AirPods 3 is finally here, folks! At the hotly anticipated October Apple Event, which also unveiled the new 14-inch MacBook Pro with two novel chips, the third-generation AirPods were also announced.
The brand-spankin' new, third-generation AirPods comes with a host of spectacular features, including longer battery life, MagSafe charging and Dolby Atmos-supported spatial audio.
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The Apple AirPods 3
The most exciting feature of the AirPods 3 is its increased battery life. Users of the third-generation AirPods will now enjoy a 6-hour runtime. With the case, you can get 30 hours. If you're in a rush, and you don't have time to charge the AirPods 3, no worries. A five-minute charge will get you one-hour of use. Apple is also introducing MagSafe charging, first introduced to the iPhone 12, to the AirPods 3.
The Cupertino-based tech giant also boasted about its new spatial audio tech, which brings 3D immersion to your music. Spatial audio brings music to life with sounds that feel as if they're surrounding you from all angles, bringing you a true, multi-dimensional listening experience. This new Dolby Atmos-supported spatial audio tech is now featured on the AirPods 3 as well as the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.
Other features include sweat-and-water resistance, Adaptive EQ (which was made available since the AirPods Pro) and a force sensor (for more control over your music and phone calls). The AirPods 3 will also include a new low-distortion driver, which provides powerful bass and crisp, clean high-frequency sounds. The AirPods 3 supports the well-received one-touch set up, which begins the moment you open the case, so getting started with the new earbuds will be a seamless experience.
Similar to the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 3's stems are shorter, but there are no silicon ear tips. There's also a new, contoured design. Unfortunately, there is no active noise cancellation. That is reserved for the AirPods Pro.
Adding to the music-tech party, Apple announced a new subscription plan for its Apple Music app: The Voice Plan. It's only $5 a month, and it allows users to solely rely on Siri to play specific songs or launch curated playlists.
The AirPods 3 will be available to order starting today and starts at $179.
