Apple’s AirPods 3 look and feel different from the previous two generations of AirPods. You can read exactly what has changed in this Apple AirPods 3 review.
Apple AirPods 3
Price € 199,-
Colour white
Link bluetooth 5.0
Battery approx. 35 mAh (earpiece), 345 mAh (charging case)
Weight 4.3 grams (earpiece), 38 grams (charging case)
Features microphone, touch control, spatial audio
Connection Lightning, Magsafe
Website www.apple.com/nl
8 Score 80 
- Pros
- Sound quality
- Comfortable
- Negatives
- One size fits all design
- No noise cancellation
The market for wireless in-ears has blossomed thanks to Apple, which delivered a standout product with the AirPods and simultaneously created a market for wireless audio. The revenue that Apple now generates with AirPods alone, pales the cost of purchasing Beats Audio.
Now almost all audio and smartphone manufacturers are present with their own wireless earphones to also profit from the lucrative market, so that Apple also had to continue to innovate. Innovation is not only visible with these AirPods 3, but also audible.
New functions
The AirPods 3 are equipped with ‘spatial audio’, a kind of surround sound-like functionality, so that you can play sound with a spacious feeling. Similar to 360 Reality Audio, which is marketed by Sony.
Other new features include charging via the Magsafe magnetic chargers, which can also wirelessly charge iPhones via Qi. The battery life itself has been increased slightly and the sound quality has also been given a boost. In addition, the AirPods 3 can take a splash, which is nice.
One size fits all
The appearance has also changed, the AirPods 3 are a bit lighter and look a bit more like the AirPods Pro, with sensors, microphones and speakers placed behind black screens. The speaker is remarkably large, which promises a lot before you put the earphones in for the first time.
Still, Apple has maintained the biggest design flaw of the AirPods. The ears cannot be adjusted to size. Other wireless in-ears, including the AirPods Pro, have a rubber (exchangeable) tip that secures the earpiece in the ear canal and seals it optimally for the best sound experience. That is not the case with the AirPods, which, as it were, hang in your ear with a universal format. As a result, the earphones are not suitable for every ear. It’s a mystery to me why Apple sticks to this design.
In practice, the earphones sit comfortably in the ear, so you can safely wear them for a longer period of time. They also stay in place (in my case) well, even with exercise such as cycling and walking. When the movement becomes more intensive, think of running, you notice that they hang too loose in the ear.
The design is a waste of sound quality
Sound quality of the AirPods 3
The fact that the earphones do not close off your ear detracts from the sound experience. Ambient noise comes through, which can be annoying if you want to concentrate or are in a noisy environment such as a train or plane. If you want to be more aware of your surroundings, for example in traffic or at the office, it is nice again.
It is actually a shame to mention the good sound reproduction that the AirPods 3 delivers. Because the sound quality is exceptionally good, and could have been even better if it wasn’t disturbed by the environment. As the size of the speaker screen suggests, the sound for wireless in-ears is powerful. The adjustment is also perfectly fine, so that all details and tones are audible. That makes the earphones suitable for all purposes: whether you listen to varied music, follow podcasts and audiobooks or have conversations.
AirPods 3 functions
Of course, AirPods work seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. But even if you don’t use Apple equipment, you can still use AirPods with, for example, your Android smartphone or Windows PC without missing important features. I didn’t notice any difference in sound quality and the controls (by squeezing the bar of the AirPods) just work.
However, you have to do without Apple’s Siri assistance and the spatial audio, also a technology from Apple itself. Spatial audio goes beyond surround sound. The sound is spatial, where individual sounds (a bass guitar, voice or whatever) really sound like they’re coming from somewhere else, for example.
What makes the experience even more impressive is that when you turn your head, the sound turns, so to speak, so that it still seems to come from the same place. An impressive technology. Especially for movies, series and games of great added value with good headphones. For music and simple earphones like this, spatial audio still feels like a somewhat unnecessary gimmick. The fact that the AirPods 3 don’t close you off from the environment reinforces that feeling.
Other functions such as noise cancellation (ANC) or ambient sound mode are not present on the AirPods 3. That is also quite redundant due to the design of the AirPods 3.
Battery life of the AirPods 3
Because the battery capacity of the AirPods 3 has been slightly increased and the chipset works more economically, the battery lasts longer than its predecessor. Apple sets six hours. In practice I ended up with about half an hour less. This means that the third generation of AirPods are not marathon runners, and keep in mind that earphone batteries wear out quickly and therefore have less stamina.
With 345 mAh, the charging case has a slightly lower capacity than that of the AirPods 2 (398 mAh). It is enough to fully charge the earbuds about five times. You can now also charge the charging box via Magsafe, but a regular wireless charger also works fine. There is a Lightning connection to charge the box wired.
Although Lightning is annoyingly outdated, it cannot be regarded as a drawback, after all, it would be crazy to have to charge your iPhone with a different connection than your corresponding earphones. The fact that iPhones in 2021 still have Lightning is a drawback (we have discussed extensively).
Alternatives to the AirPods 3
The AirPods 3 excel thanks to the sound quality and are certainly worth the extra price compared to AirPods 2, which are about fifty euros cheaper at 150 euros. In this price range, however, you can also buy very good earphones with good sound quality, a snug fit and noise reduction. Think of the Bose QuietComfort earphones. Samsung Galaxy Buds2 and Sennheiser CX Plus, for example, also offer this, but cannot keep up with Apple on sound quality.
Conclusion: Buy Apple AirPods 3?
The Apple AirPods 3 don’t disappoint me at all. The sound quality is impressively powerful and the earphones are comfortable. However, the one size fits all design is a shortcoming, which means that the ears do not fit everyone and can come out of the ear during intensive movement. The addition of water resistance is a plus, as is the longer battery life. Spatial audio still has to prove its added value for in-ears and music.
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