Apple AirPods 3 with "industry-leading" sound and MagSafe support now official, priced at PHP 10,990!

Along with the new MacBooks, Cupertino firm Apple released the third-generation AirPods.

Apple AirPods 3

Improved design, sound, and more!

Dubbed as the Apple AirPods (3rd generation) or AirPods 3, the new device now features a new design, "industry-leading" sound, longer battery life, and MagSafe support.

The design

The new AirPods is boating an AirPods Pro-like body with a shorter stem, but with an open-ear design. Apple claims that it is contoured and lightweight allowing it to sit comfortably in the ear. In addition, this has an IPX4 rating for both the earbuds and charging case to provide some sort of water resistance against splashes.

Inside, it uses an unspecified type of custom driver and a high dynamic range amplifier designed to produce "powerful bass, with crisp and clean high frequencies" suggesting that it'll come with a V-shaped sound. There is no mention about the quality of its mids though and if it supports lossless audio codecs.

The new AirPods also has computational audio like the Adaptive EQ depending on the shape of the user's ear and spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for more people as well as Dolby Atmos for a cinema-like experience via software.

For calls, it uses a microphone covered by an acoustic mesh to help reduce the sound of the wind. It also goes with the AAC-ELD coded designed to provide "full HD" voice quality. It even has beamforming microphones to block out ambient noise allowing it to focus on the user's voice.

It can be personalized on the Apple website

Apple said that the stem of the buds uses the same force sensor as the AirPods Pro for media control. The company also notes that it has a skin-detect sensor that pauses playback when removed. 

For connection, the device is still using Bluetooth 5.0. It has a one-touch setup that automatically pairs the AirPods to other Apple devices. It also allows Audio Sharing between two sets of AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max, while using your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple TV.

In terms of battery, Apple claims that it now has up to 6 hours of listening time and up to 4 hours of talk time. It also has 5 minutes of fast charging that provides up to an hour of battery life. The case itself can give the buds up to four additional charges for a total of up to 30 hours of listening time.

For wireless charging, the new AirPods now supports the company's own MagSafe ecosystem apart from Qi-certified wireless chargers or Lightning connectors.

Each bud measures 30.79 x 19.21 x 18.26 mm and weighs 4.28 grams. The MagSafe Charging Case measures 54.40 x 46.40 x 21.38 mm and weighs 37.91 grams.

Price and availability

Apple AirPods (3rd generation) - PHP 10,990

The device is now listed on the Apple Philippines' website for PHP 10,990. There is no word on when will it be available yet.

Stay tuned!