Apple released the third generation of its wireless earbuds AirPods at its October hardware event. The new buds bring many subtle changes that make the experience of using them more intuitive. It has been clear for very long that AirPods are one of the easiest to use wireless earbuds with an iPhone. The new AirPods push the experience a notch further with the convenience of support for MagSafe wireless charging, a smaller compact case, and overall smaller earbuds.
The design of AirPods 3 has been borrowed from the more expensive AirPods Pro which have shorter stems. The new buds look almost identical to the AirPods Pro but they lack the silicone tips. The new AirPods are a direct successor to the regular AirPods (Gen 2) which are more popular because of their lower price point. The AirPods Pro are actually not any less popular, they sell extremely well but their higher price tag serves slightly less people.
Convenience continues to be the main selling point
The convenience of using AirPods with Apple devices with ease remains the top feature of the wireless buds. The feature of opening the case and connecting to the nearest Apple device based on proximity, continues to remain the top useful feature on the new AirPods as well. While the newer buds are more compact, along with the case being smaller, the case is thicker to accommodate the components for MagSafe technology to support the company’s wireless charging standard.
The new AirPods are a better fit for more people. Apple has said that it has conducted extensive research to understand different ear shapes and to make the fit of the new AirPods more snug. However, not everyone agrees but the fit is definitely better for most people compared to the original (first and second gen) AirPods.
The new AirPods (Gen 3) start at $179 (USD).