We’re joking. Sorta. The Apple AirPods 3 were finally unveiled this morning in California and that sucking sound you heard around 1 p.m. EST was all of the bandwidth being consumed.
At the Apple October 18, 2021 event, along with all the Mac-related news, Apple finally revealed what AirPod users have been waiting for, Generation 3!
AirPods (3rd generation) build on the great sound quality that AirPods are known for, starting with a custom driver and a high dynamic range amplifier that together produce powerful bass with crisp, clean high frequencies.
The microphone is covered by an acoustic mesh to help reduce the sound of wind, so the speaker’s voice comes across distinctly on calls. AirPods also feature AAC-ELD, a superior speech codec that offers full HD voice quality, providing clear, natural communication for FaceTime calls.
Here is a quick rundown on what upgrades the Apple AirPods 3 will offer users.
- New Contour Design for increased comfort and better direction of audio into your ears.
- Newly Designed Low Distortion Speaker Driver for clear highs and tight bass.
- Adaptive EQ provides a customized audio listening experience in real-time.
- Compatible with Apple Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.
- Dynamic Head Tracking is included. Voices, dialog, or music vocals always sound like they are coming from the correct direction regardless if you turn your head.
- A Skin-Detect Sensor can tell if the AirPods are in an ear, pocket, or on the table for improved sound quality in those situations.
- Beam Forming Microphones block out ambient noise and focus on the user’s voice, while users can also enjoy a hands-free experience by simply saying “Hey Siri” for requests.
- One Touch-Setup makes pairing with other Apple devices quick and easy.
- Audio-Sharing allows music streaming between two sets of AirPods, AirPods, or AirPods Max when using an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Apple TV.
- Sweat and Water Resistant.
- 6 hours of music listening time on a full charge.
- 5 Minutes of charge can provide up to 1 hour of listening time.
- Compatible with Magsafe Wireless Charging ($39 at Amazon)
Price & Availability
Price: $179 at Amazon (Available for order now!)
Check out the complete Apple AirPod 3 Announcement
Check out everything else that was announced at the Apple October 18th Event
Pete
October 24, 2021 at 4:47 pm
I totally understand the convenience of AirPods but the fact that an audiophile site constantly touts these buds, though their sound is pretty bad, is strange to me. You can get several different buds, that sound way better than AirPods and AirPod Pros, for a third of the cost. Why not talk about those items instead? Is it because Apple products get more clicks?
Ian White
October 24, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Pete,
We have covered over a dozen AirPods competitors this year alone. Do a search and you’ll discover Sennheiser, Sony, Master & Dynamic, 1More, Jabra, and many others.
Apple is a huge player in consumer audio and to pretend that they don’t influence the overall market is foolish. Dolby and other players are working with Apple to advance sound quality in headphones and wireless speakers and it’s important to cover everything.
Tens of millions of people use iPhones and iPads as their primary streaming device and we cover that segment almost weekly.
Ian White (typing on a MacBook Pro…listening to TIDAL which is connected to my car stereo through my iPhone)