view and satellite imagery. In Safari, there's now a full-screen mode and you'll be able to share tabs from your desktop with your phone (dubbed iCloud Tabs). We're also seeing Passbook in action once again, bringing up a plane ticket at the lockscreen when you get to the airport, for example. One new thing here: Delta is confirmed as a partner for this digital ticket service.

As we've already known, on the Siri front you can bring up sports ranking and Rotten Tomatoes movie ratings via the voice assistant. And, of course, one of the most welcome new features is FaceTime over cellular -- no mention of whether that will be supported on all carriers, but it certainly looks that way. iOS 6 will be available on September 19th (also when the iPhone 5 will go on sale), and it's coming to the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod touch.

Gallery: iOS 6 gets official debut on the iPhone 5

Gallery: iOS 6 Siri

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2012 event hub!

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

iOS 6 gets official debut on the iPhone 5: Maps, Passbook, iCloud Tabs and more originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s new iPhone 5 dock connector: It’s called Lightning and it’s 80 percent smaller, but the adapter is $29

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Mat Smith

The new iPhone deserves a new dock connector. Say hello to the reversible, 80 percent smaller, Lightning. The likes of Bose, BLW and B&O are already working on new compatible docks while the new connector itself is now easier to connect, more durable, all digital, with an adaptive interface which warrants some closer inspection. Naturally, an adapter will also be made available for your existing iPhone peripherals, but if you have a number of devices to connect, it's likely to put a hurt on your wallet -- the adapter is now for sale in the Apple Store for a whopping $29. At least it'll pair well with that Thunderbolt connection, right?

Gallery: iPhone 5 Lightning Connector