New subscribers can get three free months of the Apple Music Family Plan

Apple Music is running a promo in which new subscribers can get three free months of the Family Plan tier. That’s a savings of $51, which is nothing to sneeze at. After this lengthy free trial is up, it costs $17 per month.

The Family Plan allows six different users to access the platform. It offers cross-device support and each user is tied to an Apple ID, so their favorite music won’t mess with anyone else’s algorithm.

Apple Music actually topped our list of the best music streaming platforms, and for good reason. It sounds great and it’s easy to use. What else is there? All music is available in CD quality or higher and there are plenty of personalized playlists and the like. The platform also operates a number of live radio stations, which is fun.

The service is available for Android devices, but it really shines on Apple products. To that end, the web and Windows PC apps aren’t as polished as the iOS version. It doesn’t pay artists properly, but that’s true of every music streaming platform. Apple Music does pay out more than Spotify, but that’s an incredibly low bar.

Offer for new subscribers redeeming on eligible devices. Auto-renews at $16.99/mo until cancelled. Requires Family Sharing. Terms apply.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/new-subscribers-can-get-three-free-months-of-the-apple-music-family-plan-151240882.html?src=rss 

An hour-long Nintendo Direct is set for September 12

Hold on to your Cappy, a Nintendo Direct is coming your way later this week. Nintendo has scheduled an hour-long presentation for September 12 at 9AM ET. You don’t often see Nintendo running Direct streams on Fridays, but hey, we’ll take it. There may be a Mario-shaped reason for this timing, too. You can watch the showcase above, on YouTube or in the Nintendo Today! app.

The Direct will include information on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games. In terms of safe bets, we’ll likely get some more details on Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Kirby Air Riders, both of which have 2025 release dates. Those may very well bolster Switch 2 demand ahead of the holidays (as if Nintendo needed the help). It would be a surprise if Nintendo didn’t announce a release date — or delay — for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond during this Direct as well, since that game is still slated to arrive this year.

Otherwise, it’s a bit of a mystery as to what to expect. There’s always a chance that Nintendo might start teasing the next big Zelda game, even if it’s some time away. After all, the company announced The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom four years before it arrived. Plus, this Saturday is the 40th anniversary of the Japanese release of Super Mario Bros. so there surely has to be some kind of Mario-related announcement in store.

Elsewhere, perhaps we’ll get some more info on FromSoftware’s Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods. In any case, Nintendo has to start building out the Switch 2 slate for 2026, and we’ll probably get a mix of first- and third-party news here. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/an-hour-long-nintendo-direct-is-set-for-september-12-135935134.html?src=rss 

NVIDIA’s GeForce Now with RTX 5080 GPUs is a cloud gaming revelation

If you had told me five years ago that playing PC games over the cloud would soon look  indistinguishable from using a powerful rig, I would have called you a fool. But after diving into NVIDIA’s new RTX 5080-powered GeForce Now servers for several hours, I think we’ve reached a major milestone for cloud streaming. From a New Jersey server almost a thousand miles away from my Atlanta-area home, I was able to play Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K at 170 fps (with NVIDIA’s DLSS 4 frame generation) and Overwatch 2 at a blistering fast 360 fps in 1080p. I genuinely couldn’t tell the difference between this souped-up GeForce Now server and my own RTX 5090-powered desktop.

That got me thinking: What’s the point of investing thousands in a desktop when cloud streaming can look this good for $20 a month? That’s the price for GeForce Now’s top-end Ultimate plan, which is required to use the RTX 5080 servers. And if you don’t need that level of power, you can also get a pretty solid gaming experience with the $10 Performance plan, which is restricted to 1,440p/60 fps at best.

Cyberpunk 2077 on GeForce Now

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

During my testing, I was constantly astounded by how sharp every game looked. The neon lights and reflective surfaces of Cyberpunk’s Night City lit up my Alienware OLED monitor. A few minutes into my first session, I completely forgot I was streaming the game. There were none of the video compression artifacts or occasional stuttering I’ve seen on other streaming services. Hell, I was even able to rip through several Overwatch 2 matches without noticing much lag. I only noticed a bit of latency when I turned on multi-frame generation while playing Cyberpunk in 4K — that pushed my frame rate up to 160 fps from 70 fps, but those interpolated frames made everything feel more sluggish.

We’ve clearly come a long way from Microsoft and Sony’s foray into game streaming for consoles. I’ve used Xbox offering on and off over the years, and while it’s typically been easy to use, it always felt a bit low-res (it tops out at 1080p/60 fps) and filled with blotchy video compression. Even today, it’s obvious you’re getting a second-rate experience. Sony’s streaming for PS Plus Premium subscribers can now reach up to an admirable 4K/60 fps for some PS5 titles, and it also turned the PlayStation Portal into a more viable handheld. But Sony’s cloud gaming seems more useful for letting you play older PS3 games, instead of giving you a complete gaming experience untethered from its core console business.

Overwatch 2 on GeForce Now

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

GeForce Now has always had a technological advantage over the competition, as it’s easy for NVIDIA to stuff servers full of high-end GPUs. But it’s lagged behind a bit when it comes to usability, since playing games involves connecting to your accounts on storefronts like Steam, followed by downloading and installing those titles in a remote connection window. It’s not as easy as hitting a button on the Xbox Windows app. GeForce Now is clearly aimed at PC gamers who already have large collections of games and are used to suffering through the indignities of Steam’s interface.

For those players, NVIDIA’s latest upgrades have turned GeForce Now from a “nice to have” service to something that could be essential. There’s the raw power inherent in the leap to RTX 5080-level GPUs, which leads to higher frame rates and the ability to lean into demanding features like ray tracing. The actual “Blackwell” GPU hardware NVIDIA is using in its servers also sports a whopping 48GB of VRAM, a major leap from the 16GB of VRAM the consumer-grade RTX 5080 cards are stuck with. Technically, you could see better performance in GeForce Now compared to running a 5080 locally.

NVIDIA has also bumped its resolution and frame rate limits up to 5K/120 fps (which is currently only supported by one LG monitor), 4K/240 fps and 1080p/320 fps. That covers the gamut of people who want the highest quality possible, to those who demand the most frames for fast-paced shooters. 

And in an effort to make cloud gaming look a bit less like you’re just streaming video, NVIDIA has also developed “Cinematic Quality Streaming” features, including support for better color depth with 4:4:4 chroma subsampling. There are also “AI-powered” video filters to help make text clear, as well as support for AV1 encoders for efficient streaming that can adapt to network changes.

If you’re stuck with an aging video card, it may make more sense to subscribe to GeForce Now Ultimate for $20 a month, instead of shelling out $1,200 or more for a genuine RTX 5080. 

As usual for cloud streaming, though, the Achilles heel of GeForce Now is its exorbitant bandwidth demands. NVIDIA bumped up its maximum video bitrate to 100Mbps, which can add up to 45GB of bandwidth over an hour. You’ll need a beefy internet connection to stream games without slowing down the internet for everyone else in your home, and you can just give up on the idea entirely if you’re restricted by bandwidth caps. If you’ve been thinking of an excuse to upgrade to an uncapped gigabit internet connection, this is it.

Streaming Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K consumed 29.5GB over an hour of gameplay. GeForce Now hovered between 60Mbps and 80Mbps for most of the session, but it occasionally peaked to 100Mbps. I’ve got a reliable AT&T fiber connection in the suburbs, but I’d definitely be worried if I was still using a finicky cable internet in Brooklyn, where the overall bandwidth is shared with everyone on your cable node. A single GeForce Now session could take down internet speeds for your entire block, or you could find yourself without enough bandwidth to play smoothly during peak usage.

It’s also worth noting that GeForce Now also doesn’t support every PC game out there. You can access more than 4,000 recent titles, but you may run into issues trying to find obscure older games. NVIDIA is expanding its streaming library a bit with a new “Install to Play” feature, which lets you install some games in persistent cloud storage. I was able to set up and play 1000xResist without any trouble, and I’m hoping more indie titles will be added eventually.

The need for killer bandwidth and the reality of shoddy internet infrastructure are the biggest issues holding cloud gaming back from truly replacing local play. If my normally stable internet goes down, that means no gaming at all. And the same is true if NVIDIA’s servers get slammed. For most people, picking up a console or gaming PC will simply be more reliable.

Even with those caveats, GeForce Now still makes a compelling case for gaming away from your main rig. Perhaps you’re itching to put a dent in your Steam library while on vacation, or you just want to keep playing Mafia: The Old Country on your couch. It’s all possible, as long as your internet holds up.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-geforce-now-with-rtx-5080-gpus-is-a-cloud-gaming-revelation-130000231.html?src=rss 

Spotify lossless streaming is finally here and it’s included with a Premium plan

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: over a half-decade of rumors, infrequent teases and affirmations that something is on the way, only for fans to impatiently bide their time and the thing to eventually arrive with very little advance warning. No, I’m not talking about Hollow Knight: Silksong this time. Spotify is finally rolling out a lossless option that offers higher-quality music streaming.

Best of all, the company is offering it to Premium members at no extra charge. You’ll get a notification once it’s enabled on your account. Starting today, Spotify is rolling out lossless audio in the US, UK, Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal and its home territory of Sweden. In all, Spotify Premium users in more than 50 markets will gain access to lossless audio by the end of October.

The option is available on mobile, desktop and tablets, along with many Spotify Connect-compatible devices, including Sony, Bose, Samsung, and Sennheiser products. Spotify Lossless will make its way to Sonos and Amazon devices, as well as others, next month.

We’re rolling out our best sound quality, Lossless, to Premium users.

Find out more: https://t.co/mG78GMA8R6 pic.twitter.com/P2VzcAsc71

— Spotify (@Spotify) September 10, 2025

Somewhat annoyingly, you’ll have to enable Spotify Lossless manually, and you’ll need to do that on each device on which you want to use it. To switch it on in the Spotify app, tap your profile icon in the top left, then go to Settings & Privacy > Media Quality. From there, you can choose to turn on lossless audio for Wi-Fi and cellular streaming, as well as your downloads. When it’s on, you’ll see a lossless indicator in the Now Playing view and the Connect Picker.

Lossless streaming uses more data than other quality options, which is why Spotify is offering several settings for Wi-Fi, cellular and downloads so you (hopefully) don’t bust through any data caps you might have. You’ll be able to see how much data the various options — low, normal, high, very high and lossless quality — will use to help you figure out which way to go.

Spotify Lossless offers up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC streaming. The company says the option means you’ll be able to stream in “greater detail across nearly every song available on Spotify.” 

Of note, the company says that you’ll get the best lossless experience when you stream music on Wi-Fi using wired headphones or speakers on non-Bluetooth connections, because Bluetooth doesn’t yet have enough bandwidth to support lossless audio. As such, if you try streaming lossless music with a Bluetooth connection, the audio signal will still be compressed before it reaches your ears. It might take slightly longer for each lossless audio track to start playing too, as your device might need to cache it to avoid mid-song stutters.

“The wait is finally over; we’re so excited lossless sound is rolling out to Premium subscribers,” said Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify’s vice-president of subscriptions, said. “We’ve taken time to build this feature in a way that prioritizes quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step, so you always know what’s happening under the hood. With Lossless, our premium users will now have an even better listening experience.”

Gyllenhammar isn’t kidding about Spotify taking its time to offer lossless listening. It was reported all the way back in 2017 that the company was “close” to delivering lossless audio. In 2021, Spotify said it would start offering a CD-quality option that year, but that didn’t happen and the company has largely kept mum about a higher-quality streaming option since (it said in 2022 a Spotify HiFi experience was still in the pipeline, but declined to commit to a release window).

Earlier this year, it was suggested that Spotify would finally offer a lossless option in 2025 and that it would be a $6 per month add-on. Thankfully, that’s not quite the case, as Lossless is included with a $12 Premium subscription that will definitely not get more expensive at some point in the future. Nope, no way. In any case, including it with Premium puts Spotify on par with the likes of Apple Music, which has offered lossless streaming to paid subscribers at no extra cost since 2021. Now then, Spotify, about Dolby Atmos…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-lossless-streaming-is-finally-here-and-its-included-with-a-premium-plan-131009528.html?src=rss 

LoL esports team suspends player for saying women can’t compete while menstruating

A popular League of Legends esports player, Bwipo, has been suspended by his organization after he said on a Twitch stream that women shouldn’t be playing competitively while menstruating. Bwipo, whose real name is Gabriël Rau, told viewers on a Twitch stream: “I think there’s just not enough support for female pro players… women’s anatomy and their monthly cycles are just extremely different from males, and there’s no proper support system for women to go through what they’re going through.” And before he mentioned women’s anatomies, some viewers were probably thinking that he was going to talk about how there should be more support for women in esports. But then he continued: 

“…even men just tilt out of their f—ing minds when they’re playing League of Legends. So, when a woman is on the wrong part of the month and playing competitively, there is a time of the month where you should not be f—ing playing competitive games as a woman, in my opinion.” He justified his statement by saying that it’s based on his experience “living with one for a while.” He claimed the woman he lived with played League of Legends made it “really obvious when she was just getting irritated at every stupid little thing.” Bwipo added: “This is not me trying to be sexist or anything.” His video circulated on Reddit, but it’s no longer available. 

In a response to his statement posted on TikTok, the host and co-creator of League Awards, Eefje “sjokz” Depoorter, criticized and opposed his views. “I thought we’re past that,” she said about Bwipo calling a woman’s period the “wrong” time of the month. “That’s such a crazy take,” sjokz continued, talking about how women make Olympic records, climb mountains, work 24-hour shifts, are providers for their children, and care for the elderly, all while bleeding buckets and experiencing pain. “Also the notion that men aren’t emotional in games of League…” she trailed off and made a sound. 

Bwipo’s organization, FlyQuest, then posted an announcement on X, acknowledging that he “made sexist comments” and that they were “antithetical” to its core values. “Comments that might discourage even one young woman from pursuing her dream of becoming a pro player harm the future of esports, and we take that very seriously,” it wrote. FlyQuest has decided to suspend “Bwipo from play for the next series in the LTA playoffs,” which he’s currently in. The organization is also donating his prize money from the event to causes that support women in gaming. To note, FlyQuest has an esports team called Red that showcases “women and gender expansive folks in gaming.” 

After FlyQuest’s announcement, Bwipo posted an apology on X, admitting wrongdoing. “I’m sorry to those I hurt,” he wrote. “I regret using my platform to fuel vitriol and sexism instead of support.”

Hi everyone, I know I fucked up. My comments were ignorant and disrespectful to women, including those close to me.

I’m sorry to those I hurt. I regret using my platform to fuel vitriol and sexism instead of support, and I’ll be taking steps to reflect, listen, and do better.

— Bwipo (@Bwipo) September 10, 2025

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/lol-esports-team-suspends-player-for-saying-women-cant-compete-while-menstruating-120045752.html?src=rss 

Nikon’s ZR is its first cinema camera co-designed with RED

Nikon has unveiled its first cinema camera developed in collaboration with the company it acquired last year, RED. The Nikon ZR (the “R” is for “RED” I imagine) is a camera that neither company could have made on its own, marrying RED’s color science and video codecs with Nikon’s advanced subject detect AF and in-body stabilization. It will go up against other creator-oriented models like Canon’s new C50 and the Sony FX3 but at a much lower price. 

Nikon’s mirrorless cameras are known for their high dynamic range and the company is leaning into that for the ZR. It has a partially stacked 24MP sensor with a Dual Base ISO of 800/6400 that promises 15+ stops of dynamic range for high low-light sensitivity and greater detail in shadows and highlights. Though it doesn’t quite match the C50’s 7K resolution, it will output 12K RAW 6K video at 60 fps, or 4K at 120 fps. 

The internal RAW format used will be RED’s new R3D NE and a log format called Log3G10 with the same color science as RED’s high-end cinema cameras (so it can match those in post). That’s a lighter codec designed exclusively for Nikon, but the ZR also supports Nikon’s N-RAW format along with ProRes/ProRes RAW and H.265. If you want to apply RED’s LUTs, you can load and monitor up to 10 at a time.

Nikon

Nikon focused on audio as well, offering 32-bit float internal audio recording and Nokia’s OZO surround sound tech via three built-in high-performance mics. You can choose from five pickup patterns including front (super directional), front, all directions, rear and stereo (binaural) for any situation from interviews to vlogging to ASMR. 

The ZR comes with subject tracking hybrid phase-detect autofocus, making it more palatable for content creators than any RED camera that has ever existed. That includes AI tracking of people (eyes, head and body) along with animals and vehicles, with nine types total. It also has five-axis in-body stabilization with 7.5 stops of smoothing, something palpably lacking in Canon’s new C50. Another key feature is digital focus-breathing compensation.  

Nikon

Since the ZR has no viewfinder, Nikon made the screen as big, bright and sharp as possible. It’s a 4-inch 16:10 display with 1,000 nits of brightness and full DCI-P3 HDR color coverage, with 3070K dots of resolution, one the highest of any camera display. Meanwhile, the tiny 540 gram (1.2 pound) body dissipates heat well enough to allow 6K 60 fps RAW recording for up to 125 minutes at 25C (77F) temperatures. It supports audio capture through a the digital hotshoe or a 3.5mm input and has a USB-C port for charging, data transfers and webcam/streaming, along with a headphone input. The HDMI port is unfortunately a small and flimsy Micro HDMI type, however. 

For its capabilities, the Nikon ZR looks like a stunning bargain. It starts at $2,200 for the body only without accessories, which is nearly half the price of the Sony FX3 and $1,700 cheaper than Canon’s C50. Shipping is expected to start on October 20, 2025. It supports any Nikon (or third-party) Z mount lens or F mount glass with an adapter. Nikon also unveiled the $339 ME-D10 digital shotgun mike that’s compatible with the camera’s 32-bit float audio. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/nikons-zr-is-its-first-cinema-camera-co-designed-with-red-110022972.html?src=rss 

The Morning After: Hands-on with the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, AirPods Pro 3 and more

As the Pumpkin Spice approaches, it’s time for a bunch of new iPhones. Welcome to a special edition of the Engadget newsletter, breaking down everything Apple announced in the last 24 hours. What’s notable this year is, of course, the iPhone Air. Launching alongside the base iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, it’s an intriguing new flavor of iOS.

The iPhone Air: It’s a brave choice to label the new superslim phone with the same suffix as the game-changing MacBook Air. Barring the slimmer profile and accompanying compromises, it’s not as surprising as it could have been. Early rumors suggested it might have arrived without a single port, with wireless charging and WiFi alone.

Instead, the iPhone Air (no 17) is an engineering marvel. With a body thickness of just 5.6mm and made of spacecraft-grade titanium, it also has Ceramic Shield 2 on both sides, which helps make it more durable than any previous iPhone.

Engadget

It features the same A19 Pro chip as the iPhone 17 Pro, along with Apple’s N1 chip for wireless connectivity and the new C1X modem, which is reportedly twice as fast as the C1 introduced with the iPhone 16e.

Compromises had to happen, though. Apple kept the iPhone Air thin in part by going for a single 48-megapixel camera, but it did try to make it as versatile as possible. It has a large two-micrometer quad-pixel sensor that excels in low light, along with an optical quality 2x telephoto. Apple says it’s “the equivalent of four lenses in their pocket,” but well, why doesn’t the base iPhone 17 have it? It also seems a bit weak compared to the S25 Edge (Samsung’s super-thin smartphone) and its 200MP main camera.

Worried that a thin battery means precarious battery life? Apple claims the iPhone Air will get “all-day” battery life thanks in part to hardware designed to cram more battery into smaller designs and software like Adaptive Power Mode. To assuage those concerns, Apple made a new super-slim MagSafe battery pack to boost how long it lasts.

There’s also an intangible appeal to the ‘first’ of a new Apple product. I remember upgrading a year into my iPhone 7 contract to get the first iPhone without a home button. The iPhone X is a good comparison to make, perhaps. Both the iPhone X and iPhone Air have the same price: $999.

— Mat Smith

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Our first impressions and hands-ons at the Apple iPhone 17 event

iPhone Air hands-on: The super-sleek precursor to Apple’s upcoming foldable

iPhone 17 Pro hands-on: The unibody and camera plateau feel more significant in person

Apple Watch Series 11 hands-on: Feels and looks the same, but real changes are deeper

Apple AirPods Pro 3 hands-on: Impressive ANC improvements

The iPhone 17 Pro is redesigned to house its biggest battery ever

New thermals, new cameras, new color!

Apple

So, if the iPhone Air grabs the headlines, what about the pro model? Apple’s most powerful iPhone now has the A19 Pro chipset and comes with 6.9- (iPhone 17 Pro Max) and 6.3-inch (iPhone 17 Pro) screen sizes. Glass has been replaced with Ceramic Shield 2, which makes the iPhone 17 Pro more durable than ever.

A new rear camera setup includes a new 48MP telephoto lens, which can shoot up to 8x “optical quality” zoom at 12MP and 4x at its full resolution. Both the wide and ultrawide sensors are 48MP too, for resolution parity across them all. The iPhone 17 Pro series starts at $1,099 for a 256GB model and will be available for pre-order starting Friday, September 12.

Continue reading.

The iPhone 17 has a better screen and better durability

With base storage up to 256GB.

Arriving in four colorways, the iPhone 13 has improvements in power efficiency, a smoother screen and a new selfie cam. This might be the most intriguing update: The company has improved the selfie camera to be a “center stage” front camera, with better stabilization, a wider field of view and a new larger square sensor. Because it’s square, you won’t have to rotate your iPhone when you want to take a photo or video in landscape mode.

Continue reading.

AirPods Pro 3 have better noise cancellation and health-tracking features

Live translation is built into the buds.

Apple

Yes, we have an update to Apple’s AirPods Pro — arguably, the Apple hardware I’ve used the most over the last three years. I even bought a standalone USB-C charging case. The company has improved the wireless buds in some major ways. The big features include a heart rate sensor that can hook into iOS workout apps (and third-party apps) and a new live translation feature (a la Pixel Buds) that converts foreign languages on the fly and even lowers audio of the speaker so you can better hear the translation. They’ll support English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish at launch. The buds themselves are a bit smaller to fit more ears, and there are now five tip sizes, up from three.

No feature yet to make people who talk to you while wearing AirPods less insufferable. The AirPods Pro 3 cost $249, and pre-orders are open right now.

Continue reading.

Apple launches the Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE

Something for everyone?

Apple

The Series 11 is twice as scratch-resistant as previous Apple Watches and now even has 5G connectivity. The watch will monitor for high blood pressure using improved algorithms and the built-in heart rate monitor. If the watch identifies patterns of hypertension, you’ll get an alert in the Health app. The biggest upgrade may be up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge.

The Ultra 3 has a bigger display, satellite connectivity, and emergency SOS. The Watch Ultra 3’s new 3D printed case has even smaller bezels, while the display technology has been tweaked (LTPO3) to improve off-angle viewing.

The Apple Watch SE is getting an update with a new always-on display, optional 5G, the improved S10 chip and support for gestures like double tap and wrist flick. The Apple Watch SE will also provide sleep apnea notifications and the new Sleep Score feature that’s available on Series 11 watches. The Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399, the Ultra 3 starts at $799 and the SE starts at $249.

Continue reading.

The Apple news you might have missed

Apple isn’t making any carbon-neutral claims with its Series 11 smartwatch

The iPhone Air is a great advertisement for the iPhone 17

All of the new iPhones start with 256GB of storage. Finally.

iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26 and macOS 26 will be released on September 15

Apple acquiesced to my Apple Watch SE 3 demands (mostly)

How to pre-order the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro ahead of their September 19 release date

Apple gives iPhone 14 and 15 owners an extra free year of satellite connectivity

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-hands-on-with-the-iphone-air-iphone-17-pro-airpods-pro-3-and-more-111101338.html?src=rss 

Beats’ new iPhone 17 case has a lanyard that turns into a kickstand

Beats has launched a new collection of cases to go with Apple’s latest iPhones, including one with a removable lanyard that doubles as a kickstand. Lanyards and cross-body straps for phones are becoming pretty common these days. If you’re someone who travels every now and then, they can help protect you from pickpockets or from accidentally leaving your phone behind while you struggle with your luggage. The lanyard on Beats’ case comes with something extra: It has an adaptor at the end that slides open and attaches to a magnetic part on the side of the case so that it can act as a kickstand for hands-free phone use. The Beats iPhone 17 Kickstand Case with MagSafe & Camera Control is available in Granite Gray, Bedrock Blue, Lime Stone and Pebble Pink. You can get it from Apple’s website for $59. 

The new collection also includes a basic case that Beats describes as “thin, light, and precisely crafted.” It’s available in the same colors, with the same matte hard outer shell that prevents fingerprints and an interior microfiber lining. This model will set you back $45 and is the only one in the collection that you can get for the iPhone Air

Finally, the Beats iPhone 17 Rugged Case with MagSafe & Camera Control will give you some extra protection if you tend to drop your devices. Beats designed it with a rugged polymer backing that’s complemented by impact-absorbing sidewalls. It has an enclosed bottom for enhanced protection and a textured matte exterior to give you a good grip on your phone. The manufacturer said it put the case through repeated drop and scratch tests, as well as multiple thermal, mechanical and chemical tests to simulate real world use. Beats’ rugged case is available in Everest Black, Rocky Blue, Alpine Gray and Sierra Orange for $79.

Beats

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/beats-new-iphone-17-case-has-a-lanyard-that-turns-into-a-kickstand-035044992.html?src=rss 

Engadget Podcast: Making sense of Apple’s iPhone 17 event

We’ve survived Apple’s iPhone 17 event and we’re here to dive into all of the news. In this bonus episode, Devindra and Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham recap all of Apple’s new hardware and try to determine if the iPhone Air has any substance behind all that style. It’s certainly more attractive than we thought, but is that alone worth giving up on multiple cameras and better battery life from the iPhone 17 Pro?  

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Credits

Hosts: Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Nathan Ingraham
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/engadget-podcast-making-sense-of-apples-iphone-17-event-012707428.html?src=rss 

iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 Pro: Which one is right for you?

iPhone Air is much thinner compared to the iPhone 17 Pro. (Apple)

Now that we’ve seen the actual iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models — they were revealed at the Apple iPhone event today — it’s time to decide if you’re ready to upgrade to one of the newer devices. If you watched Apple’s keynote or pored through Engadget’s liveblog, you probably noticed the Air and 17 Pro share quite a few similarities — many of the specs are identical, or nearly so. 

For starters, both run the new A19 Pro chip, giving each of them a performance edge over the non-Pro A19 in the baseline iPhone 17. And their screens, bodies and basic feature sets — high-refresh ProMotion screens, Apple Intelligence, scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield front and back, Camera Control button, MagSafe wireless charging — are all largely aligned, too. And there’s only a $100 delta in their price tags, with the iPhone Air starting at $999 and the iPhone 17 Pro at $1,099. 

But these two phones have two very different audiences. The Pro, as usual, is designed to be the no-compromise iPhone, while the Air is much more of a fashion statement. It’s the thinnest iPhone ever, and that comes with some notable compromises. 

To that end, let’s take a deep dive on the key areas where the newly introduced iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro diverge. (For more of today’s Apple releases, check out our hands-on with the new AirPods Pro 3 and the Apple Watch Series 11.)

Size and weight

The iPhone Air is Apple’s thinnest phone yet, at just 5.6mm thick. In comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro is 8.75mm thick — that’s more than 3mm thicker than the Air! I’m almost certain the Air would get lost between my couch cushions on day one. 

When it comes to the screen size, the iPhone Air has a 6.5-inch display, which is larger than the 17 Pro’s 6.3-inch screen. (If you want larger still, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is a whopping 6.9 inches diagonally). But the screen tech uses the identical Super Retina XDR technology with all the same bells and whistles — ProMotion high refresh rate, P3 color gamut, True Tone. They should look pretty much identical. 

As for weight, the Air with its titanium casing tips the scales at just 5.82 ounces (165 grams), while the iPhone 17 Pro weighs 7.27 ounces (206 grams) with an aluminum chassis. That’s a tad more than the iPhone 16 Pro’s weight of 7.03 ounces (199 grams), probably due to the newer model’s larger battery.

If you decide to upgrade to the 17 Pro Max instead, it has a larger 6.9-inch display and weighs a whopping 8.22 ounces (233 grams).

But long story short, the Air’s superthin design and wispier weight is pretty much the reason you’re buying this phone.

The Air is pretty light and thin in comparison to all other iPhones. (Apple)

Cameras

Here’s where the biggest differences lie: the cameras. While the iPhone 17 Pro has three rear 48MP cameras, the iPhone Air has just one (also 48MP, though it serves as two cameras in one). Here’s what they include:

iPhone 17 Pro rear cameras: The Pro boasts a triple array “Pro Fusion camera system,” where the three 48MP cameras combine to offer .5x, 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x optical zoom options. The Pro also offers macro photography, spatial photos and can shoot in ProRAW image mode. Video offerings are also full-tilt, with 4K Dolby Vision video recording up to 120fps, along with a litany of sophisticated options that will appeal to more serious video shooters (ProRES Raw, Genlock support, cinematic mode and more).

iPhone Air rear camera: By comparison, the Air has a single 48MP Fusion camera system that delivers only 2x optical zoom in addition to standard. That also means it lacks even the ultrawide (.5x) mode found in the baseline iPhone. Video recording is similarly limited to just half the Pro’s framerate, albeit still in 4K Dolby Vision.

Both phones have the new Center Stage 18MP front-facing “selfie” camera, which eliminates the need to rotate your phone to take a landscape photo. You instead just tap to expand the field of view. And when others join the photo, the camera automatically expands the view. And when you’re on a video call, the camera uses artificial intelligence to adjust the frame. They also both offer Dual Capture, so you can shoot from the front and back cameras simultaneously. 

The iPhone 17 Pro has three rear-facing cameras. (Apple)

Still, the camera compromises are arguably the Air’s biggest shortfall. Don’t get this phone if you like long zooms, ultrawide shots or top-notch video quality.

Battery life

Battery life ratings should always be taken with a grain of salt. That said, Apple claims the Air will deliver up to 27 hours of video playback and can get up to a 50% charge in 30 minutes. The good news is that basically matches the battery claims of last year’s iPhone 16 Pro. The bad news is that it falls well short of the new and improved battery specs on this year’s 17 Pro. That model is rated up to 33 hours of video playback and up to a 50% charge in just 20 minutes with a 40-watt charger. 

Apple

Now, unlike the cameras, there’s a workaround for the Air’s shorter battery life. Apple offers an add-on iPhone Air MagSafe battery which snaps on to the Air’s backside and gets you up to 40 hours of video playback. But it costs $99 and fattens up your superthin phone — doesn’t that kinda get you back to square one?

Price

The iPhone Air starts at $999, which matches the price at the 256GB tier of the iPhone Plus model it’s replacing (which just so happens to be my favorite). So that’s $100 more than the starting price of last year’s 128GB Plus, but with the storage doubled, I guess I can’t complain too much.

For 512GB, it’ll cost you $1,199; and if you splurge on 1TB, you’ll be paying $1,399. And the Air is available in four lighter color palettes.

On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 with 256GB, which is just $100 more. You can also choose 512GB for $1,299 or 1TB for $1,499. (The iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 for 256GB and goes up to $1,999 for 2TB.) The Pro comes in only three colors, though the Cosmic Orange is unusually bold for the iPhone Pro line.

iPhone Air vs. iPhone 17 Pro: How to choose

As I suggested above, the iPhone Air is certainly eye-catching, but you really need to make sure you’re ready to accept those camera and battery compromises. The iPhone 17 Pro is much more of a “no compromise” choice, albeit one that’s less of a looker (depending on how you feel about that new “camera plateau” at the top). That said, remember you can always default to the baseline iPhone 17, which is arguably better than ever — and has some nice feature one-ups on the Air, to boot.

If I were choosing between the Air and the Pro, I know which one would be the clear winner for me — but I’ll leave that decision up to you because I’m holding out (and hopeful) for a foldable iPhone in 2026. In the meantime, you can check out Engadget’s initial hands-on impressions of the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and baseline iPhone 17, as well as our full reviews of those models coming in the near future. 

$100 more for a Pro model really isn’t that bad. (Apple)

Full specs comparison

iPhone Air

iPhone 17 Pro

Starting price

$999

$1,099

Dimensions

6.15 x 2.94 x 0.22 inch

5.91 x 2.83 x 0.34 inch

Weight

5.82 ounces (165 grams)

7.27 ounces (206 grams)

Processor

A19 Pro chip

A19 Pro chip

Display

6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display

6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display

Storage

256GB / 512GB / 1TB

256GB / 512GB / 1TB

Battery

Up to 27 hours

Up to 33 hours

Camera

Main: 48MP Fusion camera system / 48MP Fusion Main
Front: Center Stage 18MP

Main: 48MP Pro Fusion camera system / 48MP Fusion Main /48MP Fusion Ultra Wide / 48MP Fusion Telephoto
Front: Center Stage 18MP

Colors

Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, Space Black

Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-air-vs-iphone-17-pro-which-one-is-right-for-you-001538431.html?src=rss 

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