Headphones were the original piece of wearable technology and they remain as essential today as ever. But they are starting to change rapidly now, as things like noise cancelling and Bluetooth wireless technology enable the dream of completely cable-free living. What will the best headphones of the future look like?
The best (currently) noise-canceling earbuds will feel even more premium with Sony’s new $39.99 case covers that wrap the WF-1000XM6’s charging case in a smooth vegan leather finish. The cover is available in black and light gray, and while it makes the case slightly larger, it doesn’t inhibit wireless charging.
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When Victoria Song reviewed the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, she found a lot to like about their slimmer ear hook and wireless charging, even before their iOS 26 upgrade. Now, Beats is launching this color-splashed collaboration, which is at least bright, even if it lacks the internal hardware updates of Apple’s new AirPods Max headphones.
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Apple’s original AirPods Max are pretty extraordinary headphones with some very obvious flaws. More than five years on, we’re finally getting a sequel — which fixes absolutely none of them. Make it make sense, Apple.
sam flynn:
Customers: these are too heavy, too expensive for what they are, and have a dumb case
Apple: H2 chip :)
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The Galaxy Unpacked keynote ended less than an hour ago, and with it the announcements of the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. We watched the whole thing, but you don’t have to. Got twelve minutes?
A new teaser promises the “next generation of earbuds,” with a launch set for 8AM PT on February 12th. The brief glimpses in the video match leaks we’ve seen of the WF-1000XM6, the high-end sequel to 2023’s excellent XM5.
Android Headlines has shared renders of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro expected to be announced at the next Samsung Unpacked event. The new design features metal strips on the stems to help distinguish them from Apple’s AirPods, and they both now lie horizontally in their charging cases which carry forward transparent lids.
Power Buy has since taken down the listing for the new Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds as spotted by Reddit’s Mr_Snail10, but The Walkman Blog managed to capture some images before it disappeared. The upgrade to 2023’s WF-1000XM5 appear to feature a more rounded pill-shaped design with a charging case that now has a flat top and bottom.
