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As expected, Apple's September 9 "awe-dropping" event brought a tsunami of new hardware, including the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air. But those long-awaited models weren't the only launches worth noting — the event also debuted three new Apple Watches: the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Apple Watch SE 3.

Now that the livestream is over, these three new Apple wearables are all available for pre-order. All three will ship out on September 19.

Apple Watch Ultra 3

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/how-to-pre-order-the-apple-watch-ultra-3-apple-watch-series-11-and-apple-watch-se-3-175645177.html?src=rss

The iPhone Air may get most of the attention at today's Apple event, but the "regular" iPhone 17 is the one a lot of the iOS faithful will buy. This year's new model may not look like a massive overhaul since the design is mostly the same, but don't let that fool you. The company has massively upgraded the display to include ProMotion and a 120Hz refresh rate. There's more power under the hood, ready to harness all of the features that Apple Intelligence and iOS 26 provide. Plus, there's eight more hours of battery life and faster charging when you need it. And I haven't even mentioned the camera updates yet, which are highlighted by the Center Stage front camera. 

With the introduction of the iPhone Air, Apple nixed the iPhone 17 Plus. Now you're left to decide between the 6.3-inch iPhone 17, 6.5-inch iPhone Air or the 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max (and 6.3-inch Pro) — if you're primarily concerned with size. I was worried the company would leave us with a 6.1-inch base iPhone, a handset that feels incredibly small after I finally got used to the iPhone 16 Plus. I'm happy to report that the iPhone 17 bridges the gap nicely, and I don't think the smaller "regular" model will be a strain on my delicate sensibilities. 

Billy Steele for Engadget

On first glance, the real star of the show this year is the majorly upgraded display on the iPhone 17. Not only is it slightly larger, but it now has a 120Hz refresh rate and supports Apple's ProMotion tech. The difference between this new model and my iPhone 16 Plus was immediately apparent. Colors are more vivid, details are sharper and it's just more pleasant to look at. Of course, I wasn't able to dive into the finer points of what the upgrade provides in a quick demo, but I walked away impressed after my first glance at the phone. 

I was also able to briefly try the new Center Stage front camera in the lobby outside the Steve Jobs Theater. There are other camera updates on the iPhone 17, but this one will be what is most beneficial to most people. It automatically changes orientation as more people enter the frame for selfies, and most importantly, it does so quickly without any jitters or lag. It worked well on multiple attempts I observed, and it's one of the few new features I'm looking forward to testing further. 

Additionally, Dual Capture, the ability to record footage from both the rear and front-facing cameras at the same time, will be great for recording reaction videos. A busy demo area outside of an Apple keynote isn't the most exciting spot for this, but what I was able to see excited me for my upcoming afternoons of youth sports. 

We'll have to wait for our full review for a deep dive on the rest of the new features on the iPhone 17, but after my first introduction, I anticipate that this could be the most robust annual update in several years. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-iphone-17-hands-on-no-plus-no-problem-192747122.html?src=rss

In an absolute shocker, an early September Apple event included the official reveal of the iPhone 17. Who could have seen that coming? Arguably the biggest change this time around — in the most literal sense — concerns the display. At 6.3 inches, it's larger than the iPhone 16's 6.1-inch screen. Sorry to iPhone users with smaller hands and anyone else who is fed up of every phone becoming a phablet. The bezels are thinner too.

Not only is the iPhone 17 screen larger than the one on its predecessor, it boasts a Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion, meaning it has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling (you can perhaps thank my colleague Igor Bonifacic for willing that into existence). It's an always-on screen. When you aren't using your iPhone 17, the refresh rate dips to 1Hz to help optimize battery life. 

The front of the device boasts Ceramic Shield 2, which improves scratch resistance by three times, Apple claims. There's also a seven-layer anti-glare coating that's designed to improve readability, and there's a peak outdoor brightness of 3,000 nits (1,000 nits more than the iPhone 16).

No prizes for guessing that there's an upgraded processor in the iPhone 17. An A19 processor with a 3nm design is powering this year's base model. Apple says it has more memory bandwidth to bolster on-device large language model processing (the 16-core neural engine will help with that). The A19 has a five-core GPU as well. That, plus the 120Hz display, should bolster gaming on the iPhone 17.

Unfortunately, Apple is sticking with a dual camera system on the rear. Apple is calling this a Dual Fusion camera system which merges the capabilities of both lenses. The main camera is a 48MP lens with integrated optical-quality 2x telephoto and a 26mm focal length. There's also a 48MP ultrawide sensor — Apple says this can capture up to four times the resolution of the previous-gen camera.

Apple

As for the front-facing camera, it has a much larger sensor than on previous models, according to Apple. It's also square instead of rectangular. One big benefit of that change is that you'll be able to snap landscape selfies in any orientation — no need to rotate your phone to do that. Your iPhone 17 will automatically switch between landscape and portrait orientations if, for instance, AI detects more people in the photo to make sure everyone is included. 

The selfie camera can take 18MP snaps, which is an upgrade on the 12MP resolution that the iPhone 16's front-facing lens topped out at. The Center Stage camera offers improved stabilization for videos (which you can capture in 4K HDR), FaceTime calls and video calls in third-party apps, Apple says. There's also support for a feature called Dual Capture. This allows you to record video using both the front and rear cameras at the same time.

On the battery front, Apple says the iPhone 17 will deliver up to 30 hours of continuous video playback on a single charge, which is eight hours more than on the iPhone 16. The Adaptive Power Mode in iOS 26 can learn your typical battery consumption levels and conserve power when needed. 

In addition, the company claims you can top the battery up to 50 percent in 20 minutes thanks to faster charging. You'll need a powerful enough USB-C charger for that, of course, and it just so happens Apple is starting to sell a 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max, which will do the trick. That costs $39.

Apple's MagSafe compatible cases include the $49 clear case, $59 FineWoven wallet and $49 silicone case (available in black, neon yellow, light moss, anchor blue, and purple fog). The latter works with Apple's new crossbody strap, which is pretty self-explanatory. It could help keep your iPhone secure while freeing up space in your pocket. It's made with 100 percent recycled yarns and comes in 10 colors. The strap has an adjustable length. Oh, and it costs $59.

Elsewhere, Apple is promising improved performance and reliability for features such as Personal Hotspot and AirDrop thanks to the N1 networking chip it designed in house. As you might expect, this supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity too.

The dimensions are slightly different from the iPhone 16. The iPhone 17 is 0.1mm narrower at 71.5mm (2.81 inches) and 2mm taller at 147.6mm (5.89 inches). It's a hair thicker too, adding 0.15mm. Moreover, the iPhone 17 is seven grams heavier than its predecessor at 177 grams (6.24 ounces).

The iPhone 17 runs iOS 26, which boasts Apple's new Liquid Glass design language. It features the expansion of Apple's Visual Intelligence — the company's answer to Google Lens — to screenshots, as well as overhauled Camera and Phone apps. Moreover, iOS 26 brings live translation to the Phone, FaceTime and Messages apps, along with polls to group chats, additional lock screen options and much more.

The iPhone 17 will be available in black, lavender, mist blue, sage and white. In a very welcome update, Apple is doubling the base storage to 256GB. 

There's no price increase this year, as the iPhone 17 starts at $799. Pre-orders for the iPhone 17 (and the other models) start this Friday, September 12 at 8AM ET. The iPhone 17 will hit shelves on September 19 in more than 63 countries, including the US. It will become available in 22 more countries and regions a week later.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-17-boasts-a-larger-display-with-promotion-support-and-a-120hz-refresh-rate-173429663.html?src=rss

Apple has taken the wraps off its latest crop of iPhones, introducing four devices in total: the standard iPhone 17, the high-end iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max and an all-new ultra-thin model called the iPhone Air. We have hands-on previews for each new device already, but as always, most people should hold off on making a purchase until we can fully review the phones in the coming days. If you’re already sure you want to upgrade, however, we’ve broken down what you should know about each new iPhone before you pre-order.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-pre-order-the-iphone-air-iphone-17-and-iphone-17-pro-ahead-of-their-september-19-release-date-185943747.html?src=rss

Apple announced three new smartwatches at its “Awe Dropping” event today. Along with new iPhone 17 models, we now have the Apple Watch Series 11, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and (finally) a new Apple Watch SE — much as the rumors predicted. The Apple Watch Series 11 is available for pre-order today with a starting price of $399 and will ship out September 19. 

Engadget’s Cherlynn Low, Sam Rutherford and Billy Steele are on the ground at the event, so we’ll have hands-on coverage soon, followed by full reviews in a week or so. In the meantime, here’s everything we know about the newest flagship series Apple Watch. 

The Apple Watch Series 11 can deliver hypertension alerts 

The keynote speech started off with dramatic testimonials of how the Apple Watch has helped people with their health and well being, alerting them to health issues and calling for help that saved their lives. The new model will now help identify another health woe: hypertension. 

Apple's VP of health, Dr. Sumbul Ahmad Desai, introduced a feature that can help detect hypertension (high blood pressure), a condition which affects over a billion people worldwide and often has no obvious symptoms. The feature relies on the same optical heart sensor the Apple Watch has had for years, but now a new algorithm informed by both machine learning and a study involving more than 100,000 participants looks for high blood pressure. It works in the background over the course of a month to identify patterns associated with hypertension. 

Desai made sure to state that it can't detect all cases of hypertension, but that Apple expects to notify more than one million people that they may have undiagnosed hypertension in the first year of the feature's availability — though, that's dependent on FDA clearance. (Apple expects to gain that soon.) 

Apple A screen that's twice as scratch resistant

As for what else is new this year, we heard from Stan Ng, VP of Apple Watch and health product marketing, who called the Series 11 the thinnest and most comfortable ever. The Ion-X glass now has a ceramic coating bonded at an atomic level making it two times more scratch-resistant than before. 

There's a new color (Space Grey to go along with the Rose Gold, Jet Black and Silver from prior models) and the case is now made from 100 percent recycled aluminum, up from 95 percent on the Series 10. There's also a slate of colors in polished, 100 percent recycled titanium. Battery life is now up to 24 hours, thanks to a battery redesign, meaning you can wear it all day and night. 

The Apple Watch will now award you a sleep score

If you wear your watch all night, you'll be rewarded with a new sleep score (much like you already get from a Galaxy watch or a Pixel Watch/Fitbit). The sleep score analyzes the quality of your sleep based on duration, consistency, time awake and other metrics. You'll also get details on what affected your score and what you can do to get better sleep next time. The Apple Heart and Movement study provided sleep data to help inform how the sleep score works. 

Cellular models now get 5G connectivity 

If you opt for the cellular model, you’ll get access to 5G networks, instead of just LTE. That’ll allow for speedier data connections on your wrist even if you leave your phone at home. The modem and antenna architecture should provide wider coverage as well, while being more power efficient. 5G cellular connection will be available from most carriers at launch.  

The wearable will ship with watchOS 26, which showcases the new Liquid Glass design — and the Apple Watch is getting a new watch face to showcase a translucent look called Flow. There's also a new Exactograph watch face, which Ng described as a "modern reinterpretation of a traditional regulator clock."

Apple What's stayed the same on the Apple Watch Series 11

Apple Watch announcements usually lavish much praise on the new processor chip ("system in a package" or SiP). There was no mention on that front for the Series 11 — because it's using the same S10 chip as last year. We found the performance was plenty capable last time around, so that's not necessarily a bad thing.  

Last year, Apple gave its flagship wearable the biggest hardware update since the Series 4, so it’s not surprising the new model retains that general design. Like the Series 10, the Apple Watch Series 11 comes in a 42mm or 46mm case size. Strangely, the company is touting it as the thinnest ever — though the tech specs list it at the same 9.7mm as the Series 10. We did indeed find the Series 10 to be comfortably thin, so again, not a complaint.   

The best thing that hasn't changed is the price. Last year, the Series 10 started at $399 — exactly how much the base model Series 11 costs. There was plenty of speculation as to whether tariffs would up the prices of the new Apple hardware, but at least for the company's flagship wearable, any increased costs didn't get passed on to the customer. 

Apple Watch Series 11 pricing and availability

The Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399 for the 42mm aluminum case and GPS-only connectivity. The larger 46mm case starts at $429. Adding 5G cellular connectivity tacks on $100 to both models. The titanium case bumps the starting price to $699, but cellular is included. Of course, there are also a slew of new bands you can pick that'll add more dollars to your Apple Watch purchase — and the Hermès variant goes for as much as $1,950 (but comes with a custom watch face). 

All Apple Watches are available for pre-order today and will be available September 19.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-series-11-includes-5g-and-a-hypertension-tracking-feature-172451506.html?src=rss

Apple hosted its "Awe dropping" iPhone event today, but wearables also got their moment in the sun, including the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 11. In recent years, the company has made some big environmental claims around its smartwatches, but after facing some legal scrutiny overseas, the language for this new Apple Watch generation's green cred is notably more muted.

Starting with the Apple Watch Series 9, the company claimed that select models of the watch could be carbon-neutral, and those calls were echoed in some branding for the Apple Watch 10. However, a regional court in Frankfurt, Germany, ruled last month that Apple could not call its smartwatch carbon-neutral because the carbon-offset program it was using was on land that it had only leased through 2029. Apple's environmental plan didn't account for how it would handle the carbon offsets after that date, meaning the 'carbon-neutral' claim was unfounded and violated competition laws, according to the ruling.

It seems like the sort of case Apple is likely to appeal, although we haven't heard them make any announcement yet about possible next steps. But the action does seem to have influenced how the company is talking about its new Apple Watch Series 11. In the official press release about the Watch 11, the environmental impact section still notes some stats, but there's no mention about carbon-neutrality for this particular wearable. Here's what the company says instead:

"Apple Watch Series 11 is now made with 40 percent recycled content, which includes 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery, and 100 percent recycled titanium or aluminum in the case, and titanium cases are made using an innovative 3D printing process that uses just half the raw material as previous generations. It is manufactured with 100 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain."

There could still be some skepticism about how accurate these claims are; Apple wouldn't be the first or the only one to cherry-pick stats for marketing. And while it is no longer making the statement about the smartwatch, Apple does claim in the release that it "is carbon neutral for its global corporate operations."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-isnt-making-any-carbon-neutral-claims-with-its-series-11-smartwatch-190216278.html?src=rss

Apple revealed a language translation feature for the upcoming AirPods 3 Pro earbuds at today's iPhone event. Here's some good news for those who don't want to shell out $249 for some new and shiny in-ear headphones. The tool is also coming to the AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 2 models. This requires the latest firmware and an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone running iOS 26 and later.

For the uninitiated, Live Translation is exactly what it sounds like. The software translates languages in real-time while wearing the earbuds. This allows for something resembling natural conversation when interacting with a person who speaks another language.

This feature will be available in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish at launch, with more languages coming by the end of the year. These include Italian, Japanese, Korean and simplified Chinese.

As for the AirPods Pro 3 earbuds, they cost $249 and are available to preorder right now. These new earbuds include a heart rate monitor, improved ANC, better battery life and the ability to play spatial audio.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apples-airpods-4-with-anc-and-airpods-pro-2-will-also-support-live-translation-184235997.html?src=rss

With the start of September comes the promise of crisp, fall-like weather and, like clockwork, new iPhones. Apple's "awe dropping" iPhone event this year had execs showing off the latest iPhones from Cupertino and reminding folks of the changes Liquid Glass and iOS 26 will bring to their handsets in the coming week. The biggest hardware news comes with the iPhone Air, a new addition to this year’s iPhone lineup. iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro families were revealed, along with updated Apple Watches and new AirPods Pro earbuds. If you missed the live event, here’s everything Apple announced during the iPhone 17 launch event.

iPhone 17

The handsets in the standard iPhone 17 lineup have 6.3-inch, 120Hz displays with ProMotion and thinner borders. Apple's touting improved durability thanks in part to Ceramic Shield 2, which has three times the scratch resistance as previous Ceramic Shield tech.

The iPhone 17 is powered by the new A19 chipset, which is faster and more efficient than the previous processor thanks in part to an improved neural engine, a six-core CPU and a five-core GPU. Improvements in power efficiency will also get you eight additional hours of battery life on the iPhone 17.

As for the rear camera array, iPhone 17 has a 48MP main Fusion ultra wide camera and a 12MP telephoto lens. The selfie camera has been improved to be a "center stage" front camera, with better stabilization, a wider field of view and a new larger, square sensor that lets you take higher quality images and videos more easily. You also won't have to rotate your iPhone when you want to take a photo or video in landscape mode.

The iPhone 17 series starts at $799 for a 256GB model and will be available for pre-order starting Friday, September 12. They'll be widely available on September 19.

Read more: Apple iPhone 17 hands-on: No Plus, no problem

iPhone Air Apple

As expected, Apple announced a new member of the iPhone family during the event. The iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone yet, measuring just 5.6mm thick, and made of spacecraft-grade titanium. Ceramic Shield 2 surrounds the iPhone Air on both sides, which helps make it more durable than any previous iPhone. The Air's always-on screen measures 6.5-inches, and it supports ProMotion and up to 3,000 nits of brightness.

Powering the iPhone Air is the A19 Pro chipset, which features a six-core CPU and a five-core GPU that features new neural accelerators built in. The new N1 chip enables the latest wireless technologies including Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and the updated C1X modem is twice as fast as the previous C1 chipset.

The rear camera setup appears to just have one shooter, but actually includes a 48MP Fusion lens and a 12MP telephoto lens built in. The front-facing camera is the new center stage camera that features improved stabilization and software that makes it so you don't have to rotate your phone to take landscape photos and videos anymore.

As far as battery life goes, Apple claims the iPhone Air will get "all-day" battery life thanks in part to hardware features and software perks like Adaptive Power Mode, which learns your habits to intelligently manage power. The iPhone Air is compatible with MagSafe battery packs like the new, super slim one Apple designed specifically to work with the Air.

The iPhone Air starts at $999 for a 256GB model and will be available for pre-order starting Friday, September 12. It will be widely available on September 19.

Read more: iPhone Air hands-on: The super sleek precursor to Apple’s upcoming foldable

iPhone 17 Pro Apple

Apple redesigned the iPhone 17 Pro lineup from the ground up to include the first anodized aluminum unibody design in an iPhone. It was made to include the biggest battery ever in an Apple smartphone, an upgraded rear camera array, a new thermal system and more.

Starting with the new thermal management system, it's designed to manage power and surface temperature. A new vapor chamber directs heat throughout the device so it dissipates more efficiently. This is necessary to manage performance for Apple's most powerful iPhone, which is powered by the A19 Pro chipset.

Screen sizes sit at 6.9-inches on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and 6.3-inches on the iPhone 17 Pro. Glass is no longer affixed to the back of the handset and has been replaced with Ceramic Shield 2, which makes the iPhone 17 Pro more durable than ever.

The new rear camera setup sits on a "plateau" of sorts on the top half of the back of the device. The array features a new 48MP telephoto lens, which can shoot up to 8x “optical quality” zoom at 12MP and 4x at its full 48MP. That's accompanied by two 48MP wide and ultra wide sensors, plus the 18MP center stage lens on the front of the phone.

Things like the thermal management system and the camera plateau have allowed Apple to put the biggest battery yet into the iPhone 17 Pro Series. The company claims the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have the longest battery life of any iPhone up until this point, with up to 39 hours of video playback.

The iPhone 17 Pro series starts at $1,099 for a 256GB model and will be available for pre-order starting Friday, September 12. They'll be widely available on September 19.

Read more: iPhone 17 Pro hands-on: The unibody and camera plateau feel more significant in person

AirPods Pro 3 Apple

After three years, we now have a new version of the AirPods Pro. Apple’s latest premium earbuds, the AirPods Pro 3, look much the same as the Pro 2, but now they have heart rate monitoring thanks to built-in biometric sensors. The Fitness app has new experiences to accompany this, including workouts you can track while wearing just AirPods Pro 3 and carrying your iPhone.

Apple's also touting improved audio with spatial listening, better active noise cancellation (four times as effective as the ANC in the original AirPods Pro) and foam-infused eartips. Live translation is another new feature which is, unsurprisingly, powered by Apple Intelligence. A new gesture will activate live translation when you're wearing the buds, and it will translate words spoken to you in another language to your preferred language. To reply, all you have to do is speak naturally in your own native language, and a translation will show up on your iPhone screen. As far as battery life goes, they should get at least eight hours on a single charge.

AirPods Pro 3 are available to order today for $249, and will be widely available on September 19.

Read more: Apple AirPods Pro 3 hands-on: New design and improved ANC are impressive

Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE Apple

Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 11 as its thinnest and most durable smartwatch yet. It's twice as scratch resistant as previous watches, and it now supports 5G for the first time thanks to a new modem. It also has improved internal tech that make it more power efficient. The watch will be able to monitor for high blood pressure using improved algorithms and the built-in heart rate monitor. If the watch identifies patterns of hypertension, you'll get an alert in the Health app. Series 11 watches will also now get up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge, an improvement from the previous model.

It’s been two years since we got an updated Apple Watch Ultra, and that’s been remedied now with the Ultra 3. The new watch has a bigger, better display thanks to LTPO 3 technology. Satellite connectivity now allows you to stay in touch wherever you may go, and Emergency SOS is included with all Ultra 3 watches.

On the entry-level side of the spectrum, the Apple Watch SE is getting an update with a new always-on display, optional 5G, the improved S10 chip and support for gestures like double tap and wrist-flick. The Apple Watch SE will also provide sleep apnea notifications and the new Sleep Score feature that's available on the Series 11 watches. However, it's battery life remains the same as before — up to 18 hours — although you will now get fast-charging support.

Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399; the Ultra 3 starts at $799 and the SE starts at $249. You can pre-order them today and they'll be widely available on September 19.

Read more: Apple Watch Series 11 hands-on: Feels and looks the same, but real changes are deeper

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/everything-apple-revealed-at-the-iphone-17-launch-event-iphone-air-iphone-17-pro-airpods-pro-3-and-more-171028663.html?src=rss

Apple's "pro" AirPods were due for an update. Despite continuously upgrading the AirPods Pro 2 with new features since their introduction in 2022, Apple hadn't produced another robust overhaul of its priciest earbuds yet. At today's iPhone 17 event (or iPhone Air event, depending on who you ask), the company unveiled the latest model: the AirPods Pro 3. Apple has refined the design, added heart rate sensing, improved active noise cancellation (ANC), delivered live translation and more. And most importantly, it did so without increasing the price.

My brief demo with the AirPods Pro 3 focused entirely on the refined ANC. I wasn't able to try any sustained heart rate tracking or live translation just yet, but I hope to have other opportunities for that later this week. 

Billy Steele for Engadget

I was immediately impressed by the updated ANC system. The demo area at Apple Park is in a marble room outside of the Steve Jobs Theater. It's a nightmare for shooting video, but it's a great testing ground for ANC. That's because you can seemingly hear every voice echo off the floor and walls. After starting in transparency mode twice with a video and music, I switched to ANC and it completely nixed the roar of the room. I escaped the chaos for a few seconds. 

The AirPods Pro 3 even dulled voices around me, with the exception of one very loud talker, to the point the company representative had to tap me on the shoulder because I could no longer hear her questions. I'll need more time with the earbuds to know if they really are better at blocking human voices, but after a few minutes with the new model, I can confidently say they can cancel more regular environmental noise than before. 

This demo gave me a few minutes with the revamped design as well. The foam ear tips are obviously more comfortable, but the fit and feel will take some getting used to. I was actually surprised by how different they felt compared to the current silicone version, even though I've worn foam tips plenty of times in the past. They will ultimately be more comfy for longer listening sessions and I'm sure their passive noise isolation lends a hand with the ANC improvements. 

I'm hoping to get more time with the AirPods Pro 3 today and tomorrow, so stay tuned for more coverage of Apple's new earbuds from the iPhone 17 event. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-airpods-pro-3-hands-on-new-design-and-improved-anc-are-impressive-183246429.html?src=rss

AirPods Pro 3, Apple's high-end earbuds, joined the iPhone Air and new Apple Watches in the spotlight at Apple's September 9 "awe-dropping" launch event. The first AirPods Pro 3 will ship on September 19, but pre-orders are live now. Here's how to get your hands on a pair of the new AirPods to go with your iPhone Air.

AirPods Pro 3

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/how-to-pre-order-the-new-airpods-pro-3-173916856.html?src=rss

While all eyes are likely on the iPhone Air this year, Apple is introducing several new features in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max that should keep its more demanding users satisfied. The company says it went back to the drawing board to develop a new unibody aluminum case, a vapor chamber cooling system and the biggest batteries ever put into iPhones. There’s also a completely revamped rear design, featuring a new horizontal camera module and combination of aluminum and Apple’s Ceramic Shield 2 along the bottom half. The latter update should increase overall durability, while also allowing for MagSafe wireless charging.

While all of Apple’s new iPhones are getting massive camera upgrades this year, the Pro rightfully remains the most capable with a new 48 megapixel telephoto lens. That joins 48MP wide and ultra-wide sensors, as well as the new 18MP Center Stage front-facing camera. The telephoto camera can now shoot up to 8x “optical quality” zoom at 12MP (a fancy way to say it’s cropping) and 4x at its full 48MP. As usual, Apple shot its iPhone announcement event with its new Pro phone and it looked on par with a true professional camera. (Of course, it’s also assisted by lots of other gear to help with shot placement and stabilization.)

Under the hood is Apple’s new A19 Pro chip, a six-core CPU that offers “MacBook-level processing power,” according to the company. Strangely enough, the A19 Pro is also in the iPhone Air, but the iPhone 17 Pro’s vapor chamber cooling should allow for better sustained performance that’s up to 40 percent faster than the A18 Pro. (You can’t really push heat out quickly from a super-thin case, after all.) Also on the chip front, the iPhone 17 Pro features Apple’s new N1 networking chip, which delivers Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread support. The company claims it also help make the iPhone 17 Pro’s Hotspot and AirDrop features faster and more reliable.

Not much has changed with the iPhone 17 Pro’s displays: There’s still the standard 6.3-inch screen, while the Max model has a 6.9-inch option. Both screens reach up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness, offer 120Hz variable refresh rate ProMotion screens and have always-on capabilities. They should be a bit tougher this time around thanks to Ceramic Shield 2, which has “3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection,” according to Apple.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will be available for pre-order on September 12th, starting at $1,099 and $1,199, respectively. While the price has jumped up $100 since last year, Apple is also including 256GB of storage from the start. (The iPhone Air is taking over the $1,000 slot.)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-17-pro-has-an-aluminum-case-and-vapor-chamber-cooling-180141734.html?src=rss

The worst kept secret of 2025 is official. At its Awe Dropping event on Tuesday, Apple announced the iPhone Air, its thinnest iPhone to date.

Just how thin is the iPhone Air? At its thinnest point, the new model is 5.6mm thick. To put those measurements in perspective, the iPhone 16 Pro is 8.25mm thick, making the Air over 2mm thinner than Apple's 2024 flagship. Prior to today, the 6.9mm thick iPhone 6 was the company's thinnest smartphone to date. Since then, newer iPhones have been thicker to accommodate larger batteries, Face ID, multi-camera arrays and other components. The iPhone Air reverses that trend.

At the same time, Apple claims the Air is its most durable phone yet, with a frame made from recycled titanium. Additionally, the Air is encased in the company's Ceramic Shield material, which on the front Apple says is now 3x more scratch resistant than previous iterations. As for the display, it's a 6.5-inch screen with ProMotion support up to 120Hz, always-on functionality and 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness. Additionally, Apple says the display has better outdoor contrast.  

Internally, the iPhone Air features the company's new A19 Pro chipset. Tim Millet, vice president of platform architecture at Apple, said the new chip, with its six-core CPU, is the fastest smartphone processor on the market. The A19 Pro also comes with an upgraded GPU and Apple's new N1 networking chip. In conjunction with the Air's C1X modem, the iPhone Air offers WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread connectivity out of the box. What's more, the new 5G-capable C1X is more power efficient, using 30 percent less energy than the modem in the iPhone 16 Pro. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone Air will only support eSIMs. Apple did not include a physical SIM slot to make space for other components. The phone's "plateau" houses its cameras, speaker and Apple Silicon.  

For photos, the Air comes with a single 48-megapixel main camera that has an f/1.6 aperture lens and 2x telephoto zoom. Like the iPhone 17, the iPhone Air also comes with Apple's new Center Stage front-facing camera, which makes use of a 18MP square sensor to allow you to take both portrait and landscape shots without reorienting how you hold the phone in your hand. As for video, the camera can record 4K footage at 60 frames per second with Dolby Vision support included.    

Apple

Now, for the question on everyone's mind: battery life. Here, Apple is claiming you'll be able to get "all-day" usage out of the Air. Of course, all-day can mean different things to different people. Even Apple today said the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch SE 3 — which offer 24 and 18 hours of usage on a single charge, respectively — both feature "all-day" battery life. Apple will sell a new MagSafe battery alongside the iPhone Air that will extend its battery life, but at that point you might as well have bought the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro. 

The iPhone Air will start $999, with 256GB of internal storage included with the base model. Apple will begin accepting pre-orders on 8AM ET on Friday, with general availability to follow on September 19. The Air will be available in four colors: space black, cloud white, light gold and sky blue.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-air-is-apples-thinnest-phone-yet-174342422.html?src=rss

It's been two years since Apple updated its rugged, ultra-premium Watch Ultra line, so it was long overdue for a replacement. Today, at its Awe Dropping event to launch the iPhone 17, the company has unveiled the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Apple was naturally delighted to show off a broad number of tweaks that, in aggregate, more than make up for that additional year delay. The most notable new feature is satellite communication, letting you stay in touch no matter where you are in the world.

Watch Ultra 3 is equipped with a 5G modem, matching the change to both the Watch Series 11 and SE Series 3. But those other timepieces do not get the built-in, two-way satellite communication offering Emergency SOS and Find My, letting you share your location if you're in trouble in a remote area. With the Watch's existing fall detection capabilities, it'll also raise the alarm on your behalf if you're not able to respond to it in time. Find My will share your location once every 15 minutes, and users can even send and receive texts and tapbacks with contacts via satellites. 

The Watch Ultra 3's new 3D printed case has had its display bezels shrunk to accommodate the "largest screen of any Apple Watch ever." More importantly, the display technology has been tweaked (LTPO3) with wide-angle OLEDs to improve off-angle viewing. So, if you want to check the time without making it obvious that you're checking the time, you won't be faced with an illegible screen any more. LTPO3 also is efficient enough that even in always-on mode, you'll be able to see a ticking seconds hand without activating the display. 

An even more welcome improvement (at least, for me) is in battery life, with Apple claiming Ultra 3 will survive for 42 hours on a single charge. Put the device into Low Power Mode and you will apparently be able to eke its life to 72 hours, which is unprecedented for an Apple Watch. The company says that the greater efficiency of its display, system-on-chip and new 5G modem has also helped improve the watch's longevity.

Naturally, you'll also get all of the software bells and whistles announced with the other Watch models today. That includes Hypertension alerts, so if the system detects a possible spike in your blood pressure you can get advice to get it checked out long before it becomes an issue. Similarly, the company is adding a Fitbit/Garmin/Oura/Insert-Other-Fitness-Provider-Of-Choice-esque Sleep Score feature to the Watch. Wear it to bed, and it will monitor your heart rate, temperature, blood oxygenation and respiratory rate (keeping an eye on possible sleep apnea) to score your sleep in the morning. 

Apple commonly updates its devices annually, but the Ultra 2 has been top of the list for two years. It’s likely that the bulk of the company’s design focus in the previous cycle was on the top down redesign of the regular Watch. After all, the Watch 10 got a thinner case and, in the 46mm version, a display slightly bigger than the Watch Ultra. Plus, those in the know say that the S10 system-on-chip found in the 2024 models was just a smaller version of the S9 found in the Ultra 2. Consequently, there was little reason to upgrade the Ultra to the newer package since it already had plenty of room inside its beefy, rugged case.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is available to pre-order today for $799, with shipments beginning on September 19. You can pick it up in "natural" or black titanium, with a new selection of bands to accompany the new hardware.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-ultra-3-has-satellite-connectivity-and-larger-display-173046366.html?src=rss

After three years, the Apple Watch SE is finally getting a refresh. The company showed off the Apple Watch SE 3, the latest version of its budget-friendly wearable during its big iPhone 17 event.

The third-generation Apple Watch SE is the first of Apple's budget-friendly watches to come with an always-on display and support for 5G. Other notable upgrades include Apple's S10 chip and new health-tracking features.

Despite rumors that Apple may be changing the form factor for its entry-level watch, the Apple Watch SE 3's design is largely unchanged from the last generation. It comes with an aluminum case, which will be available in two colors ("midnight" and "starlight") and come in 40mm and 44mm sizes. Even though the display size isn't changing, Apple has upgraded its cover glass, with the new display being "four times more resistant to cracks" than the SE 2.

The third-gen Apple Watch SE also adds some significant new health-tracking capabilities that bring it more in line with other recent versions of the Apple Watch. There are two onboard temperature sensors, which allows it to deliver temperature data to the Health app. It also powers new cycle tracking features, with ovulation estimates and improved period predictions. On the sleep tracking side, it adds sleep apnea notifications and sleep quality scores, which provides insights about the quality of your sleep.

Apple

Despite the always-on display, Apple says the watch has "all-day" battery life (up to 18 hours). It also charges two times faster than the previous generation, with just 15 minutes of charging providing up to eight hours of battery life, according to Apple.

The addition of the S10 chip also powers a faster Siri experience on the watch, as well as "double tap" and "wrist flick" gestures that allow you to take actions within apps and quickly dismiss notifications. It also helps with audio quality on FaceTime calls, thanks to background noise suppression. And, speaking of audio, the Watch SE 3 supports audio playback directly through its speaker so you can listen to music or podcasts without headphones. 

One aspect Apple isn't changing is the price. The third-generation Apple Watch SE starts at $249 for the 40mm version and $279 for the 44mm. It's available for pre-order today and will ship September 19.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-se-3-has-an-s10-chip-and-always-on-display-173033538.html?src=rss

Today's Apple event wasn't just about iPhones and smartwatches. The company also announced the long-anticipated refresh of the AirPods Pro earbuds. The AirPods Pro 3 arrive a full three years after the company released the second-gen earbuds.

This is a serious upgrade with updated audio drivers and plenty of high-tech bells whistles, like active ANC and the ability to play spatial audio. Apple says these earbuds offer the best ANC of any in-ear headphones on the market.

Apple

There's a heart-rate sensor built right into the earbuds, which is pretty nifty for workouts. I'm loving this effort to stuff health sensors into earbuds. The battery life here is great, offering eight hours per charge. This shoots up to 10 hours when using just the transparency algorithm. 

There's a new live language translation feature, which is something that Pixel Buds have been doing for a while. This tool will also be available for other models like the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and the AirPods Pro 2. The Live Translation software will be available in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish at launch, with more languages coming by the end of the year. 

As for the physical design, everything looks mostly the same, though they are a bit smaller to accommodate more ear canals. The company said it scanned more than 10,000 ears to make sure these new earbuds are "the most secure and best-fitting AirPods ever."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/airpods-pro-3-offer-live-translation-and-improved-noise-cancellation-171018061.html?src=rss

Despite how it sounds, a xenotransplant isn't something from the latest Alien movie. It's an increasingly credible science: the transplantation of animal organs into humans. The field took one of its biggest leaps forward on Monday. The FDA approved the biotech company eGenesis to begin human trials of pig-to-human kidney transplants.

eGenesis provides pigs with CRISPR-modified genes. These genetic changes reduce the chances of organ rejection in human recipients. The FDA approved the company for Investigational New Drug (IND) Clearance for a three-phase study. Each stage will increase the number of patients if the results support moving forward.

Only those with end-stage kidney disease will be eligible. They'll also need to be 50 or older, dialysis-dependent and on the kidney transplant waitlist. Around 86,000 people are currently on the kidney waitlist. The average wait time is three to five years at most centers. It can be longer for rarer blood types. Over 800,000 Americans have end-stage kidney disease.

eGenesis isn't alone: United Therapeutics, another gene-edited pig developer, will soon begin enrolling people in a similar FDA-approved study.

"Advances in xenotransplantation are giving our community hope that new options may soon be available to those who need them most," National Kidney Foundation CEO Kevin Longino wrote in a press release. "Patients expressed strong support for the advancement of clinical trials in our recent Xenotransplantation Voice of the Patient report. It is gratifying to know they're being heard."

The trial approval coincided with news of another successful xenotransplant. Bill Stewart, an otherwise healthy 54-year-old New Hampshire resident, received one of eGenesis' pig kidneys on June 14. Before the operation, he received dialysis three times per week for over two years. His organ donor wait was longer than most due to his blood type. He was discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital on June 21 and no longer requires dialysis.

"There's so few of us who have done this, and they're writing the protocol as we go, so to speak," Stewart told CNN. "But I'm feeling good."

Tim Andrews, 67, received a pig kidney in January. Before his transplant, he required dialysis for over two years. Over seven months after the operation, he's still dialysis-free. He's currently the longest living recipient. 

Earlier transplant recipients had significant underlying health problems. That limited scientists' ability to conduct long-term tests. Trials with healthier patients will assess the durability of the organs over time.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/the-fda-approves-human-trials-for-pig-kidney-transplants-165416004.html?src=rss

The Plex streaming platform has experienced a security breach and is telling customers to change their passwords "immediately." They also suggest that users enable two-factor authentication and sign out of any connected devices that are currently logged in.

The company says a database was accessed by an “an unauthorized third party” and that some customers had their emails, usernames and hashed passwords exposed. As indicated, the breach involved hashed passwords, which are scrambled through an algorithm, so it's unlikely the bad actor could read them. However, this is an absolute case of "better safe than sorry."

Dammit @plex! Received to my personal email address today, not their first rodeo either: https://t.co/3HXXsOdyxy pic.twitter.com/LpfgAQPWNv

— Troy Hunt (@troyhunt) September 8, 2025

Plex says credit card data is safe, which is a relief, as that information isn't stored on its servers. The company says it is currently safeguarding its data and "undergoing additional reviews to ensure that the security of all of our systems is further strengthened to prevent future attacks."

This whole ordeal is eerily reminiscent of a Plex data breach in 2022, in which a bad actor infiltrated the system and accessed people's emails, usernames and passwords. So consider this your reminder to change passwords at regular intervals and to consider using a dedicated password manager. Authenticator apps can also be helpful. It's the wild west out there.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/plex-tells-users-to-change-their-passwords-after-data-breach-152635869.html?src=rss

AI summaries seem to be everywhere, with the latest entry into the mix coming courtesy of Mozilla. The company has announced that its web browser, Firefox, is rolling out page summaries on mobile devices. Notably, this feature is only available for English-language iOS users in the US right now.

Unlike other major summary tools from Google and the like, Firefox's page summaries are available when you shake your device. If you feel a bit weird doing that then you can, instead, tap the thunderbolt icon on the right side of the address bar. There's also the option to click the three-dot menu icon and then tap summarize page. 

You should be able to get a summary of any webpage with 5,000 words or less — though, that might require a lot of guesstimating if the word count is anywhere close. You can also turn off summaries in settings.

Firefox will use Apple Intelligence for the summary if you have an iPhone 15 or newer once iOS 26 drops. Otherwise, Mozilla's cloud-based AI should securely receive the page text and then create a summary. 

The latest summary feature follows Firefox's Link Previews, launched in May. The experimental feature used AI to preview a link's content, including a list of key points. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/firefox-provides-ai-page-summaries-if-you-shake-your-iphone-145837557.html?src=rss

Anthropic has begun rolling out a small but significant update to Claude. Starting today you can use the chatbot to create and edit Excel spreadsheets, documents, PowerPoint slide decks and PDFs. In the past, Claude offered rudimentary file support, but now you can interact with any documents you need to modify directly through the chatbot. The new functionality is part of a feature preview you can try out as long as you have a Max, Team or Enterprise subscription. Sorry, Pro and free users, you'll have to wait. The preview will roll out to Pro subscribers "in the coming weeks," with no timeline yet for when free users can expect access.

"We've given Claude access to a private computer environment where it can write code and run programs to produce the files and analyses you need. This transforms Claude from an advisor into an active collaborator. You bring the context and strategy; Claude handles the technical implementation behind the scenes," says Anthropic of how it built the feature. "This shows where we’re headed: making sophisticated multi-step work accessible through conversation. As these capabilities expand, the gap between idea and execution will keep shrinking."

To check out the preview, toggle "Upgraded file creation and analysis" in the settings menu, which you can find by first selecting "Features" and then "Experimental." You can then upload or describe the file you'd like Claude to create or edit for you, and download Claude's creation once you're happy with the result. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/claude-can-now-edit-and-create-files-including-excel-spreadsheets-143043937.html?src=rss

Video game difficulty is a real balancing act. You want to be challenged and earn each new level, but when it's too hard there's more frustration than fun. Apparently, a number of players have found the new Hollow Knight: Silksong game a bit too hard, struggling to defeat some of the bosses. 

Now, Team Cherry, the indie studio behind the Hollow Knight series, is making things a bit easier. Team Cherry has announced Hollow Knight: Silksong's first patch, which includes a "slight difficulty reduction in early game bosses." This update includes the bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter.

Otherwise, the patch mostly includes bug fixes, such as gamers remaining cloakless or getting stuck floating. It also brings an increase in rosary rewards from relics and psalm cylinders, as well as for courier deliveries. These retroactive updates should come by mid next week, but eager players can join the public-beta to get the fix. Team Cherry notes that its already working on more fixes in a second patch. 

The long awaited sequel to Hollow Knight finally launched on September 4, with eager fans crashing Steam, the Nintendo eshop and the Xbox Store. It's available now for $20. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/hollow-knight-silksongs-first-patch-should-give-you-a-chance-against-its-early-bosses-134125593.html?src=rss