Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 Helps You Master the Silence Where it Counts the Most

Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, priced at $199.99 (was $249), get a lot of things right, bringing years of wireless audio refinement together in their latest earphones. Behind the scenes, Apple engineers collected thousands of ear scans and spent a significant amount of time evaluating different fits on people all around the world. They modified the form of the buds to bend them inward slightly and added a bit more foam to the tips, resulting in 5 sizes in the box, including a tiny one ideal for smaller ears.

Slipping them in feels amazing; the way they settle in creates a tight seal that shuts out the world before the noise cancellation kicks in. It works by sampling ambient noise thousands of times per second and generating an opposite signal to simply cancel it out; this time, they’ve managed to make it twice as effective as before, particularly against higher-pitched noises like voices or office talk. Put them on a packed train or in a noisy cafe, and you won’t hear a thing; the music or podcast will make you feel like you’re in a quiet chamber.

The redesigned earbuds have also improved the sound, allowing the bass to come through without overpowering the mids and highs. It all works together wonderfully to provide clear, present vocals, and with spatial audio and head tracking, it feels like the music is all around you, instruments and all. With noise canceling enabled, the battery life is a decent 8 hours, and it lasts even longer in transparency mode.

The MagSafe case charges them many times over (four to be exact), while the dust and water resistance allows you to put them through anything, from a sweaty gym session to a rainy run. They get to know you by detecting your heart rate in your ears while you exercise, allowing you to easily see how you’re doing using the Fitness app without having to wear a watch.

You can also use them in conversation, translating in real time via Live Translation, making AirPods a useful tool for communication. They also have a few other tricks up their sleeve, like as hearing tests and voice boosters to help you tune in what’s being said in a noisy environment. When you pair them with an iPhone (or any other Apple device), the automatic switching and sharing choices remain the same as before.