Apple’s “Awe dropping” event is officially set for September 9, and it’s likely to focus on the iPhone 17 and new Apple Watch models. Based on the latest reporting, however, the highly-anticipated AirPods Pro 3 might also make their debut at the event.
AirPods Pro 3 are expected to offer a handful of notable upgrades, and they just might steal the show for me.
On a recent episode of the Upgrade podcast, Myke and Jason answered the following question from a listener:
“You arrive at the airport for a weekend break and realize you don’t have your AirPods with you. You’re facing a flight and two days without your favorite podcast. Do you: A: buy a new pair of AirPods at the airport? B: buy a cheaper pair of Bluetooth headphones? C: resolve to read more instead and learn for the next time?”
Like Myke and Jason, my immediate answer was that I’d buy new AirPods at the airport. It’s a luxury, sure, but that’s how important AirPods Pro are to my day-to-day life. They’re in my ears for hours every single day.
I currently use AirPods Pro 2, but AirPods Pro 3 are coming soon, and based on the rumors alone I know they’ll be an instant upgrade for me.
A new H3 audio chip will boast a number of improvements for AirPods Pro 3. We’ll get improved noise cancelation and Transparency mode, faster connectivity, and hopefully better battery life. Faster connectivity should also mean improvements to features like automatic device switching.
The fact is that even modest improvements to things like connectivity and ANC will significantly improve my AirPods Pro experience given how often I use them every single day.
AirPods Pro 3 will also reportedly feature heart rate monitoring support, similar to the Powerbeats Pro 2 that launched earlier this year. As I wrote in my review of Powerbeats Pro 2, the heart rate monitoring feature isn’t particularly useful if you also wear an Apple Watch, but it’s a nice fallback to have.
Another reason I know I won’t regret an AirPods Pro 3 upgrade: they’ll continue to get better over time. AirPods Pro 2 have consistently gotten software updates with new features since their first release in 2022. There’s no reason to think that will change with AirPods Pro 3 and the more powerful H3 chip.
New iPhones are released every year. New AirPods Pro, however, are a gift we get only every few years. I’ll be first in line to buy AirPods Pro 3 if they launch later this month. What about you?
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