Billy Steele

Senior reporter, reviews

Billy has been covering audio for a decade, with hundreds of headphone, soundbar, speaker and gear reviews during that time. After beginning his career in tech journalism as a news freelancer at Engadget in 2011, he progressed to a full-time member of the news desk in 2013. In addition to hardware, his expertise includes audio platforms and streaming services with significant long-form reporting on those topics. In 2019, Billy was Engadget’s most prolific reviewer, completing more product testing than anyone else on staff. He's also an aspiring backyard pitmaster with a number of smart grill reviews and outdoor gear guides under his (apron) belt. Recently, Billy has expanded his reporting to motorsports with in-depth coverage of Formula E’s Gen3 car.

Articles by Billy Steele

So long, Jabra earbuds, it's not your fault
Jabra isn't making earbuds anymore, but the company still built a respectable legacy.
How AirPods Pro will know when you're trying to silently interact with Siri
More details now how Apple's upcoming Siri Interactions and Voice Isolation features will work reliably on AirPods Pro.
Jabra updated its Elite earbuds with an LE Audio case, improved ANC and more
Jabra updated its Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active earbuds with a streaming case, improved ANC and more.
AirPods Pro update adds head-nodding gesture to silently respond to Siri
Apple is bringing silent gestures for Siri and Voice Isolation to the AirPods Pro.
Weber Slate griddle review: A smash burger machine with clever features
Weber isn’t new to the griddle game, but the company’s second attempt is more refined with plenty of room for customization. The Slate is a great way to smash burgers, cook breakfast and so much more.
The best outdoor gift ideas for dad
Here’s a list of the best backyard outdoor gifts for dad, including grilling tools and other outdoor accessories, as chosen by Engadget editors.
Sonos Ace headphones review: An impressive but incomplete debut
The first Sonos headphones are sonically impressive and the soundbar sync feature is easy to use. However, the Ace is expensive and it will be a while before it’s at its full potential.
Ooni's larger, dual-zone Koda 2 Max pizza oven is now available for pre-order
Ooni's largest pizza oven yet allows you to monitor food and ambient temps from your phone. It's now available for pre-order and ships in July.
Sonos Ace headphones hands-on: Joining your home theater setup with the push of a button
Sonos' first headphones are finally here, offering premium design, solid features and home theater chops.
Microsoft's redesigned Surface Laptop is a Copilot+ PC with over 22 hours of battery life
The new Surface Laptop 6 is a redesigned PC with thinner bezels, a haptic trackpad, better port selection and plenty of AI.
Samsung HW-Q990D soundbar review: A small but significant update
Samsung's home theater powerhouse got the one thing it was missing, but not much else for this year's model.
Sennheiser's Accentum True Wireless earbuds have an all-new design and ANC for $200
Sennheiser's Accentum True Wireless earbuds are $100 less than its flagship Momentum earbuds without cutting too many corners.
Apple Pencil Pro adds squeeze, roll and haptic feedback to its bag of tricks
Apple's new Pencil brings squeeze and roll gestures to its iPad lineup.
Bose's SoundLink Max is its largest portable Bluetooth speaker with 20-hour battery life
Bose's largest portable Bluetooth speaker is built for the outdoors.
Beats announces Solo Buds, $80 wireless earbuds with 18-hour battery life
Beats' latest earbuds have the longest battery life of any it has ever made. Plus, they're budget friendly at $80.
Beats Solo 4 review: Upgraded audio, extended battery life and familiar design
Beats made significant updates to audio quality and battery life on the Solo 4, but the design is in need of a refresh.
Wacom's first OLED pen display is also the thinnest and lightest it has ever made
Wacom's latest pen display model is called Movink, and it's the company's first with a OLED screen. It's also Wacom's thinnest and lightest option ever, while still offering 13 inches of work space.
Formula E debuts Gen3 Evo race car: All-wheel drive unlocks 0-60 mph in 1.82 seconds
For the first time, all-wheel drive will be available on a Formula E car, which will unlock 0-60 MPH times under two seconds.
LG's S95TR soundbar with wireless Dolby Atmos is now available for $1,500
LG's S95TR Dolby Atmos soundbar isn't cheap, but at least it includes a subwoofer and rear surround speakers in the box.
Sony's new home theater gear has names that actually make sense
Sony's naming scheme for audio and TV products is a massive headache, but the company has taken the first steps to fix that.

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