Apple has finally taken the wraps off the new AirPods 3 (AirPods 3rd Generation). As expected, the accessory takes design cues from the AirPods Pro with shorter stems alongside sweat and rain resistance (IPX4-rating for both charging case and earbuds) and a longer lasting battery life – up to 30 hours combined with the charging case. On a single charge, the earbuds can function for about 6 hours of music listening time and four hours of talk time.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Powered by the Apple H1 chip, the AirPods 3 (AirPods 3rd Generation) features a combo of custom driver and a high dynamic range amplifier for a powerful bass, Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Dolby Atmos and Adaptive EQ for an optimal listening experience. It has the same force sensor as the AirPods Pro for intuitive control (calls and music) and a new skin-detect sensor which detects if the earbuds are in the ears and pause playback when removed.
The now familiar one-touch setup and Audio Sharing remains, however, MagSafe wireless charging support has been added to the AirPods line. It is available to order today from US$ 179 (AU$ 279) and will arrive in stores next week (October 26). The new AirPods require devices running iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, macOS monterey, tvOS 15.1 and watchOS 8.1, which will arrive next week.
In terms of comparison, the new AirPods will be pitted against the new Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, which is about US$ 199 (AU$ 349), however, it has Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and multiple colour choices. Most of the other features are relatively close in performance.