#audio

Apple quietly bought the assets of Samplab, a small company known for AI-powered audio editing tools, according to a regulatory notice made public this week. MacRumors reported on the filing on October 19.

The notice was posted by the European Commission under the Digital Markets Act, which requires companies designated as gatekeepers, Apple among them, to tell regulators about acquisitions involving core platform services, digital services or data collection. According to the filing, Apple completed the deal in June 2026, acquiring "certain assets" from Samplab and hiring "certain Samplab employees." No price or other financial terms were reported.

Apple announced the fifth-generation AirPods on September 9. The standard model costs $129 and the version with a Wireless Charging Case costs $149. Pre-orders started the same day, and the earbuds reached stores on September 18 in the US and more than 65 other countries and regions.

The headline change is noise control. Apple says the open-ear active noise cancellation removes up to 50 percent more noise than AirPods 4 with ANC, and Transparency mode is also improved. Adaptive Audio blends the two depending on surroundings, and Conversation Awareness lowers media volume when the wearer starts to speak.