Apple AirPods 3 Review: Better design and better tunes
Verdict
The AirPods 3 are an piece of cake recommendation for iPhone users who want a pair of unproblematic, skilful sounding buds that work well and terminal for a long time betwixt charges. They're even so missing any sort of noise cancellation and are useless in loud places though, and with the AirPods Pro often available for not much more they might end up being a better option for some.
Pros
- Small, meaty design
- Much improved sound
- Unmatched iOS and macOS integration
Cons
- No ANC
- Poor in loud environments
Availability
- Britain RRP: £169
- U.s.a. RRP: $179
- Europe RRP: €199
- Canada RRP: CA$239
- Australia RRP: AU$279
Key Features
- H1 Chip Allows for fast pairing and excellent iOS integration
- Spatial Audio Dolby Atmos in supported apps
- Bombardment Life 6 hours for the buds and 30 hours for the case
Introduction
The AirPods iii are the starting time proper redesign for the now-iconic wireless earbuds from Apple.
Initially greeted by endless memes and jokes, Apple tree'south AirPods are now a common sight and have go arguably the most influential pair of headphones from the past decade.
We're now onto the tertiary generation of the bones AirPods range, and this revision is the biggest yet, with a stronger, and very welcome focus, on sound quality.
Design
- Redesigned to look more like the AirPods Pro
- Shorter stem and open blueprint
- Pocket-sized charging instance slips easily in a pocket
The AirPods have been given a complete makeover for this third-gen release, going for a look that's very similar to the AirPods Pro. The stems are shorter, the instance squatter and the tap controls have been ditched in favour of force sensors. There's added protection likewise, as both the case and buds are IPX4 rated for sweat resistance, and then they're guarded as moisture weather and better suited for gym use.
They are still unapologetically a pair of AirPods, though. They only come up in white, expect very minimalist and still have that now-iconic silhouette that can be Marmite for some.
For many, the principal event with the first AirPods design was the fit. There are no silicone tips here, or any sort of wings similar yous'll notice on the Beats Fit Pro. The AirPods 3 also don't bury themselves into your ear canal, instead they rest within the ear. This causes some issues with sound simply it means that if the AirPods don't naturally fit your item ear size then you lot can't tweak them to fit.
Apple increased the size of the actual bud, then the AirPods 3 should fit more than ears. For my ears, the fit is ideal and I can thunderously shake my head without them condign dislodged. I've worn them for a couple of runs and they've stayed in place perfectly.
I actually like how the AirPods 3 don't go deep into the ear, like the AirPods Pro or Sony WF-1000XM4s. This will certainly entreatment to those who find that in-ear mode intrusive and it makes them comfier when worn over long periods.
What I have constitute though is that when the discomfort does arrive, it comes quickly. I've worn the AirPods iii for pretty much a whole unmarried charge without any issues merely when they did showtime to hurt, I had to keep them out for a longer menses than I had expected. This comes from the reliance on plastic in the design and the lack of anything to soften information technology.
On the stem of each AirPods three is a capacitive sensor. Press this and you tin can pause a vocal; hold it longer and Siri kicks into gear. This is a far amend method of interacting with the buds than earlier where yous'd have to tap the bud itself quite hard.
The charging case has been redesigned too, and again information technology takes cues from the AirPods Pro. Information technology's overall a little smaller than the Pro buds example and is easily pocketable. There'southward a small LED on the front and a Lightning port on the bottom for charging. On the back is a single push for forcing the buds into a pairing manner if you're connecting to an Android phone or Windows PC. It's all very simple and will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used AirPods before.
Features
- The case at present supports MagSafe magnetic charging
- Ties fantastically well to iOS and macOS
- Improved bombardment life
The case also adds another new fox: MagSafe. Apple tree brought dorsum the MagSafe name with the launch of the iPhone 12, turning it into a magnetic wireless charging organisation. It hasn't really hit the heights I was expecting though, with relatively few accessories making utilise of it.
While previous AirPods supported Qi wireless, adding MagSafe allows the buds to stick magnetically to supported chargers. This works nicely with Belkin's elaborate MagSafe charging stand and Apple's own MagSafe Battery Pack. It doesn't increase charging speeds though, something that happened when you combined a MagSafe charger and an iPhone 12 (or iPhone 13).
The boost to battery life is welcome over the previous models and y'all'll discover this even more if y'all're upgrading from a pair of AirPods you lot bought at launch. Apple claims 6 hours of life per charge and this is more of a conservative number to what I have experienced. You'll then get a number of charges from the example before it needs to be charged up once again.
Inside the AirPods 3 is the H1 chip and this helps power all those small-scale, handy features AirPods have become famous for. Your iPhone or iPad, for case, will instantly expect ton connect and pair when you flip open the case, and once they're connected to a device associated with an Apple tree ID, they'll be connected everywhere. Y'all tin can still employ them on other platforms and I take connected these upward to Android phones without much faff, merely many features are missing and the connection isn't equally strong.
Audio Share, which is very much an iOS-merely feature, lets you lot connect two pairs of the AirPods to ane telephone for shared listening, which is seriously handy when y'all're on a railroad train. Missing out on things like this ways you lot're probably all-time off looking elsewhere if you're not firmly inside the iOS ecosystem.
The AirPods 3 seem much better at detecting when they are in an ear than the previous model and practise a far improve task at siphoning out wind noise. The microphone is first-class for phonation calls, likewise.
Audio Quality
- Spatial Audio is a hit or miss add-on
- More bass than previous AirPods
- ANC still restricted to the AirPods Pro
When the AirPods three were appear, Spatial Audio was the large feature addition. It even seemed at one point that these earbuds would be known as AirPods with Spatial Audio.
Spatial Audio is sort of supported past any pair of headphones, but the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max include the benefits of caput tracking skills. That's now available on this AirPods 3 model and it's something of a mixed bag – just like Spatial Audio itself.
Spatial Audio, which for audio works in Apple Music, uses Dolby Atmos to add a more immersive feel to tunes by placing them in a 3D space. Information technology'south supposed to make songs feel grander, with a much wider soundstage. The caput-tracking element then alters how things audio every bit you move your head.
I accept been listening to Spatial Sound-tuned songs for a few months now, mostly on the AirPods Max, and the results differ wildly. Some songs audio quiet; similar you're listening to them in a clangorous room. Others, like Hanging on the Telephone by Blondie for case, sound nigh the same as with the tech turned off. Find a well-mastered Dolby Atmos track though and the results are seriously impressive.
Bille Eillish'southward Bad Guy uses Dolby Atmos brilliantly, with various vocals popping around at varying volumes. This is a song made for Spatial Audio and that actress dimension is utilised very well. A number of The Weeknd's songs use it well too, especially the opening of Take My Breath. Mood Ring by Lorde benefits from a greater separation between the breathy vocals and stringy chords, while the opening of Here Comes the Dominicus feels more than immersive and dramatic.
I practice find the caput tracking a little odd, but possibly that'south just personal preference. It keeps the vocals in the centre, so if you movement your head the sound moves too. The effect is just a little off-putting when listening to something and moving around a lot.
Where it works better is in video apps, similar Apple Television+ and Disney Plus. Here the Atmos effect and head tracking effect are far more obvious and immersive.
The overall audio quality has improved dramatically with the AirPods 3, and while I doubt you lot'll observe an 'audiophile' ditching their headphones for these, it'd be lazy to dismiss the new AirPods as sounding terrible.
Sound is much warmer than before, with a wider soundstage even when Spatial Audio isn't available. Bass is much deeper and more accurate too, which is very welcome as the previous AirPods barely bothered to even endeavour and reproduce bass-heavy tracks.
There's Adaptive EQ from AirPods Pro at piece of work that tunes the music to the shape of your ear. Y'all can't turn this off though, so it'south difficult to know what changes it is making.
In a quiet room, the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro sound very much alike. The Pros nick it slightly with crisper vocals (these sometimes go a piffling muddy on the regular AirPods), but then they are pricier.
Where the AirPods 3 autumn downwardly is when there's outside noise to contend with. The open up design lets in lots of background sounds and this gets in the fashion of the audio. The lack of racket isolation, whether it'southward the passive or active kind, too makes them virtually useless in loud areas. On the tube, it'south hard to hear annihilation when the carriage is rattling along and it'south no ameliorate on a bustling street either.
Non having ANC is probably to be expected from this way of headphone. Huawei tried calculation it into the open-design Freebuds 3 and the outcome was utterly awful, barely shutting out whatever racket. But if listening in loud places is central, then expect elsewhere. The Beats Studio Buds, for example, are cheaper and have decent ANC.
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Should you buy it?
You desire a reliable pair of buds for an iPhone These are cracking for iOS users and sound much better than the onetime model.
Y'all travel a lot There is no ANC here and they don't block out any noise. Wearing them in busy areas and on loud public ship isn't a great experience.
Final Thoughts
Even with a cost drop, the AirPods 3 are a little on the expensive side – especially when y'all factor in the lack of ANC. But they are a significantly better product than they were previously.
Audio is warmer, with more bass but crisper vocals, while Spatial Audio shines in certain instances. Add in a smarter design, IPX4 resistance and longer battery, and you have a pair of earbuds that should delight well-nigh iOS users.
In that location are, of form, amend-sounding buds, but the AirPods remain the most simple and constructive wireless pair I take used. If y'all have an iPhone, that is.
How nosotros examination
We test every headphones we review thoroughly over an extended menstruation of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. Nosotros'll ever tell you what nosotros find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more most how nosotros exam in our ideals policy.
Tested over several weeks
Tested with real earth use
Tested with various music streaming services
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FAQs
Does the case have wireless charging?
Yes, there is Qi wireless charging on the case
Do the AirPods 3rd gen work with Android?
While they do work with any Bluetooth device, you miss out on some features
Do the AirPods 3 have ANC?
There is no form of dissonance-cancelling here
Full specs
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