14 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Headphones

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?

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Is it time to start taking graphene seriously?

I have a simple rule for news vetting — if it says “graphene,” you can probably ignore it because it never shows up as a real product. New Logitech G Pro X 2 gaming headphones with graphene drivers may force me to revisit that, even if they’re not the absolute first ones on the market and are arriving ten years after researchers explained how these could work.

This interview and this video below lay out why the carbon supermaterial has so much promise — and the production hurdles holding it back. But maybe that’s finally changing.

The Verge’s 2023 graduation gift guide

We found a wide range of gifts that’ll help graduates as they embark upon their next adventure, whether that’s college or a career.

Sheena Vasani
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
This is why I don’t usually write reviews.

Because Chris Welch can break down everything you actually need to know about the Beats Studio Buds Plus and how good they are or are not.

I’d give them a 10/10 rating based on translucency alone, which is allegedly “not a valid way to score a review according to our scale.” All I know is that I’ve never bought an iPhone, but if Apple made a clear one I’d have blue bubbles the next day.

Clear plastic Beats Studio Buds Plus case and earbuds
Beats Studio Buds Plus
Image: Richard Lawler
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
You can buy an AirPods Pro Hermès case for nearly $1,000.

If you want that case, it costs $930. That’s the same price as nearly four sets of the second-generation AirPods Pro. Bargain!

There’s a Hermés AirPods Pro lanyard, too. Just $335!

A set of AirPods Pro in the Hermès case.
Image: Hermès
Chris Welch
Chris Welch
Beats says it’s “the only company” offering earbud ecosystem harmony.

It’s fascinating to me how independent Beats still is. Nearly nine years after Apple announced its acquisition of the brand co-founded by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, today Beats released a design video for the Studio Buds Plus. In it, you hear this:

“Our proprietary chipset makes them super simple to use. It offers a host of native features to both Apple and Android users. In fact, we’re the only company to offer this.”

This is an Apple-owned business highlighting that it’s not using the same silicon as AirPods. (I love how Beats illustrates the point with a vinyl record.)

Chris Welch
Chris Welch
It’s not Nothing to manufacture transparent gadgets.

Nothing CEO Carl Pei has done another of his product review videos on YouTube — this time for Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro.

The most interesting part starts at the 1:35 mark, when Pei mentions that the Nothing Ear 2 assembly line is “like a rainforest” and filled with humidifiers to prevent dust from finding its way into the transparent earbuds or the carrying case. (Humidity makes the dust settle, which is why some people apply screen protectors in a bathroom with the shower running.)

Even after going to such lengths, 20 to 30 percent of units are rejected and have to be remade.

Apple’s AirTags are available at a rare discountApple’s AirTags are available at a rare discount
Sheena Vasani and Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Fairphone is applying its repairability smarts to headphones

The Fairbuds XL are a pair of modular, repairable headphones that are designed to be easy to dismantle, easy to repair, and easy to keep using for longer.

Jon Porter
The Verge’s 2023 Mother’s Day gift guide

From transparent chargers and TikTok gems to the latest wearables, we’ve curated a batch of unique gifts fit for any mom worth celebrating.

Brandon Widder
Apple’s third-gen AirPods have fallen to their best price of the yearApple’s third-gen AirPods have fallen to their best price of the year
Brandon Widder and Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Headset is on sale for its best price to dateMicrosoft’s Xbox Wireless Headset is on sale for its best price to date
Brandon Widder and Antonio G. Di Benedetto
My week with Dyson’s absurd wearable air purifier

The Dyson Zone is not the most practical device, but then again, did you really expect that from air-purifying, noise-canceling headphones?

Victoria Song
Apple’s luxe AirPods Max have dropped to their best price of the yearApple’s luxe AirPods Max have dropped to their best price of the year
Sheena Vasani and Antonio G. Di Benedetto