News

RØDE Adds Direct iPhone Pairing To Wireless GO And Pro Mics

Firmware update lets Wireless GO (Gen 3) and Wireless PRO mics link to iPhones via Bluetooth without the need for a separate receiver.

Published

7 months ago

February 18, 2026

Joanna Melki

rode adds direct iphone pairing to wireless go and pro mics

RØDE

RØDE has pushed a free firmware update to its Wireless GO (Gen 3) and Wireless PRO microphones, enabling direct Bluetooth pairing with iPhones and meaning that receiver units are no longer required.

The feature, branded Direct Connect, works through the RØDE Capture app. Once paired, transmitters connect straight to an iOS device, cutting cables and extra hardware from a typical mobile rig.

“We’ve already witnessed the incredible impact Direct Connect has had on creators using the Wireless Micro,” said Damien Wilson, CEO of RØDE. “Since launch, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, allowing creators more flexibility and versatility than ever before. It’s our duty as pioneers of the ultra-compact wireless microphone category to extend true wireless freedom to as many creators as possible. With Direct Connect now available on more RØDE systems, we’re delivering exactly that”.

Inside the app, users can record in merged mode — both transmitters combined into a single stereo file — or split mode, with each mic isolated on its own channel. Output gain is adjustable in-app. The pitch is simple: fewer components, faster setup, same audio standard.

The timing seems to be deliberate, as the Wireless GO (Gen 3) now sells for $199 after a 33% price cut, and the Wireless PRO has dropped 25% to $299. The latest firmware update can be downloaded completely free.

Wireless GO (Gen 3) runs on RØDE’s Series IV 2.4GHz digital transmission and supports 32-bit float on-board recording, GainAssist auto-leveling and 32GB of internal storage. Wireless PRO layers on timecode sync for post-production alignment and a 260-meter line-of-sight range, aimed at filmmakers who need more control without scaling up to bulkier systems.

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Both models sit within RØDE’s broader Series IV ecosystem, including the RØDECaster Pro II, RØDECaster Duo and RØDECaster Video.

Across the Gulf region, where smartphone-led production underpins everything from startup marketing to government-backed media ventures, lighter setups are becoming the norm. Direct-to-phone pairing narrows the gap between entry-level creators and professional workflows even further. RØDE is betting that fewer pieces of kit in creators’ bags will prove popular.

Direct Connect is live now through a firmware update in the RØDE Capture app.

News

Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

Egypt’s telecom regulator says $57.6 billion moved through more than 57 million wallets in six months. And one operator handled 77% of the value.

Published

4 days ago

September 12, 2026

Nour Nasir

egypt's mobile wallets are booming but cash still has power

Egypt’s mobile wallets handled EGP 2.96 trillion ($57.6 billion) in transactions in the first half of 2026, according to the National Telecom Regulatory Authority – a 56% rise on the EGP 1.90 trillion ($36.9 billion) recorded a year earlier. Transactions grew faster still, up 62% to 2.22 billion, while registered wallets climbed 23% to 57.01 million.

On one reading, that is exactly what Egypt’s regulators have been pushing for: a payments system that runs through telecom-linked wallets rather than banknotes. But the same data shows how far cash still reaches into it. Cash withdrawals made up just 12% of the transactions taking money out of wallets, yet 75% of the value withdrawn or spent.

Money arrives mostly from bank accounts: transfers through InstaPay accounted for 78% of deposit transactions and 58% of the value deposited, while incoming remittances from abroad made up 3% of deposit transactions but 10% of their value. Once inside, it largely moves between wallets – wallet-to-wallet transfers accounted for 54% of all transactions and 67% of total value, with mobile and internet top-ups a distant second at 25% of volume. In effect, the wallet is serving as a transfer layer: the place money passes through between the bank account and the banknote.

That layer also runs predominantly through one operator. Vodafone Cash held 53% of registered wallets and 57% of active ones, but handled 69% of transactions and 77% of their value. Its nearest rival, e& money, held 23% of registered wallets but 14% of transaction value; Orange Cash 20% and 8%; WE Pay 4% of wallets. How many of the 57.01 million are active is not stated.

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Adoption is rather uneven in other respects. Men held 38 million wallets, or 67% of the total, against 19 million held by women. Users aged 26 to 45 accounted for half of all wallets, and Cairo alone had 10.6 million, or 19% of the national total, with Giza next at 6.5 million.

The NTRA says it is continuing to work with telecom operators on the regulatory framework for wallet services, part of a wider effort to expand electronic payments and financial inclusion. Its own figures show that effort succeeding on the way in. On the way out, three-quarters of the value still leaves as cash.