Since Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone to the world in 2007, Apple has grown into one of the most successful corporations on the planet, priced at about 945 million dollars in 2018. Over the past twelve years, Apple has released technologies such as the iPad and the Apple Watch that have changed how we interact with the internet. Now in 2019, Apple has already unveiled two new exciting in the AirPods 2 and the Apple Card.

AirPods, first released in December 2016, have quietly grown into one of the most successful and best-selling “headphones” in the world. Commonly associated with the affluent rich kid, AirPods really nailed the wireless earbud in their snug fit, solid sound, and appealing range, when competitors like Bose have struggled to create a decent pair of their own wireless buds. However, AirPods are in no way perfect.

“I really like my AirPods, but they don’t feel like they are that much different from normally wired earbuds,” sophomore Matt Duval said.

Fortunately, Apple recently put out a new version of the AirPods, simply called the AirPods 2, that seems to have fixed some of the problems the old pods had and improved on some already excellent features. The AirPods 2 boast an improved battery life, longer battery life for phone calls, and can be used with the “Ask Siri” feature. The biggest and most important change, however, is the fact that the new AirPods can be charged wirelessly as opposed to through a wired charger. Simply place the wireless charging case over a charging pad, and the case can be fully charged in a kind-of-slow time of 3 and a half hours.

“When I saw that the new AirPods had come out, I thought that the longer battery and wireless charging were cool features,” Duval said.

While the release of the AirPods 2 is exciting, it’s popularity has been overshadowed by the announcement of the Apple Card. The card is in collaboration with Goldman Sachs and Mastercard. Anywhere you can pay with Mastercard, you also pay with your Apple Card. The Apple Card is both physical and virtual, with the virtual used via an app.

The most impactful feature the Apple Card has is that it has no late fees or penalty rates. Basically, your interest rate will never go up due to a late payment. Another component of the card is that Apple will create virtual card numbers for online purchases, so your card cannot be stolen or replicated.

Apple has impressed us with a plethora of new and innovative products over the last decade. Just when it seems like they’ve run out of ideas, they come back with more great products. These two inventions truly showcase the extent of Apple’s genius.