Apple has finally launched the next generation of its flagship wireless earbuds, AirPods Pro 3, at the "Awe Dropping" event. The latest pair of wireless earbuds has arrived three years after Apple launched the AirPods Pro 2 in September 2022.
The Cupertino giant flaunted AirPods Pro 3, claiming they have the world"s best Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) on any in-ear wireless headphones. For comparison, the ANC on AirPods Pro 3 is two times better than AirPods Pro 2 and four times better than the original AirPods, Apple said.
Another highlight of the launch is that Apple has added the much-awaited heart rate tracking. AirPods Pro 3 come fitted with Apple"s smallest custom-built heart rate sensor, which is a "custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that shines invisible infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow," the company explained.
AirPods Pro 3 use a mix of sensors onboard to support 50 different workout types, tracking the users" heart rate and calories burned, close their Mobe ring, and earn rewards in the Fitness app. You can view your heart rate, calories burned, the Burn Bar, and Move ring progress when using Apple Fitness+ with AirPods 3 in your ears.
Speaking of fitness, AirPods Pro 3 come with an Apple Intelligence-powered assistant called Workout Buddy. It uses your workout data and fitness history to give audio feedback during your workout sessions and generate personalized motivational insights.
The previously reported Live Translation has made its way to AirPods Pro 3. The feature, powered by Apple"s computational audio and Apple Intelligence, translates languages in real time when you"re in a new place or collaborating with foreign clients at work.
You can talk naturally and use the iPhone as a display to show a live transcription of the conversation to the other person. Live Translation works more effectively when both users are wearing their own AirPods.
The feature is currently in beta and supports English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. It will be available in Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) by the end of the year.
Apple has improved the battery life on AirPods Pro 3, which now deliver up to 8 hours of juice on a single charge with ANC enabled. For users with hearing aids, AirPods Pro 3 can last up to 10 hours with transparency mode enabled.
The flagship wireless earbuds also offer support for IP57 sweat and water resistance. They come with new foam-infused ear tips available in five sizes, including a new XXS size.
Apart from that, AirPods Pro 3 feature a new in-ear design that fits more people. Apple analyzed over 10,000 ear scans with more than 100,000 hours of user research to bring the new design to fruition. The Cupertino giant further explained:
To deliver this improved fit for even more people, the internal architecture was completely re-engineered to make each AirPod smaller, while the external geometry of the ear tip was aligned to the center of the body for increased stability — a design informed by an unparalleled dataset of more than 300 million points.
AirPods Pro 3 are now available for pre-order with a price tag of $249 in the US and 50 other countries. Its shipping will start on September 19.