Let’s continue to analyze what Apple showed us at this year’s September 9 event. We already covered the iPhone 17 lineup, and we were absolutely delighted. No joke, the new iPhone 17 Air looks good, and the Pro packs serious updates.
Now it’s time to shift attention to the new AirPods Pro 3. The company surprised many, because until the last moment, we were not sure that AirPods Pro 3 would appear on stage. But they did, and now the question is clear – what exactly changed inside the little white box, and will these updates attract as much attention as the iPhones themselves?
Table of Contents
Are There Any Design Changes in the New AirPods Pro 3?
If you expected Apple to roll out AirPods with a radically different look, it’s okay, but your expectation was wrong. From the outside, AirPods Pro 3 remain almost identical. The white stems, the compact case, the familiar glossy finish – all of that stayed in place. But this does not mean Apple simply stamped a new number on the old Pro 2 and walked away. Under the surface, the company actually worked on details that affect fit and durability.
Apple reduced the internal size of each earbud and adjusted the alignment of the ear tips. This makes them sit more securely in more ears, something many users will notice immediately. The company even added a new extra-extra small ear tip to the box (now there are five sizes instead of four). If you ever thought AirPods slip out because your ears are “too unique,” Apple basically said that you have no excuses this time. The material of the ear tips also changed. Apple switched to a foam-infused silicone design. This creates a better seal and blocks noise before the noise cancellation kicks in.
Durability received an upgrade too. AirPods Pro 3 are the first in the lineup with an IP57 rating. That means protection not only against sweat and rain, but also against short immersion in water. You probably shouldn’t swim with them, but if one falls into a sink or puddle, it survives.
The charging case looks the same at first glance, but Apple updated it with the new U2 chip. Thanks to this, the Find My app now guides you more precisely when you hunt for your lost earbuds. In practice, you no longer wave your iPhone in the air like a metal detector. Instead, you see a clear direction and distance on the screen, which feels a lot more professional for a pair of earbuds.
AirPods Pro 3 Features You Should Know About
The new ear tips are not the only ones that received attention. Apple also introduced several fresh functions that make the earbuds more versatile. They are no longer just small speakers for music and calls. Apple wants them to feel like a mini health tracker, a travel tool, and even a translator in your ear.
- One of the headline features is heart-rate monitoring. Each earbud now carries a PPG sensor that reads your pulse. You can run, lift weights, or even just sit nervously before a meeting, and the AirPods will quietly log your heart rate in the Fitness app.
Source: Apple YouTube channel - Another surprise is Live Translation. With this mode active, AirPods listen to a conversation and feed you a translation in real time. If the other person also uses compatible AirPods, the translation works both ways. Apple basically turned the buds into a personal interpreter. It feels amazing, though probably less useful when you only need to order a coffee in Paris, unless you want to sound very official while asking for a croissant.
Source: Apple YouTube channel - Sound quality also moved forward. Apple reworked the acoustic architecture and updated Adaptive EQ. The result is a wider soundstage, deeper bass, and clearer highs. Combined with upgraded active noise cancellation, which Apple claims blocks up to twice as much sound as before, the AirPods Pro 3 set a new standard for in-ear headphones. The company even bragged about having the best ANC in the industry (we will let rivals argue about that, but the claim sounds bold).
Battery life stretched as well. A single charge now gives up to eight hours of playback with noise cancellation, two hours more than before. In transparency mode, the figure rises to ten hours. With the case, you get about twenty-four hours in total before everything needs power again. In short, you can fly long-haul, binge shows, and still not see the battery warning until you land.
When Can You Buy the New AirPods Pro 3?
Apple kept things simple with pricing. AirPods Pro 3 launch at $249 in the United States, exactly the same as the Pro 2.
Pre-orders opened right after the September 9 presentation. Official sales begin on Friday, September 19. The rollout covers the U.S. and more than fifty other markets worldwide on day one. So, you will not have to watch YouTubers from another region unbox them while you wait months for shipping. If you want them, you will probably get them as soon as they hit stores (provided you click fast enough before stock dries up).
Final Thoughts
You can watch the full presentation of AirPods Pro 3 on Apple’s YouTube channel or check the details on the official website. Here we only went through the main points that stood out to us. In the end, Apple delivered another solid product.
Will AirPods Pro 3 generate more hype than the iPhone 17 lineup? Probably not. They remain an additional device in Apple’s ecosystem, not the headline act. Still, they deserve attention and will easily find their buyers. If you do sports and want to track your activity, the built-in heart-rate sensor makes sense. If you travel often and deal with different languages, the translation function could save you from awkward hand gestures.
And if none of that applies and you just want to walk down the street, hear your music clearly, and not the cars racing past, AirPods Pro 3 still work well. In short, they fit multiple scenarios, and Apple managed to improve them. Not bad at all.
