iPhones, AirPods, Pixel Buds and an early take a look at the PlayStation 5 Professional

I do not know what number of extra instances I can say what an intense two weeks it has been because the final time I posted an Engadget overview recap with out sounding repetitive. Ever since we launched the first of these roundups final month, corporations have relentlessly launched new {hardware} every week, contributing to a rising pile of merchandise for our staff to overview. With all these bulletins overlapping, it may be simple to overlook a overview that, say, was revealed at first of the iPhone 16 occasion or one other that went up concurrently Meta’s Connect keynote this week.

That is why I write these — it is a good alternative to atone for opinions that we just lately revealed and revisit among the merchandise now that we have had extra time to spend with them. And my record of things for this version, there’s loads to go over. From Apple’s iPhone 16 sequence, AirPods 4 and Google’s Pixel Buds Professional 2 to the PlayStation 5 Professional and a few video games and software program, this is a recap of issues we have been testing recently.

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC overview

by Billy Steele

Apple

Apple provides helpful noise cancellation whereas holding your ears open on the AirPods 4 with ANC. There are additionally plenty of Professional options accessible.

Execs

• Improved sound high quality
• Higher match
• Efficient ANC
• Numerous superior options

Cons

• No onboard quantity controls
• Not an incredible deal when AirPods Professional 2 are frequently on sale
• No listening to safety options

$179 at Amazon

Just some days after Apple unveiled the AirPods 4, Billy needed to file his draft for the review, which was slated to go up on Monday. Fortunately, these have been a reasonably simple replace, with evaluating the brand new lively noise cancellation (ANC) characteristic being the primary activity. After all, Billy went additional than that, gauging how a lot the system’s H2 chip and refined design affect the AirPods’ efficiency. He additionally went many additional miles, delivering report after report on subjects like how the new hearing aid and hearing test features for the AirPods Pro work and a deep dive on how Apple designed ANC for an open-ear headset. Simply head on over to Billy’s author page for a full record of the numerous articles he is dutifully written up on the AirPods (and extra).

Apple Watch Collection 10 overview

by Cherlynn Low

Apple / Engadget

The modifications dropped at Apple’s tenth-gen wearable principally need to do with its measurement and display, and blood oxygen detection remains to be lacking. However that is nonetheless the perfect smartwatch for iPhone house owners.

Editors’ be aware: The present rating displays our expertise with the {hardware}, well being and sleep-tracking options that shall be accessible to customers at launch. We’ll keep watch over updates to ongoing litigation, in addition to consider sleep apnea alerts and different post-launch options over the approaching weeks and months, and will modify our overview rating if warranted.

Execs

• Greater display that is simpler to see from angles
• Thinner body
• Complete well being and health monitoring

Cons

• Blood oxygen characteristic from older fashions is lacking

$389 at Walmart

Phrases alone cannot specific how grateful I’m that Apple did not find yourself releasing three new fashions of the Apple Watch like was previously rumored. Contemplating the review of the Apple Watch Series 10 was revealed only one week and a day after the launch occasion in Cupertino, having to check multiple smartwatch was going to be a problem. Heck, even reviewing a single new smartwatch was tough, contemplating the opposite opinions we have been getting ready on the similar time. That is why once we first revealed our overview on Tuesday, we didn’t really feel able to current a proper rating, as an alternative sharing simply our analysis of the Apple Watch Collection 10 up until that time. We finally up to date our overview after spending just a few extra days attending to know the watch higher, including a rating and extra findings later that week.

Here is the abstract. Although you would possibly count on much more fanfare and options for the tenth Apple Watch just because it is the tenth technology mannequin, there’s not quite a bit that is modified. And the corporate arguably did not must do a lot, because the Apple Watch is a reasonably mature system. What it did handle to ship — a much bigger show in a thinner physique — is spectacular, and the Collection 10 continues to ship the perfect smartwatch expertise that any iPhone proprietor can get.

After all, there are questions across the blood oxygen detection characteristic that continues to be the topic of litigation between Apple and Masimo. However whether or not that (or the brand new sleep apnea characteristic) can be found would not truly affect my expertise with the watch, and due to this fact had little bearing on our rating. In case you’re utilizing an older Apple Watch that has the blood oxygen detection enabled and it is one thing you utilize incessantly, it may be higher to carry on to your system for now.

iPhone 16 Professional and Professional Max overview

by Cherlynn Low

Apple / Engadget

The iPhone 16 Professional is a superb flagship with wonderful, quick cameras and enhancing instruments. However it’s possible you’ll must cost it greater than as soon as to final all day.

Editors’ be aware: The present rating displays our expertise with the {hardware} and iOS 18 options that shall be accessible to customers at launch. We’ll consider Apple Intelligence and different post-launch options over the approaching weeks and months, and will modify our overview rating if warranted.

Execs

• Quick digital camera with top quality video seize
• Photographic kinds are efficient and fairly
• Good customizations accessible all through

Cons

• Comparatively brief battery life
• Digicam Management is not excellent

$999 at Apple

These have been simply the most important opinions that have been revealed final Monday and Tuesday, and on Wednesday, we revealed my review of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.

The story of this 12 months’s iPhones can be a fairly simple one: Cameras, buttons and a scarcity of Intelligence. Apple Intelligence, that’s. However via my testing, I began to understand that a few options started to face out. The obvious is the brand new Photographic Kinds, which put Instagram’s filters to disgrace.

On the iPhone 16s, you’ll be able to swap these out each earlier than and after taking pictures. You can even edit the quantity of saturation, shadows and extra inside every Type. Most significantly, Apple has finetuned its processing and depth map so it is higher at holding pores and skin tones inside the realm of actuality at the same time as you crank up the saturation or distinction. I am an enormous fan of those improved filters and within the week since my overview went up, I have been tempted to put up nothing however Photographic Type samples to all my social media. The one factor holding me from truly doing that has been tedium and an entire lack of spare time. However possibly in the future I’ll.

The opposite factor that I realized was a refined shift in Apple’s total method was better customizability. Outdated Apple was inflexible and rejected the concept its design may not be the perfect for all its customers. Nowadays, Apple is greater than keen to allow you to arrange your app grid nonetheless you want, and iOS 18 brings the power to finetune your Management Heart and lock display shortcuts to your preferences (and desires) as properly. I used to be shocked after I came upon that not solely may you tweak the sensitivity of the Digicam Management’s contact and stress sensor, however you’ll be able to disable the characteristic altogether.

I want this method because it places the person’s wants and preferences first whereas nonetheless sustaining a safe and personal atmosphere. And whereas we nonetheless await the formal arrival of Apple Intelligence in October, it is doubtless that lots of the AI-based options, which shall be accessible all through the iPhone 16 lineup in addition to the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max, will not massively affect our expertise and rating. Nonetheless, like we talked about in our opinions of this 12 months’s flagship telephones, we primarily based our verdict on the units we examined as they have been, and would possibly revisit our rating when headline options like Intelligence roll out.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus overview

by Billy Steele

Apple

For as soon as, you don’t have to attend a 12 months to get the perfect new options from the iPhone 16 Professional. The iPhone 16 provides all those you’ll respect most, and for $200 much less.

Editors’ be aware: The present rating displays our expertise with the {hardware} and iOS 18 options that shall be accessible to customers at launch. We’ll consider Apple Intelligence and different post-launch options over the approaching weeks and months, and will modify our overview rating if warranted.

Execs

• Professional-level options with out the Professional value
• Motion button is useful
• Bolder new colours
• Photographic Kinds are actually good

Cons

• General design is due for a refresh
• Digicam Management takes time to grasp
• No high-refresh-rate show
• Apple Intelligence isn’t prepared but

$799 at Apple

I’ve to thank Billy for choosing up the review of the base iPhone 16 fashions this 12 months. Not solely was he in a position to assist with the workload, Billy additionally delivered a radical and different perspective on Apple’s non-Professional iPhones. I used to be heartened to see that he agreed with me on a number of issues, specifically that Photographic Kinds are superior and Digicam Management is sort of clunky. I do need to admit that I hated having to have a look at a frog within the pattern photograph he included in his piece — frogs are my mortal enemies.

I barely talked about the Digicam Management in my part in regards to the iPhone 16 Professional above, however this new button is simply awkwardly positioned, and I used to be glad to see Billy’s expertise was comparable.

Each of us agree that it is good to see the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus get options which are on their Professional counterparts. Sadly, although these telephones have been designed for Apple Intelligence, that simply wasn’t accessible to the general public on the time of our overview, which simply makes it really feel like they’re lacking one thing. That is to not say these aren’t wonderful telephones. They seem to be a good step up from final 12 months’s base iPhones and are available in an aesthetically pleasing array of colours that I like.

We even have a information from senior reporter Jeff Dunn on how to choose the right iPhone, which may be significantly useful since this 12 months’s fashions all appear so comparable. My foremost recommendation is: when you’re into multimedia creation in your iPhone, get one of many Execs. In case you want your cellphone to final greater than a day, positively spring for the Professional Max, because the iPhone 16 Professional will completely conk out after about 20 hours.

macOS Sequoia overview

by Devindra Hardawar

Apple season is not restricted to new {hardware}. Final week, the corporate additionally launched the newest updates to its software program for its iPhones, Macs, watches, TVs and extra. Our resident computing skilled Devindra has been spending time with the brand new macOS because the beta was accessible, and was in a position to shortly put collectively his thoughts on Sequoia. His pleasure at with the ability to mirror his iPhone on his MacBook is clear in his overview, and we have been so satisfied by his overview that we additionally revealed a information on how to mirror your iPhone in macOS Sequoia afterwards. To cite Devindra: “It form of modified my life.”

Google Pixel Buds Professional 2 overview

by Billy Steele

Google

Google has as soon as once more supplanted the perfect Pixel Buds in its lineup. These earbuds aren’t excellent, however the improved match and sound high quality alone are definitely worth the improve.

Execs

• Tiny, comfortable design
• Punchy bass, full mids, crisp highs
• Barely longer battery life than predecessor

Cons

• Value went up once more
• Spatial audio is proscribed to video apps
• Smaller contact panel requires precision

$229 at Amazon

I am certain by now you’ll be able to respect how onerous Billy has been working, significantly these previous couple of weeks. On Wednesday, Billy revealed his review of the Pixel Buds Pro 2, which went up the identical time as the beginning of Meta’s Join keynote. That is the final of our opinions of Google’s new {hardware} this 12 months, not less than till it launches one thing else. Billy’s analysis is that these buds are smaller than earlier than, which is a double-edged sword. They may very well be a greater match for some folks, however the truth that they’ve smaller touch-sensitive panels means they’re barely more durable to maneuver. Nonetheless, they produce first rate sound and combine with the corporate’s new Gemini assistant to make hands-free requests extra handy.

Now that the final of the Pixel opinions are lastly out of the best way, we are able to lastly contemplate the corporate’s household of {hardware} as an entire and actually, I am impressed. I truly scored the Pixel 9 Professional greater than the iPhone 16 Professional, which is probably the primary time a Google flagship has been rated higher than one from Apple. I believe Google has confirmed with its 2024 units that it has the chops to tackle its gigantic rivals, and now simply must proceed its momentum if it needs to succeed in a bigger viewers.

PlayStation 5 Professional preview

by Jessica Conditt

After Sony introduced the PlayStation 5 Professional the day after the Apple iPhone occasion, senior editor Jessica Conditt was in a position to spend a while with the console forward of its November seventh launch. In her preview, Jess says that for the correct of gamer, the “audaciously priced” PlayStation 5 Professional is totally value it.

Who’s the correct of gamer right here? Based on Jess, “In case you frequently play PS5 video games and might afford to waste (not less than) $700 on a extra highly effective console with additional gills, you completely ought to get a PS5 Professional.”

After all, we’ll need to get a tool in for testing earlier than we are able to deliberate on a rating and official verdict. However with sooner reminiscence, improved rendering in addition to assist for VRR, superior ray-tracing and “8K gaming,” the PS5 Professional looks as if a promising improve.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge overview

by Nathan Ingraham

Talking of gaming, deputy editor Nathan Ingraham revealed a overview this week of the newest within the Legend of Zelda sequence: Echoes of Knowledge. Nate was a diehard Zelda fan rising up, and located himself taken proper again to his youth with this newest instalment.

My gaming tastes start at Solitaire and finish at Animal Crossing or Simply Dance, so one thing as concerned as Echoes of Knowledge is just not my cup of tea. However even simply trying on the footage in Nate’s review have me impressed on the dedication to element and high quality. As Nate places it, the story entails “a sequence of otherworldly rifts which have opened up all through Hyrule, swallowing up enormous components of the land and the individuals who reside there.” That is completely the form of plot that might draw me in, and after I learn that this time round you’d play as Princess Zelda as she makes an attempt to rescue Hyperlink, I used to be much more intrigued.

Maybe that reversal of roles can even attraction to you, or possibly you are drawn in by the thought of finishing puzzles in an cute 3D atmosphere. I’ve to confess I am my Change and contemplating taking part in this as an alternative of getting ludicrously upset at Match Manufacturing unit. In case you’re a fan of the sequence, Nate thinks it is best to completely take a look at Echoes of Knowledge.

Fujifilm

Fujifilm’s GFX100S II is an enormous enchancment over the unique and provides the identical image high quality because the GFX100 II for $2,500 much less.

Execs

• Excellent picture high quality
• Improved autofocus
• Good dealing with
• First rate battery life

Cons

• Weak video capabilities
• High quality lowered for burst taking pictures

$4,999 at Adorama

Fujifilm GFX100S II and Logitech MX Creator Console opinions

by Steve Dent

Our images skilled Steve Dent revealed a few opinions this week, showcasing his skilled information of cameras and the enhancing instruments that accompany them. His analysis of the Logitech MX Creator Console, as an example, has me itching to get one so I can simply tweak and edit graphics in Adobe’s suite of apps. In the meantime, his review of the Fujifilm GFX100S II left me questioning what number of months I can go hungry so I can afford the $5,000 digital camera as a result of I think about it will make me as adept at taking pictures as Steve. In case you’re curious in regards to the precise image and video high quality of Fujifilm’s digital camera, take a look at Steve’s video on our YouTube channel.

Up subsequent: What’s on the horizon

Like I mentioned, with all of the occasions happening these few weeks, there’s loads of gadget opinions to come back. For instance, Samsung had a mini occasion this week the place it unveiled the Galaxy Tab S10+ and Tab S10 Ultra, that are premium tablets which are considered the perfect within the Android house. The corporate additionally confirmed off the Galaxy S24 FE and Galaxy Watch FE LTE, that are decrease value variants of its flagship smartphone and smartwatch. All of those merchandise are good candidates for us to check, since our viewers (like your self!) is prone to be questioning about whether or not they’re higher than their premium counterparts.

This week, Meta additionally launched the Quest 3S, which is a budget-friendly VR headset that ought to take the place of the getting older Quest 2. Few individuals are on the market looking for VR headsets, not less than, when in comparison with iPhones and even midrange Android telephones. But it surely’s nonetheless value our time to check one thing just like the Quest 3S, because it helps us study in regards to the expertise that is accessible, even in comparatively small product classes.

Meta additionally confirmed off its Orion AR smart glasses, however as that is extra of a prototype proper now, I do not count on we’ll be correctly reviewing it. Equally, the fifth-gen Spectacles that Snap unveiled final week will solely be accessible to accepted builders who’re keen to fork over $99 a month. That is not one thing we’re prone to formally overview, both.

It is onerous to maintain up with all of the stuff that huge tech corporations hold launching and wish you to purchase, however we do our greatest. We’re anticipating only a few extra occasions coming this 12 months, and are preparing for the vacation procuring season, too. I am certain folks outdoors the tech business are feeling the same ramp up in work and life. Hopefully, all of us get a while to relaxation and handle ourselves quickly. As all the time, we respect your time and need you the perfect. Till the following Engadget Evaluate Recap, good luck.