Apple AirPods 3 review
Our Verdict
With solid upgrades to pattern, functionality, and audio, the AirPods 3 comes up slightly short of perfection.
For
- Adaptive EQ with well-balanced sound
- Spatial audio support
- Enhanced ergonomics
- Best-in-class controls
- Numerous high-end features
- Stellar iOS integration
Against
- No ANC or Transparency mode
- Open up design lets in too much dissonance
- Unstable fit
Tom'due south Guide Verdict
With solid upgrades to pattern, functionality, and audio, the AirPods iii comes up slightly short of perfection.
Pros
- +
Adaptive EQ with well-balanced sound
- +
Spatial audio back up
- +
Enhanced ergonomics
- +
Best-in-grade controls
- +
Numerous high-terminate features
- +
Stellar iOS integration
Cons
- -
No ANC or Transparency mode
- -
Open design lets in besides much noise
- -
Unstable fit
Apple tree AirPods iii specs
Cost:$179
Colors:White
Battery life (rated): 6 hours, 30 hours (with charging instance)
Connectivity: Bluetooth five
Processor: H1
Size: 1.21 x 0.72 x 0.76 inches (earbud), 1.83 x 0.84 10 two.14 inches (charging case)
Weight: 0.15 ounces (earbud), ane.34 ounces (charging case)
After countless leaks, tons of speculation, and reported product setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the AirPods 3 has finally hitting the market. And information technology turns out a considerable number of predicted upgrades take fabricated their way onto this threequel.
An all-new contoured blueprint? Check. Adaptive EQ? That's hither. Force touch on sensor? Yes. Spatial audio? That too. All the latest iOS 15-suppored features? Absolutely. Agile noise cancellation? Near had you there. Remember, I said a considerable number, acknowledging that not every prediction or rumor came to fruition.
- The all-time wireless earbuds overall
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These buds too receive a few enhancements non found on the AirPods 2 or AirPods Pro, such as peel-detect sensors and (finally) longer battery life for both the earbuds and charging case.
Let's jump correct into our full length Apple tree AirPods 3 review and see why Apple's latest creation is one of the best headphones yous can buy.
Apple AirPods three review: Price and availability
The AirPods iii is sold for $179 at major online retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy, or directly from Apple. Color options are limited to one: White. Inside the box are a MagSafe charging case, Lightning-to-USB-C cable, quick start guide, and other standard documentation.
These buds are less expensive than the AirPods Pro ($249), but cost more than the AirPods 2, which recently dropped to $129. Regarding other competitors, the AirPods three remains pricier than popular mid-tier options similar the Beats Studio Buds ($149) and Samsung Milky way Buds 2 ($149), two models that come with ANC for a lower MSRP.
Before you take the plunge, check out our AirPods 3 vs Jabra Elite Active 75t showdown to meet if the AirPods 3 tin can beat a beloved pair of wireless earbuds.
Make certain to cheque out our AirPods sales page, every bit well as our Black Friday headphones deals folio for all of the latest sales and discounts on Apple products.
Apple AirPods 3 review: Design and comfort
Remove the AirPods Pro'southward eartips and you practically accept the AirPods 3. Small-scale details such every bit the actress mic grille on the tiptop and slightly shorter stems (shrunk down 33 per centum from the AirPods 2) brand this version more identifiable, though it is still longer than the AirPods Pro. Something else the AirPods 3 shares with its ANC counterpart: IPX4 h2o resistance. The AirPods 3 is also built from recycled materials.
The AirPods 3's charging case is smaller than the AirPods Pro'southward example, merely that's well-nigh the just artful difference between the 2. They each avowal an all-white exterior with LED on the front, charging port on the bottom, and pairing button on the back. You tin can engrave the charging case for free when purchased through Apple.
The magnets in this instance are strong, keeping the lid shut and each bud locked in when stored and charging. And much like its predecessors, this instance is a scratch-and-scuff magnet, so consider purchasing some form of protective covering.
Apple is trying difficult to convince its fanbase that these buds will stay put on your ears, no matter what. Merely reference the video demonstration shown during the AirPods 3 announcement at the Unleashed Upshot, the one where break-dancers are seen wearing the buds and performing wild trip the light fantastic toe moves. I'k here to tell you non to believe the hype.
Yes, the AirPods 3 do provide ameliorate on-ear stability than the AirPods ii, because though Apple tree chose to stick with the open blueprint it also implemented a few tweaks for optimal fit.
But while the contoured sound port allows the buds to sit down comfortably on the ear and nestle into the canal, they don't get all the way in like the AirPods Pro. And since there'due south no tight seal formed due to the lack of ear tips, they take a high probability of falling out.
I wouldn't suggest running down the street to catch the bus or exercising with these dangling from your ears — although my colleague Kate Kozuch had a different feel when she went running with the AirPods iii.
Apple AirPods 3 review: Controls and digital assistant
Out go the touch controls and in comes the Strength Sensor, which is located on the bottom as a tiny indentation and operates flawlessly. Playback, call management, and the digital assistant can all be activated through unmarried/multi-printing and printing-and-concord gestures. I'm happy to written report the sensor produces solid tactility and responds properly to intended commands. The volume slider is also easily attainable by pulling down the Command Center from the height-right of your iDevice.
The skin-observe sensor accurately discerns whether the buds are in your ears to automatically play music or enable auto-intermission when removed.
Siri can be enabled manually, though if you're similar me, firing her upwardly using "Hey Siri" vocalization activation is more gratifying. Apple's AI bot is on point, interim on voice commands quickly and executing them even faster. It's fun to use the Denote Notifications feature and accept Siri read incoming messages as well. The mics demonstrate excellent speech recognition, picking upward every syllable and agreement long-winded requests.
Unfortunately, the feature isn't available for Android, though it'southward possible you can manually turn on the digital assistant through third-party software (try your luck with Trigger Assistant).
Apple AirPods 3 review: Sound quality
When it comes to sound, the AirPods 3 received the Pro handling, engineered with the proprietary Adaptive EQ that adjusts frequencies in real time for listeners to hear music more precisely. Apple likewise stuffed a new low-distortion driver into the buds for "powerful bass and crisp, clean high frequencies."
What y'all go are fantastic results that requite the AirPods Pro a run for its money, but I wouldn't place them in the same league as sonic beasts such as the Sony WH-1000XM4 or the incredibly underrated Cambridge Sound Melomania i Plus.
There's a lot to unpack here, then let's kickoff with what the AirPods three sounds like out of the box.
Whether it was random songs on my Spotify playlists or Dolby Atmos-powered tracks on Apple Music, the AirPods 3 kept sound well counterbalanced. The synth activeness on the Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" is as vibrant as it gets, while the bones kick-and-snare pattern had oomph to it that would never exist felt on the AirPods 2. Jazz records were a pleasure to hear equally well. Cannonball Adderley'due south "Autumn Leaves" fix the tone for a peaceful night in, with the Adaptive EQ delivering bully frequency range, highlighted past well-baked, tinny hi-hats and prominent double bass.
You tin personalize sound through the iOS Sound settings, picking from over 20 reliable presets for a fleck more performance based on the content selection. Audio sharing tin also be used to hear music from an iPhone or iPad on 2 pairs of AirPods or Beats wireless headphones.
While impressive, audio on the AirPods isn't perfect. Bass doesn't knock as hard as it does on other wireless earbuds, then if you pull up a hip-hop banger like Snoop Dogg's "Pump Pump," you'll discover the boom-bap drums tame compared to the thumping reproduction from the Milky way Buds 2 and WH-1000XM4.
I strongly urge you to listen to music in the quietest environments possible, because the AirPods iii do not isolate noise at all. Everything around me crept into the soundscape, from my baby child crying to basic conversations taking identify several feet away. This is where ANC and ear tips would have helped almost.
Apple AirPods 3 review: Spatial audio
Apple's immersive, 360-caste sound technology is featured on the AirPods 3. For all the newbies who haven't tried it yet, spatial audio employs special algorithms and directional audio filters to adjust the frequencies that each ear hears, creating 360-degree sound in the process. This can exist enjoyed when listening to select songs in Apple tree Music, watching content from supported streaming services (e.chiliad., Apple Television+, Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max) or taking a FaceTime call.
Freddie Hubbard'southward "Weaver of Dreams" placed me right in the middle of the action. The channel separation was superb, as my left ear was fed serene trumpet play, while steady pulsate strokes carried well into the correct ear. Switching to movies, I watched Dune and was surprised by how engaging action scenes sounded. The dynamic head tracking made the viewing experience more enticing; sound furnishings and vocals adjusted accordingly to my caput's positioning. That said, I do believe the AirPods Pro uses the engineering science meliorate, especially with movies, which sound more immersive still.
Apple AirPods 3 review: Special features
It's best to address the elephant in the room ASAP. As previously mentioned, the AirPods three doesn't come with ANC, or fifty-fifty ambient listening. Y'all know what else it doesn't accept? Dual optical sensors or Ear Tip Fit Test back up. All four features are reserved for the AirPods Pro.
Despite these omissions, this model takes reward of the H1 chip's fast operation and wide variety of software perks. Many of these you're already familiar with, including the aforementioned Adaptive EQ, Announce Notifications, audio sharing, "Hey Siri" voice activation, and spatial audio. Allow me to touch on the rest.
AirPods owners who lose their buds oft volition appreciate Enhanced Find My, a feature that tracks lost AirPods while they are inside shut altitude of iDevices or a MacBook. Users can see how close they are in the Find My app or Lost Mode, plus receive alerts if they're out of Bluetooth range. You can fifty-fifty play a sound to indicate where they are, if they're shut.
Automated switching returns to seamlessly change your sound source from ane Apple device to another, when they are connected to the aforementioned iCloud business relationship. The Microphone setting lets you assign the AirPods mic to automatically alter from left to right or be stock-still to i side. AppleCare+ coverage availability and the Limited Warranty come upwardly in the settings, too.
One feature that hasn't received much attending is Alive Listen. What it does is allow your iDevice to act as a mic that sends sounds to your AirPods, filling the role of Transparency Style to hear what's happening around you. Turning on the feature in the Control Center widget also provides access to a Background Sounds manner (aka soundscape way) that has five different profiles, each one producing a different nature sound to mask ambient noises.
Apple AirPods 3 review: Battery life and charging instance
Apple heard our pleas and increased the AirPods' playtime. A full charge equals half dozen hours of listening time, an hour more than both the AirPods two and AirPods Pro, but still shorter than rivals like the Sony WF-1000XM4 (8-12 hours) and Master & Dynamic MW08 (ten-12 hours). Either way, whatsoever criticisms about the AirPods' battery life should be water under the span, because you're getting more than what was offered previously.
What'due south more, Apple'south bombardment direction is exceptional, with features like Optimized Battery Charging learning your charging routine and stopping charges at 80% to reduce wear.
The MagSafe charging case increases battery life from 24 to xxx hours, another much-appreciated improvement. It's part of the MagSafe ecosystem and works with the MagSafe charger, though it evidently doesn't support MagSafe opposite wireless charging from iPhones. You lot can also charge it on whatsoever Qi-enabled wireless pad. Quick charging remains the same, generating 1 hour of apply on a 5-minute charge, one of the fastest results in the category.
Apple tree AirPods 3 review: Telephone call quality and connectivity
The AirPods 3 is i of the best headphones with a mic for vocalisation and video calls. Apple covered the mic with audio-visual mesh to reduce wind interference, which shows when answering calls in gusty conditions. My wife could hear me loud and articulate when walking with the baby, and she barely heard any wind or whooshing from cars that sped by. Using the buds inside was even more rewarding; clarity was increased, and callers heard me better when moving effectually the house.
However, the mics can only fight off so much ambience dissonance before it breaks through, as was the case when talking with my mother in law equally I passed through a structure site. Just experience confident knowing that it takes a lot of incidental sounds to interfere with your voice or video calls. Speaking of which, the AirPods 3 comes with AAC-ELD, a speech codec designed for full HD vocalisation quality when jumping on FaceTime calls. I'yard happy to report that my FT experience was clear sounding in several environments.
Pairing these buds to the iOS/macOS platform is seamless. The pop-upward confirmation screen will appear instantly on any iPhone/iPad running a current version of iOS, while Mac and MacBook users will come across the buds automatically announced on the available devices listing. On top of that, the AirPods 3 plays nicely with Android, something that couldn't exist said of previous versions. It was like shooting fish in a barrel pairing to both of my Android smartphones (Google Pixel 3XL, Samsung Galaxy Note S20 Ultra).
Bluetooth 5.0 holds up stiff, maintaining a steady range (upwardly to xl feet) and offering robust connectivity to minimize dropout during calls or streaming.
Apple AirPods 3 review: Verdict
Apple tree played it smart with the AirPods 3, offering just enough upgrades to make it a significant step upward from the AirPods 2, while also keeping it a few steps beneath the AirPods Pro.
Substantially, these buds are the AirPods Pro minus the eartips and a handful of features (ANC, Transparency Mode, Ear Tip Fit Exam). Several series hallmarks show upward on the spec sail, including Adaptive EQ, spatial audio, and force sensor controls. Apple even added some new tricks to brand them more distinctive, including peel detection for auto-pause/play, MagSafe charging, and recently launched iOS 15 features such equally Enhanced Detect My. Let's not forget the boost in battery life, either; granted information technology'south only an hour more, only a win, all the same.
You might question whether a pair of $179 wireless earbuds without ANC is worth the investment, especially since the AirPods Pro has been seen on sale for the same toll. Well, that's an argument we'll be settling over the next few days when breaking down both models. In the meantime, there'due south no denying the triumph that is the AirPods three.
- More: The best headphones with a mic for voice and video calls
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/apple-airpods-3
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