Top storySAMSUNG GALAXY BUDS ON ABLE
Samsung's clip-on Galaxy Buds On bring an open fit and auto volume
Samsung's first clip-on earbuds hit Korea October 27 for about $220, and no other market has a date yet.
Earlier this weekSep 29 to Oct 3
APPLE AIRPODS 5
AirPods 5 batteries can finally be replaced, iFixit's teardown finds
iFixit scores AirPods 5 a 2 out of 10, the first AirPods above zero.
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Fairphone's Fairbuds 2 launch October 14 with seven replaceable parts
Fairbuds 2 cost $119 when they launch October 14, less than the first pair.
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Bose's first new wired earbuds in 11 years cost $99 and ship October 15
Bose built ANC wired earbuds in under a year because corded sales came back, and $99 gets you lossless audio plus QuietControl.
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Custom EQ is live on AirPods 4, 5, Pro 2, Pro 3 and Max 2
AirPods Pro finally got a three-band EQ in iOS 27, and even a small bass boost makes them sound like different earbuds.
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Reviewers agree the $149 AirPods 5 is the one to buy
Both AirPods 5 models now include ANC and Live Translation, with the cheaper $129 version hard to pass up over the $149 one.
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Bose's new $199 Sport Open earbuds are built for workouts
Bose now sells two open-ear pairs: a $299 Ultra that gets 9 hours of battery and a $199 Sport model built for workouts.
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Samsung's clip-on Galaxy Buds On earbuds get FCC approval as the SM-U600
Samsung's cuff-style open-ear buds just cleared the FCC, they're weeks from US shelves.
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Noise cancellation is now standard on the $129 AirPods 5
The cheapest AirPods now cancel noise, and it's clearly better than on the AirPods 4. The sound still isn't AirPods Pro 3 quality.
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AirPods firmware 9A348 brings iOS 27's custom EQ, saved on the earbuds
Custom EQ is here for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4 and AirPods Max 2. AirPods Pro 2 get the firmware, not the EQ.
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Samsung's SM-R545 ear-hook Galaxy Buds leak with their battery sizes
Samsung's next Galaxy Buds hook over your ear for sport, and the left and right buds won't even share the same touch controls.
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The cheaper AirPods 5 matches the battery of the pair it replaces
Apple claims half again as much noise cancelling as the AirPods 4, across two models at $129 and $149.
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AirPods 5 are rated IP57 for water and dust, like the Pro 3
Apple wouldn't put a number on it at the event. Its own spec sheet says IP57, the same rating as the Pro 3.
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Apple moved the AirPods upsell from noise cancellation to the case
Noise cancellation is standard at $129 now. The $20 upgrade buys wireless charging and a volume control on the stem.
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AirPods 5 arrive with better noise cancellation and no cameras
Noise cut by half, on-stem volume back, and $129 buys the base pair on September 18.
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Soundcore put a heart rate sensor inside sleep earbuds
Soundcore put a 100Hz heart-rate sensor in a sleep earbud and a touchscreen on the case. $349.99, shipping in November.
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Translation earbuds now come with a monthly subscription
Timekettle's W4 Plus translates 52 languages live on calls and video without the other person downloading anything.
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Anker put the same chip in headphones, clip-ons and hearing aids
Anker's new Thus AI chip powers a full IFA lineup, from $200 Space 2 Pro headphones to $170-$230 AeroClip open-ear earbuds.
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AirPods Pro 3 can run a gym workout without the watch
Tap the treadmill with your iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 read your heart rate. No watch on your wrist.
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The camera AirPods would outrank Face ID for head tracking
Apple's camera AirPods will outrank Face ID as the head-tracking source, and that's buried in code two years before the hardware ships.