Amazon has today introduced its second-generation Echo Buds with a 21 percent smaller design and enhanced active noise cancellation.
The second-generation Echo Buds introduce a white color option, and it is difficult to see past the clear design cues that Amazon has taken from the AirPods Pro's charging case, which looks almost exactly the same with an elongated design, a single centered LED, and a long groove to open the lid.
Much like the AirPods Pro, the Echo Buds now feature a vented design to reduce ear pressure. There are also other comfort improvements that have been made possible by reducing the size of each individual bud, such as a shortened in-ear tip and reduced external height for a more flush fit.
Noise cancellation is said to be twice as good as the previous model and the buds now feature an AirPods Pro-style sound passthrough mode. Sound quality has also been improved with extended dynamic range and increased bass and treble fidelity. The microphones are also improved for better call quality.
The second-gen Echo Buds are rated IPX4 for water and sweat resistance, and the earbuds can deliver five hours of listening with noise cancellation enabled, with two additional full charges in the case for a total of 15 hours. Like the original Echo Buds, the second-generation model comes with Alexa built-in.
The Echo Buds come with four sizes of oval-shaped ear tips and optional wing tips in two sizes for a more secure fit.
The second-generation Echo Buds are priced at $119.99 with the standard USB-C charging case, or $139.99 with the wireless charging case, undercutting the $249 price of AirPods Pro considerably. They will go on sale on May 13 and will be discounted for a limited time to $99.99 and $119.99.
Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed.
French blog Consomac also reported on this topic.
The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black.
Images Credit: Consoma ...
Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about.
New Apple Intelligence Languages
Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.
AirPo...
Monday September 22, 2025 2:16 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Next year's rumored foldable iPhone will showcase an ultra-thin design resembling "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Writing in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple's first foldable device will be "super thin and a design achievement," combining Apple's thinnest iPhone form factor with cutting-edge folding...
Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by Juli Clover
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese.
Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors.
Likely Features
N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7
Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Monday September 22, 2025 8:44 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's latest iPhone models launched on Friday, and some early adopters of the devices are experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi issues.
Affected customers say Wi-Fi connectivity periodically cuts out on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with hundreds of comments about the issue posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community over the...
Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions.
The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said.
It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...
What is the appeal of those gummy things inside the ear other than sealing external sound?
I hate them, they are so uncomfortable, that's why I think the basic AirPods are the best design and I hope they continue to exist.
Yes, they’re there for noise isolation so the cancelation performance is more effective. Better isolation also probably reduces the power consumption that would be required to cancel the added bypass noise leakage.
Don‘t like them? Don’t buy them. not complicated. The original design that you have to jam in your ear is more uncomfortable to me. The old design is actually painful
What is the appeal of those gummy things inside the ear other than sealing external sound?
I hate them, they are so uncomfortable, that's why I think the basic AirPods design is the best and I hope they continue to exist or any evolution do not have the silicone tips.
Realistically they are intended to seal your ears better which can improve sound quality and also decrease likelihood of the buds shifting around.
The AirPods are alright but for my own ears they can fall out if I move too much. The AirPod pros improve upon this but they also have tips
Man the same can be said about Apple copying other companies in tech trends, I would even argue it is the opposite: Apple is often the last one to arrive to the party on many things, copying/building on other companies' first attempts.
I agree they're often last to arrive to the table. But as soon as they do, every product that comes out after looks strikingly like Apple's design.
What is the appeal of those gummy things inside the ear other than sealing external sound?
I hate them, they are so uncomfortable, that's why I think the basic AirPods design is the best and I hope they continue to exist or any evolution do not have the silicone tips.
