Nothing, known for a range of Android-based lower-cost devices, recently came out with a new set of $99 "Ear Stick" earbuds. We picked up some of the new earbuds and thought we'd check them out to see how they measure up to Apple's AirPods.
Stylized as the Nothing Ear (stick), the earbuds from Nothing have a rather unique design. You can see the hardware inside the stem thanks to the clear housing, something that Nothing also did with the matching Nothing Phone.
The Nothing Ear Stick earbuds are more similar in design to the third-generation AirPods than AirPods Pro, and there is no silicone tip. Instead, it features what Nothing says is an ergonomic design, with an earbud that sits in the outer part of the ear like the AirPods. Size wise, the Nothing Ear Stick earbuds are almost the size of the AirPods 3.
Unsurprisingly, the fit of the Ear Stick is similar to the AirPods, and we found them to be comfortable to wear. There are squeeze-based gestures for pausing/playing, swapping tracks, and changing volume, with customization options available in the accompanying app.
The sound is decent, and with EQ adjustments, the Ear Stick earbuds offer a similar sound profile to the third-generation AirPods. There is a 12.6mm driver inside the earbuds, and with some tweaking, the bass is more noticeable than on the AirPods.
There are some Apple-like features available, such as ear detection for playing/pausing music and the option to locate a sound when the earbuds are misplaced, plus the app supports battery percentages, gesture customization, and sound adjustments.
While the Ear Stick earbuds themselves are similar in design to the AirPods, Nothing went in a different direction with the case. There is a tube-shaped case that resembles lipstick, which the earbuds fit inside for charging purposes. The USB-C case can be twisted to open it up to get to the earbuds, and it adds 22 hours of play time.
The Nothing Ear Stick earbuds can be paired to an iOS device and they are available as an AirPods alternative for those who are interested, but features like automatic pairing and quick device switching will not be available, which is always a downside when using third-party earbuds with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Do-it-yourself repair website iFixit today shared a video teardown of Apple's new 10th-generation iPad, providing a closer look inside the tablet and revealing why the device lacks support for the second-generation Apple Pencil.
The teardown reveals the internal layout of the iPad, including its two-cell 7,606 mAh battery, logic board with the A14 Bionic chip, and more.
As suspected, the teardown shows that components for the iPad's landscape-positioned front camera occupy the space where the wireless charging coil would have been located for the second-generation Apple Pencil. As a result, the device is only compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil, with an adapter required for pairing and charging.
Image Credit: iFixit
iFixit also confirmed that the iPad has stretch-release battery pull tabs like the fifth-generation iPad Air and the sixth-generation iPad mini, making it easier for repair shops and customers to replace the battery. In comparison, the ninth-generation iPad and many other older iPads have completely glued-in battery cells.
iFixit was disappointed that the iPad's USB-C port is soldered to the logic board and noted that Apple's self-service repair program does not currently offer parts, manuals, or tools for iPads, making it harder for customers to complete their own repairs.
Apple released the 10th-generation iPad in late October. Key new features include a 10.9-inch display with slim bezels, flat edges, A14 Bionic chip, USB-C port, Touch ID power button, landscape-positioned FaceTime camera, 5G support on cellular models, Wi-Fi 6, and a new two-piece Magic Keyboard Folio accessory with a row of function keys. Pricing starts at $449, while the ninth-generation iPad remains available for $329.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Ventura 13.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta launching two weeks after Apple seeded the third macOS Ventura 13.1 beta.
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, the beta will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.
With macOS Ventura 13.1, Apple has debuted the Freeform app, which is aimed at creative collaboration. It can be used for brainstorming, planning out ideas, jotting down thoughts, sketching, and other creative purposes.
Users can insert drawings, sticky notes, shapes, text boxes, photos, videos, PDFs, links, and other documents, with Freeform serving as a blank canvas. Freeform "boards" can be shared with other people and discussed over FaceTime, with updates from all participants synced to everyone in real-time.
macOS Ventura 13.1 also introduces support for an updated Home app architecture that improves performance for smart home devices, with these features also available in iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2.
Apple today seeded the fourth betas of upcoming iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the betas coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2.
Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 profiles from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the beta is available over the air.
iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 include the Freeform app, which can be used for jotting down notes, sketching, drawing, brainstorming ideas, creating mood boards, and more. Multiple people can work on the same Freeform board, with changes synced for all participants in real time.
For the iPad, iPadOS 16.2 brings external display support to the Stage Manager multitasking feature, allowing up to eight apps to be used at once. External display support is available for the M1 and M2 iPad models.
Apple has added a new Home app architecture coming in iOS and iPadOS 16.2, which Apple says is designed to bring faster, more reliable performance, especially in homes with a lot of smart home accessories. The new architecture requires the HomePod 16.2 beta software, and it causes the Home app not to work with devices updated to iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, or macOS Ventura 13.1.
Unintentional Emergency SOS calls can be reported to Apple in iOS 16.2, there's a new Sleep widget, live sports scores are back for the TV app, there are changes to always on display on the iPhone 14 Pro, and more, with full details available in our iOS 16.2 feature guide. iOS 16.2 is expected to see a release in mid-December.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 9.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming two weeks after the launch of the third watchOS 9.2 beta.
To install the new watchOS 9.2 update, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center.
Once installed, watchOS 9.2 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it has to be placed on the charger, and it will need to be in range of the iPhone it is paired with.
watchOS 9.2 introduces support for a new Home app architecture that has also been added to iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura. The update also adds a race route workout feature for runners and cyclists. Race Route is designed to allow athletes to compete against themselves on a route they've already completed or tracked as an outdoor run or outdoor cycle on Apple Watch.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 16.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after Apple released the third beta.
Developers can download the tvOS 16.2 beta by downloading a profile onto the Apple TV using Xcode.
tvOS updates are often minor in scale, focusing on internal bug fixes and improvements rather than notable outward-facing changes, but there are some noteworthy features in the tvOS 16.2 update. It adds support for the new Home app architecture, which is designed to make Home setups faster and more reliable.
tvOS 16.2 also adds a new Siri voice recognition feature, allowing the Apple TV to recognize each person in the household by voice, swapping over to the appropriate profile. This makes it easier to switch between Apple TV users, getting to the correct music, TV shows, recommendations, and more. Voice recognition supports up to six family members.
Apple's iCloud Mail service is experiencing issues at the current time, and Apple's System Status page says that the service may be slow or unavailable for some users.
The outage began at 6:06 a.m. Pacific Time, and affected users may not be able to access their mail until the issue is resolved. Apple has not provided a timeline on when a fix might be available, but we'll update this article when the outage has been addressed.
Update: The iCloud Mail issue has been resolved.
Popular NFT and cryptocurrency app Coinbase Wallet today said that Apple required an NFT-sending feature to be removed from the app due to an in-app purchase dispute. Apple's App Store review team apparently told Coinbase that the "gas fees required to send NFTs need to be paid through in-app purchase."
Apple wanted a cut of transactions, which Coinbase Wallet said is similar to Apple attempting to take a cut of fees for every email that's sent over the internet. Apple is asking for something that is not possible, because the in-app purchase system does not support cryptocurrency to begin with.
Apple’s claim is that the gas fees required to send NFTs need to be paid through their In-App Purchase system, so that they can collect 30% of the gas fee.
— Coinbase Wallet (@CoinbaseWallet) December 1, 2022
Coinbase Wallet says that Apple would not approve an app update until the NFT-sending feature was disabled, and the removal of the functionality will make it more difficult for iPhone users who have an NFT to transfer the NFT to other wallets or gift an NFT to friends or family.
This is akin to Apple trying to take a cut of fees for every email that gets sent over open Internet protocols.
— Coinbase Wallet (@CoinbaseWallet) December 1, 2022
The developers behind the app say that Apple has introduced profit-protecting policies that come at the expense of "developer innovation across the crypto ecosystem." Coinbase Wallet is hoping that this is a mistake and has tweeted an invitation to Apple to discuss the matter.
A hardware technician has come up with an iPhone 14 Pro Max modification to add a display that curves at the edges like a Samsung Galaxy device.
Twitter user @lipilipsi, a self-proclaimed iPhone hardware technician who specializes in aftermarket Apple device modifications, showed off their latest project with several images and a brief video. The modification involves swapping out the iPhone's stainless steel frame and adding a new display, but all of the device's other components remain the same.
The curved display is particularly reminiscent of Samsung Galaxy smartphones, which have had displays that curve on the left and right horizontal side edges since the launch of the Galaxy Note Edge in 2014.
The calendar has turned to December and that means Apple has only one month left to fulfill its promises of releasing an Apple Music Classical app and expanding its self-service repair program to Europe before the end of 2022. Delays are always possible, of course, so the plans could be pushed back to 2023. In any case, we have put together a list of five things that Apple still has to release over the next several months.
iOS 16.2
iOS 16.2 is currently in beta and is expected to be released in mid-December. The software update includes several new features for the iPhone, including Apple's whiteboard app Freeform, new always-on display settings for iPhone 14 Pro models, new Home app architecture, Live Activities for select sports games via the Apple TV app, new Sleep and Medications widgets for the Lock Screen, 5G support in India, and more.
Apple also plans to release iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, watchOS 9.2, and tvOS 16.2 this month. iPadOS 16.2 reenables external display support for Stage Manager on iPads with M1 or M2 chips. On the Apple TV, tvOS 16.2 introduces multi-user Siri voice recognition for personalized usage, with support for up to six family members.
Apple Pay Later
Announced at WWDC 2022 in June, Apple Pay Later is a financing feature that will let qualifying customers in the U.S. split a purchase into four equal payments over six weeks, with no interest or fees to pay. The feature will be built into the Wallet app and will be available for purchases online and in apps on the iPhone and iPad.
On the iOS 16 features page, Apple says Apple Pay Later is coming in a future software update for qualifying applicants in the U.S. and may not be available in all states. There has been no sign of Apple Pay Later in the iOS 16.2 betas so far and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested that the feature might not launch until 2023.
Apple Music Classical
In August 2021, Apple announced the acquisition of classical music service Primephonic. At the time, Apple said it planned to launch a dedicated classical music app in 2022 that combined Primephonic's user interface with additional features.
While there is still no sign of the Apple Music Classical app, evidence of the app was spotted in both iOS 15.5 code and in an XML file on Apple's servers earlier this year. Few other details are known about the app, including whether it will be a built-in app or released on the App Store as a standalone download given its niche purpose.
Even if Apple Music Classical is not a preinstalled app, it appears that the app will have system-level integration, so its release will likely come alongside a software update such as iOS 16.2 later this year if Apple meets its 2022 deadline. However, time is starting to run out, so it is possible that Apple Music Classical is delayed.
Apple Card Savings Account
In October, Apple announced that Apple Card users would soon be able to open a new high-yield savings account from Goldman Sachs and have their Daily Cash cashback rewards automatically deposited into it, with no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. The account would be managed through the Wallet app on the iPhone.
The savings account was listed in the release notes for the iOS 16.1 Release Candidate, but it did not end up launching with that update. The savings account has not been present in any iOS 16.2 betas, so it's unclear when it will launch.
Once the account is set up, all Daily Cash received from that point on would be automatically deposited into it and start earning interest, unless a user opts to continue having Daily Cash added to their Apple Cash balance. Apple Card provides 2-3% Daily Cash on purchases made with Apple Pay and 1% on purchases made with the physical card.
Launched in 2019, Apple's credit card remains exclusive to the United States.
Self-Service Repair Program Expansion
In August, Apple indicated that its self-service repair program would be expanded to additional countries in Europe and to additional Mac models with Apple silicon chips before the end of the year, so Apple has just one month left to fulfill that promise.
The program first launched in April, providing customers in the U.S. with access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and manuals to complete do-it-yourself repairs of iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and third-generation iPhone SE models. The program was expanded in August to include MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with the M1 series of chips.
For World AIDS Day today, Apple highlighted its long-standing partnership with (RED), which has raised more than a quarter of a billion dollars since 2006, and is offering seven new downloadable (RED) Apple Watch faces.
Since 2006, Apple-supported grants have helped to provide support for over 11 million people and distribute over 197 million HIV tests. They have also helped over five million HIV-positive mothers prevent passing the virus on to their children.
A portion of the proceeds from every (PRODUCT)RED purchase goes to the Global Fund to combat AIDS and COVID-19. Eligible devices now include iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone SE, and Apple Watch Series 8, while accessories such as the Silicone Case with MagSafe for iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are also available in (PRODUCT)RED.
Following last year's World AIDS Day custom watch faces, this year, seven new downloadable Apple Watch faces allow users to show their support for (RED).
The watch faces complement the PRODUCT(RED) Sport Loop, Sport Band, and Braided Solo Loop bands, according to Apple. Visit apple.com/product-red to download the new faces and see the PRODUCT(RED) items available to buy from the Apple Store.
To raise visibility for World AIDS Day and the ongoing effort to eradicate HIV and AIDS, hundreds of Apple Store retail locations are marking the day with new window and product displays. The company is also spotlighting ways for customers to learn about AIDS in the App Store, Apple Books, Apple Music, and Apple TV app.
TSMC's $12 billion chip plant currently under construction in Arizona will begin producing 4-nanometer chips as soon as it opens in 2024 thanks to urging from Apple and other companies, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The plant had originally been planned to start with production of 5-nanometer chips, but with Apple and other companies increasingly looking to source components from the United States, TSMC has upgraded its plans so the facility will be able to supply more cutting-edge chips.
TSMC previously said it would make 20,000 wafers per month at the Arizona facility, although production may increase from those original plans, the people said. Apple will use about a third of the output as production gets underway.
Apple and other major tech companies rely on TSMC for their chipmaking needs, and the change means they'll be able to get more of their processors from the US. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has previously told employees that his company plans to source chips from the Arizona plant.
The new plans are scheduled to be announced in Phoenix next Tuesday with President Joe Biden, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Apple CEO Tim Cook expected to be in attendance, along with AMD CEO Lisa Su and Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang.
In addition to the 4-nanometer production facility, TSMC will reportedly officially announce plans for a second phase involving an adjacent facility that will produce even more advanced 3-nanometer chips, a development that was revealed last week by TSMC founder Morris Chang.
Apple's latest chips are manufactured on a 5-nanometer process, and moving to more advanced processes should result in significant improvements in performance and power efficiency. Apple has been rumored to be using 4nm and 3nm processes for some of its upcoming M-series and A-series chips for use in Macs, iPads, iPhones, and other products.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple's Beats brand today announced a new collaboration with Japanese designers Wacko Maria for limited-edition Beats Flex earphones featuring a leopard-print design with a dual-color cable.
Beats Flex are the entry-level in-ear earphones from Beats that debuted in 2020 as an evolution of the previous BeatsX models. While the Beats Flex connect wirelessly via Bluetooth to your devices, the individual earbuds are connected by a Flex-Form cable with inline modules for housing battery and control hardware.
The earphones include Apple's W1 chip for seamless setup and switching across Apple devices, multiple ear tip sizes, magnetic earbuds that secure the buds around your neck when not in use and support Auto-Play/Pause, Find My support, up to 12 hours of battery life, and Fast Fuel charging via USB-C that delivers up to 90 minutes of listening time in just 10 minutes.
As with the regular Beats Flex available in Beats Black, Yuzu Yellow, Flame Blue, and Smoke Gray, the Wacko Maria Leopard Beats Flex will be priced at $70 in the U.S. and will be available starting December 2 at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
Retailers carrying the limited-edition Beats Flex include Wacko Maria, END Clothing, and SSENSE, as well as boutiques INVINCIBLE in Shanghai and SOULGOODS in Beijing.
Apple today updated its vintage and obsolete product list to designate several 2013 and 2014 iMac models as obsolete. These Macs were previously on the vintage list, but are now considered obsolete and are no longer eligible for repair.
Obsoleted Macs include the late 2013 21.5 and 27-inch iMacs, the mid-2014 21.5-inch iMac, and the late 2014 27-inch Retina 5K iMac. The late 2014 27-inch iMac was the first iMac with a 5K Retina display. At the time, Apple's Phil Schiller said it was the "most insanely great Mac we have ever made."
Apple designates products as obsolete seven years after they were last on sale. All hardware service is discontinued for obsolete products, and service providers are not able to order parts for obsolete devices. The 2013 and 2014 iMacs will no longer be able to be repaired with components from Apple.
Apple today also marked the aluminum Apple Watch Series 2 as vintage. The vintage products list features devices that Apple stopped distributing for sale more than five years ago and less than seven years ago. Apple provides service and parts for vintage devices for up to 7 years, or as required by law, but repairs are subject to parts availability.
Both the original Apple Watch and the aluminum Apple Watch Series 2 are considered vintage, with the Series 2 having come out in 2016.
Apple today started selling new Zens charging accessories, including a modular 4-in-1 charging stand for the iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Apple Watch. I got my hands on this stand and have outlined my first impressions below.
The stand delivers the fastest possible charging speeds for the latest Apple devices. A built-in MagSafe charger wirelessly charges the iPhone 12 and newer at up to 15W, and the Apple Watch magnetic puck extension supports fast charging for the Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8, and Ultra, allowing those Apple Watch models to wirelessly charge from 0% to 80% in around 45 minutes. The stand also has a 30W USB-C port on the right side that can charge any iPad or MacBook Air at the fastest speeds, along with a Qi-certified pad for an AirPods case. In my early testing, all charging speeds were as advertised.
Both the MagSafe charger and Apple Watch charging puck are certified by Apple, and the stand being sold on Apple's online store is an additional stamp of approval from the company, so customers should feel confident about purchasing this accessory.
The stand has a modular design, with the Apple Watch charging puck attaching magnetically to the main charging station for the iPhone, iPad, and AirPods and sharing the same 65W power adapter. There are two additional magnetic pins for attaching other modular parts sold separately on the Zens website, such as additional Qi pads or a USB-A charger. The MagSafe charger is tilt adjustable for different iPhone viewing angles.
An LED light on the back of the main charging station appears white when the Qi-certified pad is charging AirPods or another device. It would have been nice if this indicator were placed on the front of the stand so that it were more easily visible.
While it's certainly convenient to be able to charge an iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Apple Watch all in one spot, the stand is priced at $179.95 on Apple's online store in the United States, making it an expensive luxury. That said, I'm not aware of any other four-device charging stands with an Apple-certified MagSafe charger and a fast-charging Apple Watch puck, with other options that I've seen so far limited to three devices.
Zens says the stand is made with recycled plastic, although it's unclear to what extent. The use of recycled ABS pellets gives the stand a speckled design that almost makes it look a bit dusty, which might be a downside for some people but isn't a huge issue.
All in all, the Zens modular 4-in-1 charging stand is a versatile but costly accessory for those interested in a fast-charging hub for nearly all of their Apple devices. The stand can be purchased on Apple's online store for delivery in early December.
Note: Zens provided MacRumors with the 4-in-1 charging stand for testing. No other compensation was provided.
The Crash Detection feature built into the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and new Apple Watch models is causing skiers to accidentally dial emergency services, according to Utah news site KSL.
Designed to summon help when a car crash is detected, the Crash Detection feature can be activated at ski resorts, and Summit County dispatchers in Utah have seen an increase in 911 calls.
"We will get a call in that says the owner of this Apple Watch or iPhone has either had a severe crash or they've been involved in a car accident," Summit County Dispatch Center supervisor Suzie Butterfield told KSL.
With many of the activations, people don't respond at first because they are unaware that the call was placed. "They're usually like, 'Oh, I'm sorry, I was skiing. Everything's fine,'" said Butterfield.
Three to five emergency calls from Apple devices are coming in per day, and so far, none have been activated on purpose. Butterfield said that she doesn't mind the accidental calls because the feature could be useful in an actual emergency situation.
Reddit users have confirmed that skiing can trigger the Crash Detection feature, with one user explaining that he was going down a hill at a moderate pace when his Apple Watch started to dial 911.
You might want to turn off crash detection on your iPhone 14 if you ski with any kind of pace at all. I was out yesterday for the first time. I had my phone in my pocket and was cruising down Tinkerbell at a totally moderate pace doing some short-radius turns on my second run of the year. To give you an idea of how moderate, I had just passed a slow sign with 3 safety patrol by it and none of them even raised an eyebrow at me! I stopped to wait for my wife and my phone immediately started yelling "Have you been in an accident? We will call emergency services in 20 seconds! Woop! Woop!" I turned it off as quickly as possible and then immediately turned off all the emergency notification functions.
In addition to Crash Detection on the iPhone 14 models, the Apple Watch Series 8, the new Apple Watch SE, and the Apple Watch Ultra, there's also a fall detection feature on a range of Apple devices that could potentially result in emergency calls as well.
Butterfield said that she does not recommend turning the iPhone and Apple Watch safety features off. "We don't mind taking that call because if something really did happen, we want to be able to get to you," she said.
The Crash Detection feature in the new iPhone and Apple Watch models has also been triggered by rollercoasters, and just today, Apple released an iOS 16.1.2 update that includes "Crash Detection optimizations." Apple has not provided information on what this means, but it likely is aimed at cutting down on accidental triggering where there has not been an actual car accident.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 159 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for WebAssembly, JavaScript, and Rendering.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is version 16.4 and is compatible with machines running macOS Ventura and macOS Monterey.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
This year, the Philips Hue line added string lights for the first time, marking the debut of the only string light product able to integrate with the Philips Hue ecosystem. The Festavia string lights are priced at $160 and can be used for Christmas trees, holiday decorations, or year-round accent lighting.
There is a single Festavia product at the current time, and the Festavia includes 250 smart mini LEDs on a 65-foot cord, which is a standard length for a string light. The cord is black and the LEDs are rounded with a flat top, which produces a soft look.
During the day, the black cord tends to stand out a bit more against my tree than a green cord, and it mostly rules out the Festavia for lighter colored trees such as those that are white. In the future, I am hoping that the Hue line will offer other Festavia options with colored cords suitable for a wider range of trees.
I have a tree that is seven feet tall, and the Festavia was just about enough lights for it, though I could probably have done with two strings because I like a lot of lights. Alternatively, if a tree is up against a wall, the lights would look fuller placed just on the front rather than wrapped at the back.
The Festavia lights are HomeKit-enabled and can be controlled through the Home app and with Siri voice commands, but these are Hue lights so a Hue Bridge is required, as is the Hue app. The Hue app is used to change the colors on the lights, and it's worth noting that these are gradient lights.
You can select three gradient colors in gradient mode and mirrored mode, or up to five colors in scattered mode, so each light can be set to a different color. That said, there isn't as much control as you get with something like the Twinkly, but you can sync the lights to music if desired.
The Twinkly lights, which are priced at around $105 for 250 on Amazon, are the obvious comparison to the Festavia lights. Twinkly lights are also HomeKit-enabled, so I do want to point out a few things for those trying to decide between Twinkly and the Hue Festavia lights.
First of all, the Twinkly lights are a lot brighter. The Philips Hue lights are more subtle and less bright at 100 percent brightness, which, in my opinion, is a good thing. The Twinkly lights are too bright by default, so I dim them way down. If you like bright, know that Twinkly lights are brighter.
Hue seems to be a bit more color accurate, and the colors are richer in tone, plus there seems to be more of an available color range in terms of color accuracy. I can change the color of every Twinkly light individually (though it's not the quickest or simplest thing to do in the app), but I can't do that with the Festavia. The Festavia supports different color gradients and a mix of up to five selected colors that are assigned to the lights.
I don't mind not being able to control each of the LEDs separately, but I think the Festavia lights are less fun than the Twinkly lights. There are a ton of effects that are possible with the Twinkly, and you can select different patterns, colors, and even draw words and pictures, while the Festavia is more limited.
That said, the Hue lights have a more subtle, classy look. Hue's gradients are not replicable with Twinkly lights, and Hue also has several nice animations that can't be matched by Twinkly. There is a "Sparkle" animation that's simple white lights in different shades shifting slowly so that it looks like twinkling lights, plus there's a fireplace animation that has a soft orange glow. There are also different color shifting animations available through the Hue Labs feature in the app, though it's not exactly intuitive to get to and use.
Twinkly light animations are all rapid even on the slowest setting, and I prefer the more sophisticated Hue patterns. I do wish that there were more animations available through the Hue app, as it's limited to three. I'm hoping that more will be added in the future.
There are limited colorful animations, and the color light settings are primarily limited to static designs in gradients or scattered patterns outside of Hue Labs functionality. The Hue lights are able to integrate with other Hue lights, so if you have Hue bulbs, Hue light strips, or other Hue products, you can create light scenes that integrate all of your lights, including the Festavia.
The Hue app is simple to use for the most part, but it takes some getting used to. You can swap between color options and white tones, or select the effects tab to activate an animation. Light colors can be changed by dragging the icons on the color wheel with a finger, and this is an interface where you can control all of your Hue lights together, grouping them up or selecting individual colors for each one.
There are also simple controls for adjusting brightness, and more limited options in the Home app. You can set single colors for all the lights in the Home app and change the brightness, and Siri can be used for this as well. The Hue app is needed for the effects and the multi-color options.
Since these are HomeKit integrated lights, you can set timers for when they run and use automations to activate them when home, when leaving, or in response to other HomeKit devices such as motion sensors.
Because of the way that the Festavia lights integrate with other Hue lights, I would recommend them as a first choice to anyone with a Philips Hue setup. The Festavia string lights are gorgeous, the app is simple to use, the effects are subtle, and the ability to use the lights alongside other Hue products for lighting scenes makes the cost more worthwhile.
Bottom Line
The Festavia string lights are ideal for those who already have Philips Hue lights or those who want a soft, classy look for a Christmas tree or for holiday decoration. They aren't as interactive as the Twinkly lights, and so might not be ideal for families with kids who might like to play with the color changing Twinkly features, but they are perfect for those who want a less hands-on lighting experience that is more subdued.
How to Buy
The Festavia lights are purchasable from the Hue website, but are unfortunately out of stock at this time. A Philips Hue spokesperson said that there has been strong enthusiasm for the Festavia, and the company is working to make additional inventory available for purchase as soon as possible.
