Beats

Powerbeats Pro: unboxing + our initial review

Powerbeats Pro, Apple's truly wireless earphones with the in-house designed H1 headphone chip, hands-free Hey Siri, IPX4 water resistance and other perks, have been available since May 10. We though we'd check them out to give iDownloadBlog readers a closer look at one of the most important new audio product under Apple's ownership of Beats.

Evidence of rumored wire-free Powerbeats spotted in iOS 12.2

Evidence has been discovered in the just-released iOS 12.2 software update that seems to confirm rumors of an impending launch of new wire-free Powerbeats. 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo spotted images and animations hidden within the update that appear to be wire-free Powerbeats headphones, sitting in a charging case.

AirBuddy brings proper AirPods support to the Mac

If you’ve ever used Apple’s AirPods with your iPhone or iPad before, then you already know about the seamless pairing experience that's made possible by the Apple-exclusive W1 chip. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t polished this experience on macOS just yet, and the AirPods experience on the Mac feels the same as any other Bluetooth-enabled device.

To say Apple left Mac users hanging in this respect would be an understatement, but third-party app developers have taken notice of this macOS-centric niche and now appear to be coming to our rescue.

Apple unveils 2017 Back to School deals: free Beats with select iPad Pro & Mac purchases

Apple on Wednesday announced its 2017 Back to School promotion for customers in the United States and Canada. Students, teachers and university staff members will get a free Beats Solo3 wireless headphones when they purchase an eligible Mac with education pricing, including the MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac and Mac Pro models.

If you opt for a 10.5-inch or 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Apple will treat you to a free BeatsX wireless earphones or you can pay $50 extra to get a Powerbeats3 in-ear headphones or $150 extra for the Solo3 on-ear wireless headphones.

The Solo3 headphones are a great choice because they contain Apple's W1 chip for more reliable connections, better sound quality and longer battery life compared to Solo2.

The 2017 Back to School deals area available to students enrolled in college, parents, teachers and faculty members. Verification is required at checkout.

Apple also recommends Back to School accessories such as AirPods, Apple TV and more.

Plus, students can take advantage of existing Apple Music deal with a monthly subscription available to eligible students half price at just five bucks per month, or sixty bucks per year.

The Back to School promotion for customers in Australia, New Zealand and Japan went live back in January. It offered an Apple Store credit in exchange for a qualified iMac, Mac Pro, MacBook/Air/Pro or iPad Pro purchase made from February 7 to March 16.

New Beats ad features NBA all-stars LeBron James, Kevin Durant & others

Apple on Tuesday released a new television commercial promoting the Beats Studio Wireless on-ear headphones and the Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless in-ear headphones. “Beats powers the world’s greatest basketball players to make their statement on the biggest stage,” notes the ad.

The 30-second commercial, titled “Be Heard”, features NBA all-stars LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and James Harden who can be seen listening to a song by American rock duo “The White Stripes” while warming up with their Beats headphones.

And here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcnmfyYETD0

As mentioned, the commercial uses the song “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes from their album “Elephant”. You can purchase their album from iTunes or stream it on Apple Music.

How do you like Apple's new Beats ad?