Apple's third-generation update to the AirPods Pro 3 with a four-times improvement to Active Noise Cancellation, foam-infused eartips, and heart rate sensing.
Launched during Apple's special event, the AirPods Pro 3 (on sale now) arrive exactly three years after the AirPods Pro 2 made their debut.
From the outside, the AirPods Pro 3 haven't changed much from its predecessors, as they still look a lot like the previous model. But what has changed will be very useful to consumers.
A big change this year is ANC improvements, with Apple claiming there to be a four-times improvement to Active Noise Cancellation that in the original AirPods Pro 3. That's double the effectiveness of AirPods Pro 2.
To help with this, new ear tips in five sizes provide a better fit, and have added foam for structure. This includes smaller earbuds, allowing for those with tighter ear canals to use the earphones comfortably.
There's also a new multiport acoustic architecture for improved airflow control. It also affects the updated Adaptive EQ, widening the soundstage with a better bass response.
For Transparency, there's personalization to the user's own voice, with it also tuning to whomever is speaking to them too.
AirPods Pro 3 - Image Credit: Apple
The headline change is the heart rate monitoring facility. New sensors included on the inside edges of each earbud are able to monitor the pulse of the wearer.
This is a feature that was first introduced in Apple's personal audio catalog via the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. At the time, it seemed inevitable that similar sensors would make their way to the AirPods line.
A custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor pulses at 256 times per second to monitor blood flow in the ear.
To users, the new sensors provide a way to get the most essential biometric detail they can receive from workouts, but without requiring an Apple Watch. So long as they have the AirPods Pro 3 in their ears and their iPhone nearby, they will still get details about their heart rate during a launched workout.
This includes support for tracking 50 workout types while wearing just AirPods, including tracking for heart rate and burned calories. . For subscribers of Apple Fitness+, they will also see on-screen metrics, just as they would with the Apple Watch.
Fitness features working with AirPods Pro 3 - Image Credit: Apple
To help with its workout credentials, the AirPods Pro 3 have IP57 sweat and water resistance.
AirPods Pro 3 users will also have access to Workout Buddy, an Apple Intelligence feature to give personal motivational insights during sessions.
This isn't the only Apple Intelligence feature the AirPods Pro 3 will benefit from. Live Translation, available in beta, will let users speak to others and get the translations fed into their ear.
Translations will also be available on the iPhone screen.
Preorders for the AirPods Pro 3 will open later on September 9, with a release date of September 19. It will be priced at $249, with deals across the line available in our AirPods Price Guide.
