The EU has walked back its rules that would require certain devices to have "easily removable and replaceable" batteries. Amongst those exceptions are the Apple Watch, and AirPods. EU exempts Apple Watch from battery rule The European Union has been floating this idea for some time now. The rule, which falls under Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1670, would require manufacturers to allow users to easily remove and replace batteries within devices. However, it didn't take long for the Commission to walk that one back. As of Tuesday, EU regulators have now exempted wearable tech and a handful of other devices from said rule. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Apple today released new AirPods beta firmware available for public testers. The firmware has a build number of 9A5314b, and it is available for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 , AirPods 4 , and AirPods Max 2 . The public beta firmware is identical to the third developer beta Apple released last week. In iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 , and macOS Golden Gate , Apple is adding a new AirPods interface, a slider for Adaptive mode, and support for custom EQ, so the firmware lets public beta testers use those features. AirPods are also compatible with the new Siri AI. When the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad , or Mac running iOS 26 , iPadOS 26 , or macOS 26 or later, there is a beta firmware option that can be accessed in the AirPods settings interface. Toggling on beta updates allows users to install the beta firmware. Firmware updates can be downloaded by connecting the AirPods to an Apple device and connecting them to power. It can take a few hours for new firmware to be installed because there is no straightforward software update option like there is for other Apple devices. Related Roundups: AirPods 4 , iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution) Related Forum: AirPods This article, " Apple Releases New iOS 27 AirPods Firmware For Public Beta Testers " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
