AirPods 3 Review: The Verdict
The AirPods 3 are a solid step up from the previous model, but increased pricing puts them in a weird place when compared to the AirPods Pro and the wider earbud market.
What we love
- Great sound quality
- Comfortable fit
- Seamless with other Apple products
What could be improved
- Let in a lot of noise
- Awkward pricing
75/100
$279
The 3rd generation AirPods (which we're just going to call AirPods 3, for the sake of simplicity) is Apple's first major refresh of its wire-free buds since they debuted at the end of 2016. (The AirPods 2 were a very minor update.) In the five years AirPods have been around, they’ve become to wireless earbuds as to what Google is to search.
While there are now countless options for wire-free headphones, it's rare that I don't see someone wearing AirPods when I'm out at the house. Whether I'm at the gym, getting groceries, or just out for a stroll, it's easy to spot someone brandishing Apple's white buds. Or wannabe AirPods from another brand. AirPods have gone from a weird curiosity to the new normal.
With the AirPods 3, Apple isn't reinventing the wheel. Instead, the manufacturer has taken a lot of inspiration from the pricier AirPods Pro, improving sound quality, battery, and design. This has however also resulted in a higher price tag. But given how regularly the Pros are discounted, this puts the AirPods 3 in a bit of a weird place.
At a glance, the AirPods 3 look pretty similar to AirPods Pro. The stems are much shorter than what you'd get on original AirPods, and black embellishments house microphones. It's a more elegant design that's a bit more subtle.
The key difference is AirPods 3 have an open design, meaning they don't have silicon tips. They sit in your ear, rather than sliding into your ear canal. They're like the buds you used to get with an iPod. AirPods Pro, on the other hand, have an in-ear design with silicon tips.
The open design makes the AirPods 3 extremely comfortable. I'm not acutely aware I'm wearing earbuds, as I am with in-ear models. I also found the fit secure. I didn't have any issues with them popping out when running, and they even survived a bout of vigorous headbanging. While everyone's ears are different, Apple says it redesigned the AirPods 3 to work with more ear types, so even if the original AirPods didn't work for you, the AirPods 3 might.
The trade-off to the open design is that it lets in noise. A whole lot of noise. It's not too bad if you're using them at home, in an office, or on a stroll, but it can become hard to hear your music or podcast in a louder environment. I found this especially problematic at the gym. I had to max out the volume to compete with the sound of the treadmill, which isn't ideal for hearing.
There's naturally a place for open fit earbuds - it's hard to argue with comfort, and some may want to still hear some of the real world when out and about - but it would have been nice to see Apple work some software magic to at least reduce some background noise. Samsung tried a similar trick on its Galaxy Buds Live, which also have an open fit. While it wasn't flawless (I certainly wouldn't call it noise-cancellation), the Buds Live still managed to rein in the outside world just a little.
Otherwise, the AirPods 3 sound great. They have surprisingly punchy low-end for open earbuds, and offer a clear detailed sound. You won't get the same kind of fidelity as a pair of high-end buds like the Sony WF-1000XM4s, but the AirPods 3 come shockingly close to AirPods Pro.
The AirPods 3 also add support for dynamic head tracking if you're listening in Apple Music. The idea behind dynamic head tracking is if you turn your head, the sound reorients around you - to create an illusion that the music is coming from all around you - kinda like a concert -, rather than headphones. Until now, the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max were the only headphones to support this feature. While dynamic head tracking alone isn't a reason to buy the AirPods 3 over any earbuds, it's still pretty neat.
When it comes to battery Apple says the AirPods 3 will give you up to six hours of music playback per charge, which is an hour longer than their predecessors. With the charging case, you'll get up to 30 hours in total before you need to juice. If your AirPods 3 are flat, a five-minute top up will get you an hour or so of battery life. In addition, the wireless charging case is now compatible with MagSafe, meaning it will snap onto the charging puck if you've got one.
It goes without saying that AirPods 3 feature all the secret sauce that makes AirPods just work. You still get instant pairing with any iPhone or iPad, and they will automatically sync to any iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac signed in to your Apple ID.
Apple AirPods 3 - Final Thoughts
The AirPods 3 are excellent earbuds, other than how much noise they let in due to their open fit. Despite this, they're tricky to recommend. The main reason you pick these up over AirPods Pro is if you're not a fan of in-ear buds.
Priced at $279, the AirPods 3 are in a weird position. Most competing buds in this price bracket have noise-cancelling, and you get the AirPods Pro for just a little extra. Sure, AirPods Pro retail for $399, but they're one of the rare Apple products you can regularly find on sale. I've seen them as low as $300, and at time of writing, JB Hi-Fi has them for $319. I'd definitely spend $40 more to go Pro.
There's merit to the new AirPods' open design, including comfort and being more aware of your surroundings. The pricing is just out of step with competitors and the market price for Apple's other earbuds. Ideally, it would have been great to see Apple price the AirPods 3 as its entry-level pair at $219, replacing the 2nd generation AirPods entirely.
With solid budget buds like the Jabra Elite 3, Pixel Buds A, and Beats Studio Buds now becoming more common, it's very fair to ask the question of whether the premium for AirPods 3 is worth it.
Alex Choros
Related Articles
