Apple AirPods 3rd Gen: Long-term review

Since the launch of the first generation AirPods in 2016, Apple has sold a ton of them around the world. They continue to be the top-selling wireless earphones.

. But, have to say Apple AirPods Pro with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature has a taken sheen off the regular AirPods model, but the latter have been gain traction among new consumers.

. Several rival brands have taken inspiration to churn out cheap knockoffs but have never been able to match the performance neither in terms of clear audio delivery nor battery life.

. Apple launched the third-generation AirPods along with the new HomePod mini colour range in October 2021. In the new generation AirPods, the company has incorporated the adaptive EQ we see in top-end Pro and Max models. Also, it promises to offer longer battery life.

. I have been using it for more than seven months and here are my thoughts on Apple AirPods (3rd Gen).

. Design, build quality and user interface The AirPods 3rd Gen maintains most of the original design language of the previous iteration but comes with a more compact form factor and shorter stem. Inside, it comes with big changes to offer a better user experience than previous iterations.

. The touch sensors on the stem are very responsive and I never faced any issues during the entire review period. What impressed me a lot, was despite the lack of space in the short stem, it was able to register the finger touch impression and that subtle tick sound, it makes the experience better.

. With a single tap, you can answer a call or pause/play music. And, to skip to the next track, you have double tap it. And, with a triple tap, you can back to the beginning of a song or to the previous song.

. To control volume, you can just trigger the digital assistant with just by saying "Hey Siri, turn up the volume" or "Hey Siri, turn down the volume." It was able recognise my voice more often than not, even at noisy bus stops. I performed this test to check its response and it works great. Usually in such situations, I don't like to draw attention to the crowd. I actually use the Apple Watch's digital crown to control the music volume.

. However, I have to note, that my fingers are puny compared to normal people, and probably, why the touch sensors on the AirPods 3 performed well to my liking. Others with beefy fingers may have a different opinion on this aspect.

. The AirPods are made of sturdy hard plastic and I have to confess, have dropped the AirPods several times, all unintentional. Though I am okay with a short stem, wasn't happy with the uni-size earphones, ears come in different shapes for all people.

. This again is subjective to individual choice as the AirPods may fit perfectly with others, but for me, the contour around ear tips was a tad smooth for my ears.

. I always had anxiety about them, slipping out of my ears during my daily rush hour commute between my office and home. But, I am happy to note that I haven't lost them yet.

. But, as I said, I have dropped them many times in other situations, mostly while jogging and walking up and down the stairs at home.

. Also, the AirPods come with an IPX4 rating, meaning they can sustain accidental water splashes, and most importantly, users need not worry about sweat damaging the AirPods during heavy working out.

. It should be noted that the AirPods 3 and the packaging are made of environment-friendly materials. It features 100 percent recycled rare earth elements used in all magnets. The case also uses 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board, and 100 percent recycled aluminium in the hinge. Even the retail package is made from responsibly sourced wood fiber.

. Performance Like Apple Watch to iPhones, the company does a remarkable job with deep integration between AirPods and other Apple devices. The instant notification with visually appealing animation to initiate pairing makes a pleasant user experience.

. Once the connection process is done, you never have to repeat it again. The AirPods will automatically connect to the companion device instantly. And, whenever playing a song or watching a movie/TV series and being done with it, the app pauses, as soon as the earphones are placed back into the case. This is possible with the new skin detector sensor. It can intuitively sense whether the AirPod is on the ear or inside the case.

. Yes, these kinds of conveniences are available on other earphones too, but what makes AirPods stand out is the smooth auto switching between Apple devices.

. When watching a movie on a Mac PC or an iPad, and you receive a call on iPhones, the AirPods instantly switch to the latter. And, the tracking of lost AirPods cases is simpler with the Find My app. You can even make it play sound for detection when lost between sofa cushions' crevices.

. As far as the audio quality is concerned, it is really clear to hear, and also the mics pick my voice accurately and ensure the other person on the other side, hears with clarity. Even while walking on MG Road boulevard below the metro track and the noisy track beside, they were able to pick my voice correctly with less distortion. Yes, the traffic noise did creep in but my voice was more profound for the person outside.

. I used to repeatedly ask my wife during the post-lunch walk at MG Road Boulevard to get feedback on how my voice came across. Even her voice was clearly delivered and I did not have trouble hearing her words. It was really clear and have to say, AirPods 3rd Gen is one of the best among the earphones around Rs 20,000.

. They also boast Adaptive EQ that can tune the sound in real-time based on how AirPods fit in the user’s ear.

. It works with the inward-facing microphone to monitor for sound, and then Adaptive EQ, powered by computational audio, tunes the low and mid frequencies to account for what may be lost due to variances in fit.

. I had a really good time listening to music during my commute between the office and home. I listen to a wide range of genres such as rock (Coldplay, Linkin Park, Nickelback, etc), hip-hop(mostly Eminem), Blues (Robbie Williams), classical Carnatic sung by SP Balasubramanium, Raj Kumar (Kannada legend, listen to Naadamaya Ee Lokavella, it's amazing) and others.

. The beam-forming microphones in AirPods can block out ambient noise to an extent. Despite the outside sound, it can still catch the 'Hey Siri' phrase to perform tasks such as control volume or move tracks without having to move the hands.

. As I already mentioned, AirPods faired well, but partly on way back home with less traffic in the night and at home.

. However, in the morning, I daily face traffic jams and during this period, the outside noises like horns go several notches and they creep in while listening to the music and ruin the experience I wished for, regular AirPods even without ANC, at least had silicone ear tips to block out such disturbances, but alas, only the Pro model as this feature.

. On the bright side, AirPods support spatial audio to offer a three-dimensional theatre-like experience.

. It combines advanced spatial audio algorithms with directional audio filters to subtly adjust the frequencies that each ear receives, and this will enable the new AirPods to deliver the sound all around the user.

. And, with Dolby Atmos, users can also enjoy the multi-level experience with dynamic head tracking, so music, video, and even Group FaceTime calls feel more immersive compared to the previous iteration.

. Another notable aspect of the AirPods 3rd gen is the new skin-detect sensor. It can accurately discern if AirPods are in the ear or is in a pocket or on a table and pauses playback when removed. It performed well at all times during the test.

. As advertised, AirPods 3 is able to deliver long battery life. On paper, on a single charge, AirPods 3rd Gen can offer close to six hours of listening time and up to 30 hours of total listening time with the charging case.

. During the testing period, I never had to keep a tab on time to listen to music or even worry about losing battery life in the middle of a virtual conference.

. As mentioned above about the tight Apple product integration, I can see the exact battery capacity of the AirPods and the case on the iPhone.

. And, always got a notification on the iPhone/Mac to charge up the case whenever the battery level went red.

. Also, I am happy to note, that after more than seven months of usage, both the AirPods have the same battery capacity and never once, saw any uneven dip in the battery life of the right and left AirPods. I have seen this happening in other branded earbuds, but not with these AirPods so far.

. I'd like to add that I hate using one earphone at a time even for a minute and for those who have the tolerance to wearing just one earphone, then the battery life between two AirPods will begin to differ and sometimes, risk one of them dying while watching a movie or listening to music, which ruins the user experience.

. Final thoughts Apple 3rd Gen AirPods tick most of the check-boxes such as audio delivery during a call/video conference, battery life, and the most impressive aspect I loved was the deep integration with Apple devices.

. The auto switch transition between iPhone and Mac/iPad is just so smooth. Also, now, users can track their lost AirPods using the Find My app on their Apple devices. These conveniences, in a way, despite some shortcomings (uni-size ear tips and no ANC) in the AirPods, convince consumers to stay with it. And, in the future, when a new generation of AirPods or Pro models come, they are more likely to go for them than look out for other brands.

. Apple AirPods 3rd Gen is available for Rs 20,500 on Apple online store. By the way, the company offers free engraving service and you can get any name or phrase engraved on the case.

. It is also available on several authorized retail chains and online such as Amazon, Flipkart, and others with lucrative deals, but they will not offer engraving service.

. Pros Excellent audio delivery Great for video and audio calling Good build quality with an IPX4 rating Decent battery life

. Cons No ANC Uni-size model

Apple AirPods 3rd Gen: Long-term review

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