Beats unveils new Beats X, Solo 3 and Powerbeats 3 wireless headphones

As part of the Apple iPhone 7 press conference, Apple also introduced a new range of Beats by Dre headphones, all of which include the same W1 chip found inside the new Apple AirPods. 

Beats not having updated its range of earphones in some time now makes sense, as three new models came along at once this evening.

As well as updating its Solo Wireless and Powerbeats ranges, Beats introduced a new in-ear wireless earphone called the Beats X. 

The Beats X is designed to be fluid, light and flexible, so it’s really comfortable and unnoticeable when worn. The cable – dubbed Flex-Form – is designed to be tangle free, and the eartips have built-in magnets so that they can snap together when they’re worn around the neck, and not in use. 

As well as those features, the Beats X earphones have something which Apple calls Fast Fuel. In short, they charge via an included Lightning cable which provides enough juice for two hours of playback in just five minutes of charging, or eight hours of playback with 45 minutes of charging. 

Like the rest of the new headphones – the W1 chip means it can connect to an iPhone with a single tap, and won’t require the usual frustration of digging through the Bluetooth settings. They coil easily, and come with a neat little carrying case for easy storage. 

The Solo 3 Wireless and Powerbeats 3 Wireless are familiar, and feature technical improvements on their predecessors. 

Beats’ new Powerbeats have been redesigned slightly to improve the ergonomics, and provide a better fit. Like the Beats X, they also have the Fast Fuel technology.

Unlike the Beats X though, they charge by micro USB, and only manage one hour of playback on a five minute charge. They are water and sweat resistant, and can last 12 hours on a full charge, so they’re perfect for that long hike or marathon you’ve been planning. 

As far as Fast Fuel battery efficiency goes, it’s the over-ear Solo 3 Wireless earphones that rule the roost. They can supply three hours of playback on a five minute charge using the micro USB cable supplied. 

Like its predecessors, the Solo 3 wireless come with the 360-degree pivoting ear cups, noise isolation and snug-fitting flexible headband. 

Price-wise, the Beats X come in at a respectable £129 and will be available this Autumn, along with the slightly more expensive Powerbeats 3, which cost £169. Solo 3 Wireless will be available to pre-order tomorrow, 7 September, for £249 and come in gloss black, gloss white, gold, silver, rose gold and black. 

PS4 Pro preview: Stunning 4K HDR gaming monster you can own this year

When we saw the Xbox One S at E3 earlier this year we thought Microsoft had Christmas in the bag. We’d heard of a new, more powerful PlayStation on the horizon, which went by the codenames PS4 Neo, PS4K and PS4.5, but didn’t in our wildest dreams think it would be available this year.

However, during a dedicated media event in New York City, Sony blew our socks off. Not only is the PS4 Pro real, not only is it capable of 4K HDR gaming, but it’s going to be available from 10 November. And at the staggeringly low price of £349 – some standard PS4 models currently cost that.

After the event we got to see some cool demos of the PS4 Pro in action, get up close to the console itself, and ask further questions about its capabilities.

You can check out our photos in the gallery above, but here are our initial impressions of the new king of gaming.

Specs are thin on the ground right now, but there’s no doubt that the PS4 Pro has a lot of GPU and CPU power going on under the hood. It has a 1TB hard drive and comes with the much-rumoured, new version of the DualShock controller – which has an additional light strip along the top of the touchpad.

Pocket-lint

The controllers have all been hardwired for the event, but we expect that’s to avoid them going missing and maintain battery life than anything else.

Aesthetically, the box is slightly odd looking. It is styled just like the new slimmer version of the PS4, but has an additional slice to its sandwich effect. A glow bar lights around the circumference of the machine – mainly at the front.

We had a demo of Days Gone, which showed comparative effects between 1080p and 4K resolutions, and HDR and non-HDR. It was simply superb with the Pro’s extra processing power at work. If you have a 4K HDR TV you will get some incredible gaming experiences.

Pocket-lint

What’s more, they won’t cost you extra. Not only are plenty of new games, including Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and FIFA 17, coming with 4K HDR support, they will be the exact same discs as the standard PS4 version.

There will also be patches available for many of your existing games too, to up the graphical fidelity.

Gaming isn’t the only thing to benefit, video streaming in 4K HDR is also possible on the PS4 Pro. Both Netflix and YouTube have been announced as partners.

One alarming thing we are hearing though is that the Pro will not ship with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. So while you can play 4K content over the internet, you cannot spin UHD discs. Maybe the Xbox One S still has a chance after all.

First Impressions

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray playback aside, the PS4 Pro is an amazing games console which will rule the roost until Project Scorpio arrives next year. 4K HDR gaming is quite simply stunning, but its the price that impresses us most.

Sony has pulled something magical out of the bag and we cannot wait to get hold of a review unit to test fully.

Always read the footnotes: Apple suggests you might want a case on that Jet Black iPhone 7

Apple has announced not only new colours for its new iPhone 7 models, but a new finish. Moving on from the standard matte anodised finish that Apple has used from the iPhone 6, the Jet Black model takes on something of a premium position.

The Jet Black iPhone 7 uses a 9-step anodisation and polish process to result in a high gloss shine, which reminds us of the ceramic finish of the OnePlus X. That might be no coincidence as there’s a white ceramic version of the Apple Watch Series 2 as well. 

However, if you’re lusting after this new model of the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, then it’s worth taking heed of the footnotes that Apple has appended to its tech specs, where it says: 

“The high-gloss finish of the jet black iPhone 7 is achieved through a precision nine-step anodization and polishing process. Its surface is equally as hard as other anodized Apple products; however, its high shine may show fine micro-abrasions with use. If you are concerned about this, we suggest you use one of the many cases available to protect your iPhone.” 

So basically, unless you’re only ever going to slip your iPhone 7 Jet Black into the silk-lined pocket of your suit, you might want to consider getting a case for it to avoid those little scratches that will take the shine off your brand new iPhone. 

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available to pre-order from 9 September, hitting stores on 16 September. 

The new models offer more power, better colour display, a move to Lightning headphones, stereo speakers, a new home button and best of all, IP67 water protection.

• Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are official, with waterproofing, stereo speakers and new cameras
• Apple made these wireless AirPods and Lightning EarPods for iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are IP67 water and dust resistant: What does that mean?
• Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6S vs iPhone 6: What’s the difference?