Amazon has thrown its hat into the true wireless earbuds ring with the new Echo Buds.
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Just like the Apple AirPods, the Echo Buds offer a mediocre five hours battery life with the accompanying charging case containing enough power for around another 20 hours of use. But unlike Apple’s offering, Amazon’s Buds come equipped with noise-cancelation, driven by Bose’s Active Noise Reduction technology — which is a bit strange considering it doesn’t even come bundled on the audio titan’s own SoundSport Free wireless earbuds.
Obviously, safety is the main concern when using noise-canceling. For example, you need to be able to hear the vehicles around you while crossing a busy street. This is why Amazon has made it extremely easy to control the feature — with a simple double-tap on either bud, passthrough mode can be enabled to allow ambient sound to seep through. Double-tap it again and the noise reduction feature will fire back up, blocking it out once again.
Meet the Amazon Echo Buds.Image used with permission by copyright holder
The Echo Buds come with Amazon Alexa built-in, complete with some Skills that were developed specifically for it — the most notable of which is the option to ask Alexa if (Amazon-owned) Whole Foods has a particular item while browsing the store, as well as finding out which aisle it’s stored in. Plus, Amazon has integrated the option to use the voice assistant that comes part and parcel with your smartphone, including Google Assistant and Siri.
Each bud has also been sealed just enough to secure a coveted IPX4 sweat-resistance rating from the IEC, making the Echo Buds a worthy workout companion — on paper, at least. It even comes with the option to disable the always-listening microphones, should you happen to find yourself in a situation where you’re in need of a bit more privacy than simply trusting Amazon to not listen in on your juicy locker-room conversation.
It’s an interesting proposition for Amazon, adding yet another pair of true wireless earbuds to the mix this late in the game, especially a pair with battery life that falls well below new favorites like Apple’s own Powerbeats Pro from the company’s Beats line, which offer up to nine hours per charge.
That said, the addition of noise-canceling puts the Echo Buds more on footing with Sony’s new WF-1000Xm3, which boast as much as eight hours per charge, but only six hours with noise-canceling engaged. Moreover, the Echo Buds’ $130 price point is nearly $100 less than what Sony is charging for their earbuds.
You can pre-order the Amazon Echo Buds right now, with orders scheduled to start shipping in October.
In one of the least-kept surprises of today's iPhone 15 event, Apple announced that the second-generation AirPods Pro are switching to USB-C for their charging case.
That's a big deal because they'll now use the same charger as the iPad and MacBook — and also because they can use any other USB-C cable that you've got laying around. And because we're not talking about a device with a huge battery capacity, you don't need to worry so much about whether you have the right USB-C cable. Things should charge just fine, and fast enough, given that the battery case only sports a 523 mAh battery.
Are Apple AirPods waterproof? Everything you need to know
So, you just bought yourself a nice new pair of AirPods, or you're thinking about it because they're among the best wireless earbuds you can buy, and you're wondering if they're waterproof. The answer is no, AirPods are not waterproof and you should not wear them while swimming or in the shower or during a water balloon fight. But, if the pair of AirPods you've got (or got your eye on) is either the third-generation AirPods or the first or second-generation AirPods Pro, then you're in luck as they are water resistant.
We're going to get into what all that means and break down how water resistant each AirPods model is and what their water-resistance ratings mean for your daily activities. Let's go.
Water resistant vs. waterproof
As we mentioned above, none of Apple's AirPods -- AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPod Max -- are waterproof. But what is "waterproof" anyway? From an electronic device standpoint, being waterproof means that the device is watertight and can be completely submerged in water. There's a common ratings system designed for electronics to measure this (as well as dust and dirt resistance) known as the IP (Ingress Protection) rating, which we cover in our post on the water-resistance rating system.
This accessory turned my AirPods into a giant mech head
You’ve probably heard of a tech accessory brand called Casetify by now. It’s one of the higher-quality brands of tech accessories out there, and it’s particularly known for having a ton of customizable products, as well as many unique collaborations with artists and well-established brands — including Disney, Star Wars, Peanuts, and more.
The Evangelion x Casetify is one of the latest collaborations that the company has launched, and it should appeal to anyone who is a fan of the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime and manga series. There was even an “Impact!” launch event in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, where a 4-meter tall, 7-meter wide EVA–01 bust was put on display, with the mecha holding a Casetify Impact case that features an iconic NERV design.
