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Some AirPods Pro 3 Owners Complain About Static Noise

2025-10-30 07:03:00

Some AirPods Pro 3 owners have been experiencing a problem with a static-like sound when Active Noise Cancellation is on but no media is playing, according to complaints on Reddit and the MacRumors forums.


Those who are affected have described the noise as static, an audible hiss, white noise, rain, and an ocean-like sound similar to holding a seashell up to the ear. There have been reports of users hearing the static sound in ANC, Adaptive, and Transparency modes. From MacRumors reader ugh:

It's very strange, I would think it's defective, but it's on both ears?? You can switch ANC from on to off, clearly ANC is quieting down the lower frequencies, but the higher frequencies seem to actually get LOUDER in a quiet room when turning ANC on. It just sounds like I have a small fan on in the room all the time (I do not).

From xJohnyxx:
Very pronounced in mine but only in Transparency/Adaptive mode. And only, or at least way more pronounced, in the right one. Had absolutely zero static noise with APP2. Will be returning since I also don't quite like the new sound profile and they are less comfortable for me.

From rolan2q:
OMG after one week of ownership I had to exchange my AirPods Pro 3. During a flight from NYC to Chicago I had a whistling/wind noise on my right Airpod the whole time. I reset, repaired, cleaned them and same thing. Hopefully this is not a widespread issue.

Some users say the static is worse in one AirPod than the other, and others suggest that high frequencies also seem to be oddly amplified. Music mitigates the problem for some users, but not others. From EdRecde on Reddit:
I have the same problem. It's not possible to hear music at a low level around 30 db because the static is too much. It's my first pair of AirPods so I can't compare but only switching the microphones off makes the headphones silent

Not all ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ units seem to be affected, and there are people who appear to be experiencing no issue at all. Some users may also be less sensitive to any kind of ambient static sound.

One user who reported the issue to Apple received replacement AirPods, and other people have exchanged the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ but experienced the same issue with the replacement pair. One user said that Apple is directing store employees to exchange the AirPods Pro 3 for users who report static issues.

It's not clear if the static that people are hearing is related to hardware or software, but if it is a software issue, Apple could address it in future firmware updates. The only option for eliminating the static entirely appears to be turning ANC and Transparency off, which can be done in the Settings app when wearing the AirPods.
This article, "Some AirPods Pro 3 Owners Complain About Static Noise" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Announces Three App Store Updates for Developers

2025-10-30 06:09:03

Apple today added new features and expanded flexibility to its App Store review process. Developers are now able to submit additional items for review when an existing submission is already under review.


Apple has provided several examples of what can be submitted:


  • One or more In-App Events in a separate submission if you have an app version under review.

  • An app version to address a critical bug that's separate from any existing custom product pages under review.

  • One or more Game Center features -- including achievements, leaderboards, challenges, and more.


More information is available on Apple's app submission instruction page.

Apple is doubling the number of custom product pages that developers can create to highlight content and features in apps. Up to 70 custom pages can be published at any time, and keywords can also be assigned to each custom product page to make them more discoverable on the ‌App Store‌.

In addition to new app review features and support for more custom product pages, Apple is also expanding offer codes to all In-App purchase types. Offer codes are available for consumable, non-consumable, and non-renewing subscriptions in addition to auto-renewable subscriptions. Apple also added offer codes for auto-renewable subscriptions that don't auto-renew after the promotional period ends.

Offer codes allow developers to provide people with limited-time offers for free or discounted In-App purchase content. Apple is replacing promo codes with offer codes, and as of March 26, 2026, there will no longer be an option to create promo codes for In-App purchases in ‌App Store‌ Connect. Promo codes will continue to be available to provide people with free app downloads, and already-available promo codes will continue to work until they expire.
This article, "Apple Announces Three App Store Updates for Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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How Vibration-Based Speakers Work and Why Apple Might Use Them in the iPad Mini 8

2025-10-30 05:16:24

The next-generation iPad mini 8 could feature an updated design that removes the speaker holes for improved water resistance, with Apple considering a new speaker system design. The new system would use vibration-based technology, according to Bloomberg, which would make it unique among Apple products if it's adopted.


It turns out there are already some devices on the market that use vibration-based sound, giving some insight into how the technology works and how Apple might implement the feature.

Vibration-Based Sound


Apple could be planning to use a sound exciter, which creates sound waves by causing a surface like a glass panel or metal frame to vibrate. A piezo or electromagnetic exciter can use almost any surface for resonance, and there's no need for a standard speaker that sends vibrations through a diaphragm.

Apple could attach an exciter to the ‌iPad mini‌'s chassis or display. When playing audio, the exciter could vibrate the panel to move air and create sound with no traditional speaker or need for speaker holes.

The iPad has a decent-sized display that could support multiple exciters to allow for stereo sound, with the screen divided into sub-panels to serve as separate diaphragms.

Patents


Apple has patented a system similar to what's described above. Apple's "mechanically actuated panel acoustic system" patent describes an electronic device with an enclosure that's used as part of an acoustic system.

The enclosure is divided into sub-panels, and each sub-panel has one or more actuators to vibrate the sub-panel. The actuator and attached sub-panel then convert an audio signal to acoustic output.

Real-World Examples


Huawei's 2019 P30 Pro debuted "Acoustic Display Technology," featuring an under-display speaker. It included a tiny exciter that vibrated the glass screen, turning the entire display into a speaker. An iFixit teardown revealed that Huawei was using a small coil with a magnet in the middle paired with a component that vibrated the screen to create sound.

Based on reviews, the Acoustic Display Technology worked well, but Huawei only used it for calls. All the rest of the smartphone's audio was routed through an additional bottom speaker, and the lack of stereo sound wasn't popular. Huawei released one more model with the technology, the P40, before returning to a more traditional system for subsequent smartphones.

Some TVs have used the technology to improve sound. LG's G8 ThinQ used the entire OLED display as a diaphragm, vibrating the screen to produce sound. LG paired it with a bottom speaker for stereo performance and to handle bass.

Sony's OLED TVs have used an "Acoustic Surface" for sound for several years. The TVs include multiple actuators behind the display that vibrate the screen to create sound. Sony says sound is precisely aligned with what you see, for a more immersive viewing experience. The technology is often praised in reviews of Sony TV sets.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Apple adopt something like the Acoustic Surface, positioning it as a way for users to get immersive, spatial sound even when not wearing AirPods or other headphones that support spatial audio.

There are also plenty of "invisible" speakers that are meant to be mounted behind drywall or in ceilings. They use surface exciters to vibrate the material they're attached to, turning walls into speaker drivers.

Water Resistance


Removing the speaker holes provide fewer paths for water ingress. The current ‌iPad mini‌ has speaker holes at the top and bottom of the device, and no water resistance rating.

It's not clear what water resistance rating the ‌iPad mini‌ might get. The iPhone has IP68 water resistance, which means it can withstand being under water that's six meters deep for at least 30 minutes.

Microphone Holes


If Apple eliminates speaker holes on the ‌iPad mini‌, microphone holes would likely remain. The iPad mini 7 has one microphone hole at the top and a second microphone hole located below the camera.

The ‌iPhone‌ also has microphone holes, so Apple could use gaskets and adhesive for water resistance without impacting functionality.

Potential Drawbacks


Bass is an issue with vibration-based audio systems. Sony, for example, integrates separate subwoofers in its TVs to add bass. Apple could use a similar hybrid solution, or use digital signal processing to make up for the missing bass frequencies.

Surface speakers can radiate mids and highs across the panel, but perceived width can be narrower because the vibration comes from a single surface rather than two separate drivers in different locations. If Apple uses actuators to vibrate the ‌iPad mini‌'s chassis or display, audio playback might not sound as full as stereo speakers do.

Touch can dampen sound by absorbing vibration. Apple could likely mitigate this with sensors that determine how the ‌iPad‌ is held, adjusting the vibration pattern accordingly.

Other iPad mini 8 Features


Along with water resistance, rumors suggest the ‌iPad mini‌ 8 could be the first ‌iPad‌ other than the iPad Pro to get OLED display technology.

If implemented, Apple's vibration-based sound system could require some fancy audio processing. The ‌iPad mini‌ is expected to have the same A19 Pro chip that Apple introduced in the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro.

Launch Timing


Apple could release the ‌iPad mini‌ 8 as soon as 2026.
Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

This article, "How Vibration-Based Speakers Work and Why Apple Might Use Them in the iPad Mini 8" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Wins Partial Dismissal in First-Gen AirPods Pro Crackling Lawsuit

2025-10-30 02:07:28

Apple was not able to get an AirPods Pro class action lawsuit filed in November 2024 dismissed, but the judge overseeing the case did throw out some of the claims this week, giving the company a partial win.


The lawsuit covers the first-generation AirPods Pro, accusing Apple of false advertising for selling AirPods Pro models with ongoing crackling or static issues. Shortly after the AirPods Pro went on sale, customers began complaining of crackling, rattling, popping, and static-like noises. Apple issued a software update in May 2020 to attempt to fix the problem, and then later launched a repair program in October 2020.

The customers who filed the lawsuit requested relief due to the defective nature of the AirPods Pro, and they said they would not have purchased the earbuds or would have paid less if Apple was forthcoming about the flaw.

Apple filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in March 2025, leading to the mixed result handed down this week. Claims related to some state fraud and consumer law were dismissed, as were those related to express warranty and implied warranty. Nationwide claims were also thrown out because the plaintiffs failed to present a representative plaintiff from each state, which the court said is required for nationwide counts. Some plaintiff-specific claims were dropped, and a claim for unjust enrichment in California did not survive. The court also denied injunctive relief because the original AirPods Pro are no longer offered for sale.

The fraud by omission claims survived, and Apple is accused of failing to disclose known AirPods Pro defects even after acknowledging them publicly with the 2020 service program. Several of the state, nationwide, and warranty claims can be amended and refiled with more information in the next 21 days, so some of the claims could be revived as the case goes on.

Plaintiffs will need to prove that Apple was aware of the defect and concealed it following the 2020 repair program, and that the company denied valid warranty repairs for those claims to move forward.

The surviving fraud by omission claim could prove to be an obstacle for the plaintiffs later in the decision process, and it could ultimately be dismissed. Citing prior case law, Apple argued that it only has to disclose safety issues after the warranty period has expired, and the AirPods Pro sound defect was not a safety hazard. The court did not reject Apple's argument, and simply said that it was premature for it to consider the issue at this stage.


This article, "Apple Wins Partial Dismissal in First-Gen AirPods Pro Crackling Lawsuit" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Nvidia Becomes First $5 Trillion Company as AI Demand Surges

2025-10-30 01:15:52

Nvidia today became the first public company to reach a $5 trillion market capitalization, hitting the milestone 3.5 months after surpassing $4 trillion.


Over the past week, Nvidia's shares have climbed 14.5 percent due to demand for its GPUs and the possibility that it might be able to sell its most advanced chips in China. As of now, the U.S. prevents Nvidia from selling its Blackwell AI chips to China, and China has also restricted Chinese companies from importing some Nvidia chips because of national security concerns. Trump said that he would discuss Nvidia's "super duper chip" with Chinese president Xi Jinping on October 30, leading to hopes that the situation might change.

Nvidia's AI chips are key for developing and training large language AI models, and almost every major tech company is working on some kind of AI product. Apple, for example, is building out AI infrastructure to power Apple Intelligence and other future AI capabilities. Apple is using Apple Silicon chips, but it has also reportedly invested in Nvidia server technology.

Nvidia's growth has outpaced Apple, Microsoft, and other tech companies, but Apple reached a milestone of its own yesterday. Just ahead of Thursday's earnings call, Apple briefly reached a $4 trillion valuation. Apple's stock price has dropped slightly since then, but the company is close to hitting that target again.

Apple is pumping out its own artificial intelligence servers, and the first units started shipping out this month. It is unlikely that Apple will compete with Nvidia in the server market because its servers are designed for internal use.

Tag: Nvidia

This article, "Nvidia Becomes First $5 Trillion Company as AI Demand Surges" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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What to Expect From Apple's Next AirPods Pro

2025-10-30 01:00:54

While the AirPods Pro 3 launched only six weeks ago, Apple is reportedly already working on new AirPods Pro, with two key changes rumored for the earbuds.


Specifically, the next AirPods Pro are expected to be equipped with Apple's H3 chip for wireless audio, along with tiny infrared cameras.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the H3 chip will offer improved sound quality and lower latency, compared to the H2 chip in the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3.

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said AirPods with infrared cameras could enable "in-air gesture control," but he did not elaborate on that possibility. He also expects the next AirPod Pro to have improved Vision Pro integration.

The cameras could enable some artificial intelligence features, akin to Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer, according to Gurman.

No other features have been rumored yet.

It is unclear if the next AirPods Pro would be AirPods Pro 4, or if they would still be AirPods Pro 3. AirPods Pro 2 were updated with a USB-C charging case and a few other tweaks a year after they launched, without receiving a name change.

Kuo said the next AirPods Pro will launch in 2026. If that timeframe proves to be accurate, then revised AirPods Pro 3 sounds likely, given there was a three-year gap between the AirPods Pro, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Pro 3.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro 3
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

This article, "What to Expect From Apple's Next AirPods Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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