Listen Longer, Train Smarter: The New AirPods Pro 3 Are Here
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They’ve been a long time coming, but Apple finally revealed the next generation of AirPods Pro today during its iPhone event, and they’re better than ever.
Apple showcased everything new that’s coming to the AirPods Pro 3, and with all the new features, both in the hardware and software departments, they’ll be a must-have for iPhone users who love fitness and great sound quality.
Meet the New AirPods Pro 3
Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event started out with a bang. The company kicked things off by introducing the third-generation AirPods Pro, which were heavily rumored for so many months.
Luckily, we now have the real deal. The AirPods Pro 3 bring a lot of new features to the table. At first glance, the AirPods Pro might look similar to the second-generation models, but when you take a minute to look at them, you realize Apple has made a couple of improvements to the design.
For starters, the new AirPods Pro 3 are now smaller, which not only gives them a sleeker look but also means a better fit. Apple tweaked the internal architecture so the ear tip is better aligned with the center of the body. The result? The AirPods will now fit way better inside your ears.
Of course, if the default ear tip doesn’t work for you, the AirPods Pro 3 also come with four other ear tips in different sizes, making it easier to find the right fit for you. There’s now a new XXS size for those of us with incredibly small ears.
Once you put the AirPods Pro 3 on, they’ll stay in place securely, even during intense activities like working out or exercising.
Active Noise Cancellation Is Better Than Ever
Additionally, you’ll also notice the AirPods Pro 3 come with a small microphone at the bottom of the stem. According to Apple, these ultra-low noise mics, combined with computational audio and the new foam-infused ear tips, will bring even better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation AirPods Pro, and the best ANC on any wireless headphones (at least according to Apple).
How much better? Well, according to Apple itself, the AirPods Pro 3’s ANC is up to two times more effective than on the AirPods Pro 2, and up to four times better than on the original AirPods Pro.
Of course, that’s not all the new AirPods Pro 3 can do; the Transparency mode is also present, which Apple claims it’s improved to make your voice and the voices of those talking to you clearer.
Live Translation Is Also Coming to the AirPods
Apple announced a new Live Translation feature for the iPhone during its June Worldwide Developers Conference. However, today Apple confirmed that it’s also coming to the AirPods Pro 3 in an even better way.
The new AirPods will use Apple Intelligence’s computational audio to automatically translate a conversation into the language that you want. While the other person speaks in their own language, your AirPods will start translating in real time.
Then, you can speak normally and show your iPhone’s screen to the other person so they can read or listen to a translation into their own language. Even better, if the other person is also wearing AirPods, they’ll be able to hear a translation as well.
This feature is considered a beta for now, as Apple wants to be clear that it may still have some bugs to work out. However, the feature will be available to everyone with an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone when iOS 26 arrives next week, although initially only for English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Apple promises support for Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) should arrive by the end of the year.
You Can Now Track Your Heart Rate With the AirPods Pro 3
Yes, you read that right; the new AirPods Pro 3 can now read and track your heart rate for you. You won’t even need an Apple Watch anymore; you can just put on your AirPods and let your iPhone know your current heart rate.
If you’ve been reading Apple rumors these last few months, you probably read that the AirPods Pro 3 were also getting a temperature sensor. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen this time around.
Still, the new sensor will be more than enough to help you track both your heart rate and even the calories you burn during a workout.
The AirPods Pro 3 Are Better for Workouts
Besides tracking your heart rate and calories, the AirPods Pro 3 will also be capable of tracking up to 50 different workouts with the help of the Fitness app on your iPhone.
Long gone are the days when you can’t keep track of your workouts because you forgot your Apple Watch; you can now track them with your ears instead.
With the new sensors on the AirPods Pro 3, you can also track your move ring and steps throughout the day. And if you want a bit more motivation, you’ll also be able to use Apple’s new Workout Buddy, which gives you information about your current workout as well as some extra motivation to keep pushing yourself.
The AirPods Pro 3 Are Water Resistant (Finally)
This is probably one of the biggest highlights of the AirPods presentation. After years of waiting, Apple finally made the AirPods Pro 3 water and sweat-resistant.
The new AirPods are IP57 certified, which means they can resist sweat, water, and even dust and other substances.
Of course, the lack of the IP certification never stopped anyone from using their AirPods while working out, but now you can finally use your AirPods Pro while working out, or even in the rain, and not be afraid of damaging them.
Battery Life Is Also Better
As you can expect, Apple also improved the battery life of the AirPods Pro 3. Apple now claims that the new AirPods Pro can last up to 8 hours with a single charge, even when using Active Noise Cancellation.
Furthermore, to assist individuals who use their AirPods as a hearing aid device, Apple has also enhanced the battery life when using Transparency mode. Now, the new AirPods will last up to 10 hours in a single charge, which is 67% better than the current models.
AirPods Pro 3: Release Date and Price
The best news about the new AirPods Pro 3 is related to their price. Apple confirmed that the new AirPods will cost $249, which is the same price as the AirPods Pro 2 when they first launched.
Sure, they might still be a bit more expensive than other models out there. But with all the new features and improvements Apple added, they will definitely be worth it.
As for the release date, Apple confirmed that the new AirPods will begin shipping on September 19, and you can order them starting today.
Are You Getting the New AirPods Pro 3?
While the new AirPods Pro 3 didn’t come with all the rumored features we were hoping for, there’s no doubt that this new model is a definite upgrade, with a ton of new features, better battery life, and the same price we’re already used to.
