Audio

Carl Pei is well known as the co-founder of the successful smartphone brand OnePlus. However, he has since left this company with plans to start another. It will launch on January 27, 2021; in the meantime, Pei has tweeted that he is giving 10 MacBook Airs with the new M1 chipset away, presumably to drive hype for his own new products.

The teardown experts at iFixit have disassembled the AirPods Max, revealing the complexities of Apple's latest headphones in the process. The AirPods Max achieved a repairability score of 6 points, which is much higher than most Apple products, AirPods and AirPods Pro included. The AirPods Max has a more complex construction than the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose NC 700, too.

Realme is a brand that has built its appeal on affordable mobile and personal audio devices. Initial leaks suggest it is going to keep this going in 2021 with the launch of the C21 smartphone and the Buds Wireless 2 Neo. They are slated to be the successor to the cost-effective C11 and to be neckbuds rather than TWS earbuds respectively.

Samsung has added Pro variants to its Galaxy Buds series of TWS earbuds. They are rated for upgraded active noise cancellation (ANC), voice-call quality and 360° Audio. They can also switch automatically between different mobile devices from their OEM depending on what the user is doing with either one.

The latest addition to the Sound Blaster Z lineup comes with updated features, new gaming profiles, microphone and headphone EQ presets. The Sound Blaster Z SE has the same audio specs as the regular edition, such as up to 116 dB SnR and 24-bit/192 kHz sound. However, now there is virtual 7.1 support for headphones and 5.1 discrete audio on speakers.

With a design that had already managed to receive multiple awards, the Asus ZenBeam Latte projector is the first of its kind to offer a fabric exterior that enhances the audio experience and provides a familiar look. It also sports up to three hours of autonomy on a single charge and features a 10 W Harman Kardon speaker.

TCL's new product launches are mainly display-centric; however, it has also announced the expansion of its smart device ecosystem at CES 2021. They include the new Wearable Display, a name the OEM has seen fit to give its first pair of smart glasses. They are joined here by other devices such as the hybrid ANC-enhanced MOVEAUDIO S600 earbuds, the MOVETRACK PetTracker and the LINKHUB 4G/LTE Outdoor CPE.

The latest iteration of the 15.6-inch Acer Predator Helios 300 could easily be mistaken for the last. However, the OEM asserts that it is rated for even smoother gameplay thanks to its new GPU and display option. Can these new specs help it blow the cobwebs of 2020 away?

The Lenovo Legion H200 and Legion H600 are Lenovo's newest entry-level gaming headsets. The former is wired, while the latter can connect with devices in wired and wireless modes. Both headphones will hit the shelves in April 2021. The Legion H200 will cost US$49.99, and the Legion H600 US$99.99.

LG asserts that it has brought the "ultimate" slew of updates to its premium TV offerings to CES 2021. The OEM has even invented a new sub-category for this year: QNED, a combination of its mini-LED and Quantum NanoCell Color technologies. As for the OLEDs, the 48-inch C1 has already won a Best of Innovation Award at the show.

HP asserts that its new Elite-series earbuds are an enterprise-grade way of introducing wireless audio into your professional online conferencing set-up. They are rated for both passive and active noise cancellation (PNC and ANC), streamlined device-switching and fast case charging via USB type C.

Sony has announced new SRS-series wireless speakers. The RA5000 and RA3000 have been designed with "room-filling sound" in mind, which entails a novel design meant to distribute sound horizontally in all directions, at least. They can also calibrate this output with respect to the room they are placed in and its dimensions.

Samsung has announced that it will launch the Galaxy S21 flagship series on January 14, 2021 in India. However, interested consumers in this market can now "pre-reserve" one of these phones ahead of this date with a special "VIP Pass". Doing so reportedly gets the buyer a free case worth the equivalent of ~US$52.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has announced a raft of Honorees and Best Of winners for its CES 2021 Innovation awards. The first category includes 8 smartphones, of which the LG Wing is a slightly obvious choice. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5000 series has picked up one of the main prizes.

The iQOO 7 is an upcoming Android flagship reported to have blown past the Huawei Mate 40 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 11 on benchmarks ahead of its launch. Its brand has been on Weibo to hype it up again, this time with details on its audio system, which has apparently been developed in conjunction with Monster. This teaser may also hint at a BMW Special Edition for the phone.

Some recent leaks point to new TWS earbuds that are to accompany the Samsung Galaxy 21 series at the next Unpacked event. Now, an official webpage has confirmed that they definitely won't be introduced as the Buds Beyond. These Pros are said to have improved ANC at a higher price-tag on their release.

Samsung is slated to launch the Galaxy Buds Pro alongside the S21 series in January 2021. According to their latest leak, they will have improved active noise cancellation (ANC) and ingress-protection compared to the Buds Live. However, they may also be the costliest of their series yet.

There are a lot of smart TVs on the Indian market these days. However, none of them have an OS based on Android 10 - until this one. The Motorola Revou also has an inbuilt soundbar rated for up to 50W of audio power, a MediaTek chipset and a UHD/4K resolution.

ENACFIRE's Soundtank is a new portable Bluetooth speaker with an IPX7 rating for ingress-protection, and, thus, that "take-anywhere" selling point. Inside, it is packed with 2x20W speakers that support a Bass+ feature. The new audio accessory is also USB type C, which powers a "24-hour" battery.

JLab Audio has released its latest TWS earbuds rated for active noise cancellation (ANC). There are 2 varaints in this new Epic Air line: AirPod-clone and non-AirPod clone with earhooks for active use. They offer long battery life, a low-latency mode and a patented inbuilt USB cable for their charging cases.

Qualcomm has unveiled the new QCC305x series of chipsets for TWS earbuds. The OEM claims it can be used to make new products in this category that are cost-effective yet have some current or upcoming premium specs. They include audio-sharing between multiple earbud sets, Adaptive ANC and Bluetooth LE Audio

Apple has now issued iOS and iPadOS updates to version 14.3. It contains some previously-promised features, which include ProRAW support in the Pro iPhone 12 variants, not to mention Apple Fitness+. It also reportedly fixes some issues, including one in which a user's new messages failed to appear in their Notifications.

Oppo has used the 4th China International Industrial Design Expo (CIDDE) to showcase several new concept devices. Designed in collaboration with famed Japanese design studio Nendo, the concepts include what it calls a “slide-phone” that can be folded into different sizes and “music-link”, which is described as a collection of devices centered around a pair of TWS earphones.

Flipkart has officially revealed that the new Nokia ultrabook to debut soon is called the Purebook X14. It has an FHD IPS screen with Dolby Vision and a 10th-gen Core i5 processor. It has a single 8 GB RAM/512 GB SSD SKU, set to sell at a premium price on its eventual launch.

Carl Pei announced a decision to leave OnePlus, a smartphone OEM he helped set up, earlier in 2020. Now, he has reportedly attracted US$7 million in capital for his new business from various private investors. It is also apparently now hiring for positions in two cities.

The Outlier Air V2 may be Creative's best TWS earbuds yet. Retailing for US$79.99, the earbuds offer a more refined experience than the Outlier Gold without any real compromises. The switch away from the awkward buttons of the Outlier Gold to touch controls is certainly an improvement, but it comes with some drawbacks, too.

Bomaker is not what could be called a household name in the home-theater projector market; nevertheless, it has made some attention-grabbing claims for its product freshly put up for crowdfunding. They include the ability to throw a 200-inch 4K screen up onto a wall just 31 inches away from this device.

Google's Pixel 2 and 2 XL had been included in the Android 11 beta program, and has also been cut in to the latest security patch issued directly from its Mountain View-based OEM. However, after 3 years of being on the market, this update is also its final official OTA. Owners of these devices now have a few options going forward, upgrading included.

Apple has launched a new pair of over-the-ear headphones called the AirPods Max. It features active noise cancellation (ANC), 40nm Neodymium drivers, Apple's in-house H1 chip, and provides up to 20 hours of battery life. It is available for pre-order now and will start shipping on December 14 for US$549.

DOOGEE claims that its latest rugged phone, the S59 Pro, has a battery capacity of no less than 10,050mAh. This power-pack apparently allows it to last for 18 hours' worth of gaming or video playback, 50 hours of audio playback or up to 768 hours on standby. Then again, with a MediaTek Helio P22 SoC, it could indeed last this long.

Razer has unveiled a new version a Pro version of its Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds. The Hammerhead True Wireless Pro has a redesigned charging case and silicone ear tips, unlike the original model. The new earbuds support advanced hybrid ANC and 60 ms Bluetooth audio latency, according to Razer. The Hammerhead True Wireless Pro retails for US$199.99.

An earlier tip dropped a strong hint that the successors to the Galaxy Buds Live TWS earbuds would be called the Buds Pro. Now, their certification with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) all but confirms this state of affairs. Meanwhile, another prominent leaker has posted the first renders for these potential accessories.

Cambridge Audio's second crack at TWS earbuds is here, and the company has packed in plenty of features despite their compact size. The Melomania Touch has up to 50 hours battery life, Qualcomm aptX support, touch controls, a transparency mode and a High Performance Audio Mode that apparently offers 'hi-fi grade amplification technology'.

Xiaomi is preparing to release new Bluetooth wireless earphones in the near future, which may either be called the Redmi True Buds 2 Pro or the more familiar and concise Redmi AirDots 3. The audio device has been spotted receiving its Bluetooth certification. The Redmi AirDots 2 were launched in July 2020 at just 79 yuan (US$12) in China.

Samsung is rumored to have a new member of its Galaxy Buds series to launch alongside the S21 smartphones in January 2021. Now, a recent certification has revealed that they may be revealed as the "Pros" of their line at this event. This may be due to the inclusion of ANC in this generation.

Apple is running a gift card giveaway Black Friday through Cyber Monday. Qualifying purchases will see the buyer rewarded with a card worth from US$25/£20/€25 up to US$150/£120/€150. The deal includes many major Apple products such as the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE, the iPad Pro, Beats headphones, and even the premium MacBook Pro 16.

The start-up Olive Union has put its latest product up for crowdfunding on Indiegogo. On first glance, they are a particularly chunky take on the AirPod-clone TWS earbud. This may be because they apparently pack an "FDA-registered" hearing aid in with typical Bluetooth and audio components. They, for example, purport to exclude background noise to isolate human voices.

HTC might be planning a return to the smart mobile market with new TWS earbuds. These products have been spotted on the database of the Taiwanese regulator NCC ahead of their launch. This leak indicates that these new accessories have a Sony-clone look and can use Bluetooth 5.0.

The new UGREEN HiTune product, namely the T1 TWS, comes with a total of four mics (two dedicated for noise canceling), low-latency McSync technology, Superbass mode for improved performance in the lower range of the audio spectrum, as well as a playback time of five hours, all for a regular price of US$35.99.

Nebula is a brand that has seen success on crowdfunding websites for its portable, compact projectors. Now, it is back with a more conventional launch for its new Cosmos and Cosmos Max products. They are rated for 1080p and 4K resolutions respectively, run Android 9.0 for TV and support HDR-10 with static or active contrast ratios.

Turtle Beach asserts that its Stealth 600 and 700 headsets have been top sellers in their markets for a few years running now. New data from the research group NPD indicates that this trend has been upheld by their latest generation, released in September 2020. Their Xbox-compatible variants were the first- and second-best selling units for the following month.

The gaming phone brand RedMagic will release its latest TWS earbuds, the CyberPods, globally in November 2020. These accessories' design is an original take on the AirPod-clone form-factor that might complement its maker's flagship devices. They are not ANC, but claim extreme low latency and a Gamer Mode instead.

With its "organic glass" body and in-built candle-effect lighting, the LSPX-S2 speaker has been designed to be enjoyed for its looks at as much as its sound. Then again, Sony claims its audio is also effective thanks to its "Advanced Vertical Drive Technology". It is now available on Amazon.com or select retailers throughout the US.

The Samsung Galaxy M12 may be an interesting budget phone on its launch, especially if it comes with the 7,000mAh battery apparently destined for it. A new leak purports to show what it looks like from all angles, including an Infinity-V display and square module for its quad rear cameras.

It is a poorly-kept secret that Apple is working on a new pair of over-ear headphones, supposedly the first to bear its AirPods branding. The so-called AirPods Studio has now appeared in a beta of iOS 14.3, offering a hint at its design.

The new Apple iPhone 12 has been tested for its audio quality by DxOMark and has scored relatively well to give it a high position in the site’s audio chart. However, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro’s place at the top of the table has not been threatened, regardless of Apple’s improvements over the iPhone 11’s audio playback and recording.

Skullcandy has updated its wireless headphones and earbuds with active noise-cancelling (ANC) variants. Both of these new audio products also have an Ambient mode for environmental awareness and in-built Tile technology to avoid their loss. For those uninterested in ANC (and its price), however, the Hesh headphones also have a new Evo variant.

With a suggested price of just 30 Euros, the new Sharkoon RUSH ER30 USB gaming headset comes with a rich and attractive set of features and technical specs that includes RGB illumination, 50 mm drivers, a generous cable with gold-plated connectors that measures no less than 2,2 meters, as well as two sets of ear pads.