At the ‘Unleashed’ event, Apple launched its 3rd generation AirPods, as expected. It has a new design, same as the AirPods Pro, and also supports spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, longer battery life and also comes with Adaptive EQ powered by computational audio. There are new force sensor controls for easy and intuitive control of music and phone calls, and it also supports wireless charging.
There is a custom driver and a high dynamic range amplifier, and the microphone is covered by an acoustic mesh to help reduce the sound of wind. AirPods also feature AAC-ELD, a superior speech codec that promise full HD voice quality for clear, natural communication for FaceTime calls.
The Airpods still feature H1 chip with an Apple-designed acoustic system that support. There is Dolby Atmos, and the Airpods are also water-resistant with IPX4 ratings. It doesn’t have ANC which the Airpods Pro has, and also misses the ear tips. A new skin-detect sensor accurately discerns if AirPods are in the ear — versus in a pocket or on a table — and pauses playback when removed, says Apple. The beam-forming microphones block out ambient noise and focus on the user’s voice.
It promises up to six hours of listening time and up to 30 hours of total listening time with the charging case which also has wireless charging. Five minutes of charging provides about an hour of battery life. Apple says that some features require iOS 13 or iPadOS, which are not compatible with iPhone 6 or older models, iPad Air (1st generation), iPad mini 3, and iPad mini 2.
The AirPods (3rd generation) is priced at Rs. 18500 ($179 in the US) and will be available to order from Apple India online store and more than 26 other countries and regions starting today, with availability in stores beginning Tuesday, October 26. The AirPods (2nd generation) has received a Rs. 2000 price cut and is now available for Rs. 12900 (MRP).