Summary
- The AirPods Pro 3 offer a wider soundstage and advanced computational audio.
- The high-end wireless earbuds offer a smaller design with five ear-tip sizes for improved comfort and noise seal.
- The AirPods Pro 3 also feature Live Translation, IP57 water resistance and a built-in heart-rate sensor.
At its fall hardware keynote, Apple revealed the latest version of its high-end wireless earbuds, the AirPods Pro 3.
The tech giant says that the AirPods Pro 3 feature a wider sound stage, improved noise-cancellation (twice the active noise cancellation compared to the AirPods Pro 2, and four times compared to the original AirPods Pro), and “advanced computational audio.” The wireless earbuds also feature new foam-filled silicone tips that are designed to be more comfortable and block out additional unwanted noise. Other design changes include an overall smaller design and five different sizes of earbuds in an effort to better fit in a wider variety of users’ ears.
- Battery Life
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8 hours
- Bluetooth
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Yes
- Noise Cancellation
-
ANC
- Charging Case
-
Yes
- Price
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$249
New AirPods Pro 3 features include Live Translation, IP57 sweat and water resistance, and a built-in heart rate sensor, allowing users to track workouts directly with the wireless earbuds.
More than just earbuds
New health, translation, and durability features
Additional new features include Live Translation, IP57 sweat and water resistance, and for the first time, a built-in heart rate sensor, allowing users to track various workouts without an iPhone or Apple Watch. Battery life has been upgraded, too, with the AirPods Pro 3 offering eight hours per charge with active noise cancellation enabled and 10 hours when using transparency. There’s also a new live translation feature that seems very similar to what Google offers with its Pixel Buds.
This refresh comes three years after the release of the second generation AirPods Pro (Apple released a USB-C version of the second gen AirPods Pro). As far as updates go, the AirPods Pro 3 seem like a pretty substantial upgrade over the AirPods Pro 2, at least at the outset. I like the idea of additional battery life and the built-in heart rate monitor (though I have an Apple Watch Series 10 for that), as well as the more comfortable design. I’ve always found the AirPods Pro 2 to be pretty uncomfortable to wear for long periods.
The AirPods Pro 3 are available for pre-order right now and cost $249 USD/$329 CAD. They start shipping on September 19th.
