New AirPods
The AirPods line has split into two. The more advanced version, less than five years old, received ANC aka noise cancellers. Its main feature is the function of adaptation to the surrounding noise level. Now there is no need to manually switch between noise cancellation and “transparent” modes, the device itself recognizes the sounds around. If you decide to start a dialogue with someone, you do not need to take out your “ears”. It seems convenient, but a purely human factor emerges – when the interlocutor speaks to you without taking out at least one earphone from his ear, most likely you will consider him impolite and not particularly interested in the conversation, because “on the other end of the line” he clearly has something more interesting and more important than you.
The AirPods 4 are priced at $129, with the ANC version at $179, and will be available starting September 20.
But this is for the “Morlocks”. “Eloi”, according to Apple, should choose AirPods Pro 2, and the corporation provides a scientific basis for this: it scares us with a huge amount of background noise around us. By the way, perhaps this is what is connected with the change in the algorithms for calculating the degree of their impact in the Apple Watch: if before last year's update of the watch operating system, this device very rarely notified about exceeding the noise level of 100 decibels (the alert was triggered only when it was really loud around, for example, near an airplane turbine), then after the update, the “yellow ear” began to appear on the watch screen much more often, even in relatively innocent situations like the approach of a subway train.
“Morlocks” do not monitor their health – according to Apple, 80% of Americans have not had their hearing checked by a doctor in the last five years. But even they have a chance to improve their health with AirPods Pro 2, launching the standard Health App on the iPhone, which will show how well the stapes and anvil are doing. After that, the headphones, apparently, will work as a smart hearing device, amplifying the speech of interlocutors and other sounds. Older versions of these headphones will also get an update after the iPhone update to iOS 18.
New Apple Watch
Apple Watch has entered its tenth anniversary generation, now it is Series 10. We have not received pressure or blood sugar measurements again. As in previous years, we have several improvements in terms of exterior that are not the most useful for life – in terms of meaning, the “ten” does the same as previous generations. The display area has become even larger – by 30% compared to Series 6, surpassing that of the Ultra. The peak brightness of the screen and its visibility at angles have increased. The turned off display now also shows the passage of seconds. The device has become 9.7 mm thinner, lost 10% of its weight, and its speaker can now serve as an external speaker, playing music or podcasts when headphones are not at hand. Charging is even faster (80% in half an hour). Yes, all this is convenient, but not critical and not so much that you urgently order a new product.
All the previous features like interactions with Siri, recognition of impacts and falls of the owner (available only in North America) were there before. Unless you are tempted by photos as wallpaper instead of Mickey Mouse and the characters of “Toy Story” or a couple of software innovations for snorkeling, SUP surfing, kayaking and other things.
However, a couple of new software features are worth noting. Finally, the watch has a translator app that allows real-time conversations with foreigners. And those who suffer from apnea (cessation of pulmonary ventilation during sleep for more than 10 seconds, which usually lasts 20-30 seconds, in severe cases reaching 2-3 minutes and taking up to 60% of the total time of night sleep) will find the recognition function of this ailment useful. With regular manifestations, it is fraught with a disruption in the sleep structure and daytime sleepiness, deterioration of memory and intelligence, decreased performance and fatigue. According to Apple, 80% of 1 billion people suffering from apnea are not aware of their ailment. The watch promises to monitor sleep (previous versions do this too) and issue a report on it once a month. To do this, you will, of course, have to sleep in the watch, taking it off only for recharging (otherwise, why did you buy it at all?).
And here again we have to ask ourselves: are the rather general and approximate quasi-medical measurements of sleep comfort worth it without the burden and clutter of technology? If you are already accustomed to this, using watches of previous generations, then there are no questions. But many take off watches, bracelets, chains and the like before going to bed, and it does not seem that Apple can change this radically. In order to completely merge with the watch, more significant functions are needed: close to 100% measurement accuracy, a sleep picture based not only on temperature sensors and accelerometers. The ability to repel mosquitoes would be a hit. In the meantime, all innovations are of interest at most in the first month of use, for example, the function of measuring saturation (percentage of oxygen in the blood), which also often gives values from 99% (“healthy as an ox”) to 88% (“practically a corpse”). And yes, Apple is getting ahead of itself with the apnea, casually mentioning that FDA approval has not yet been received.
Before us, as in previous years, are several not the most important and useful for life improvements in terms of the exterior.
