iOS 27 arrives free on Monday, September 14, 2026, and it changes what AirPods you already own can do without a new purchase. The clearest addition is Custom EQ inside AirPods settings, while heart rate sensing during workouts stays limited to AirPods Pro 3 because it depends on a sensor older buds do not have.…
airpods pro 3
Which AirPods to Buy for Calls: The $149 Pick, and the One Number Apple Never Publishes
If calls are the reason you are buying AirPods, buy AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case at $149. It has the same microphone array and the same Voice Isolation as the $129 model, plus an extra hour of playback, a case speaker so you can find it, and a volume swipe you can reach mid-call…
Open-Ear, Sealed or Over-Ear: Which AirPods Shape to Buy, and Who Should Skip the Seal
Apple now sells earbuds in three shapes, and the shape decides the purchase before the price does. If a silicone tip sealing your ear canal bothers you, AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case at $149 is the best open-ear set Apple makes. If it does not bother you, AirPods Pro 3 at $249 is the…
AirPods 5's Bluetooth Chip Is the Same Version Apple Shipped in 2024
AirPods 5 connects over Bluetooth 5.3. That is the exact version Apple published for AirPods 4 two years ago, and it is the same version on AirPods Pro 3’s spec sheet from last year. Apple’s own tech specs pages show the H2 chip and Bluetooth 5.3 pairing has now shipped in three straight AirPods generations,…
AirPods Pro 3's Noise Cancellation Hours Run Backward on Apple's Own Pages
Apple’s own compare tool lists AirPods Pro 3 getting fewer hours of listening with Active Noise Cancellation off than Apple’s own AirPods Pro 3 product page lists with Active Noise Cancellation on. Every other current AirPods model runs the opposite way, with noise cancellation off buying more time, not less. AirPods 5 lists more hours…
Does AirPods 5 Have Hearing Test or Hearing Protection? What Apple Lists Instead
Apple’s own AirPods comparison page marks Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection as No for both AirPods 5 and AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case. Those three rows stay marked Yes only for AirPods Pro 3. What AirPods 5 does list on the same page is a different, smaller set: Live Listen, Headphone Levels…
AirPods 5 vs AirPods Max 2: $420 Apart, and Only One Has a Full Spec Sheet
AirPods 5 costs $129 and AirPods Max 2 costs $549, a gap of $420 inside the same product family. The odd part is that their total rated listening times with noise cancellation are almost the same, at up to 20 hours each. AirPods 5 at $129 sits $420 below the top of Apple's range. Image:…
Every AirPods Apple Sells Runs the Same H2 Chip: So What Separates $129 From $549?
Apple lists the same H2 chip and the same Bluetooth 5.3 radio on every set of AirPods it sells, from the $129 AirPods 5 to the $549 AirPods Max 2. The price range across that lineup is more than four times, and none of it is explained by a different processor. AirPods 5 carry the…
AirPods Features That Stop at One Model: Heart Rate, Hearing Aid, Volume Swipe and MagSafe
Several of the features Apple advertises on AirPods exist on exactly one model in the range, and one of them exists on only one of the two AirPods 5 versions. Heart rate sensing and the hearing features are AirPods Pro 3 alone, MagSafe charging is Pro 3 alone, and the force sensor with volume swipe…
AirPods 5 Took Over Apple's AirPods 4 Page: What Apple Still Sells, and at What Price
Apple’s store URL for AirPods 4 now loads AirPods 5 instead, at $129 for the standard model and $149 for the version with the Wireless Charging Case. Read together with Apple’s AirPods comparison page, which lists AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2, the range Apple sells today is three products across four…
AirPods 5 Come With No Ear Tips: What Open-Ear Noise Cancellation Has to Work Around
AirPods 5 are the first open-ear AirPods with Active Noise Cancellation at this level, and the box contains no ear tips. Apple lists the contents as the earbuds, a charging case and documentation. AirPods Pro 3, by contrast, ship with five silicone tip sizes. AirPods 5 keep the AirPods 4 shell, 30.2 x 18.3 x…
Apple's AirPods Range Is Now Four Prices: What the $20, $100 and $300 Steps Add
With AirPods 5 on sale, Apple’s headphone range comes down to four prices: $129, $149, $249 and $549. The steps between them are $20, $100 and $300, and each one buys something very different. AirPods 5 at $129 sets the floor of Apple's range. Image: Apple The cheapest step is the easiest to misread. Going…
Do AirPods 5 Leak Sound? What Apple Publishes About Open-Ear Noise Cancelling
Apple has published no sound leakage figure for AirPods 5, in decibels or in any other form, so nobody can tell you exactly how much of your music the person next to you hears. What Apple has published is the shape of the answer: these are open-ear earbuds with no ear tips, and Apple’s own…
AirPods 5, AirPods Pro 3 or AirPods Max 2: Apple's Three Sets, Decided by What You Do
Apple’s headphone range is down to three names and four prices, and the choice comes apart cleanly by what you do rather than what you spend. AirPods 5 at $129 or $149 are the open-ear pick for anyone who wants to hear the room, AirPods Pro 3 at $249 are the only model with a…
AirPods Price History: How AirPods 5 at $129 Compares With AirPods 4 and Earlier Models
AirPods 5 launch at $129, the same starting price as AirPods 4 two years ago, but this time Active Noise Cancellation is included rather than reserved for a $179 model. The wireless-charging tier is $149, $30 less than the equivalent AirPods 4 with ANC configuration cost at launch. Apple’s earbud prices have held at $129…
Every AirPods Model Apple Sells Now: AirPods 5, AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3 Compared
Apple’s AirPods earbud range now spans $129 to $249 across five products: AirPods 5 and AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, both new today, alongside AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 3. Every one of them except the base AirPods 4 has Active Noise Cancellation. That is the biggest change to the…
Workout Buddy Drops the iPhone Requirement and Learns Spanish, GymKit Adds AirPods Pro 3 Heart Rate
Workout Buddy on Apple Watch no longer needs a nearby iPhone in watchOS 27. It works over Wi-Fi or cellular on its own, and it adds Spanish as a second language. Separately, GymKit gains support for AirPods Pro 3 heart rate syncing with compatible gym equipment and improved treadmill accuracy. Both changes were announced alongside…
AirPods 5 vs AirPods Pro 3: $129 or $249, Which Noise-Cancelling AirPods Should You Buy?
AirPods 5 cost $129, or $149 with the Wireless Charging Case, and AirPods Pro 3 cost $249. Both now have Active Noise Cancellation, which makes the $120 gap between Apple’s cheapest and most expensive earbuds harder to read than it was a year ago. Until today, ANC on an open-ear AirPods model meant the $179…
Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 3 Firmware Update Version 8B40
Apple just released the 8B40 firmware update for the AirPods Pro 3. Learn how to check your current version and what this new software release includes.
AirPods Pro 3 Pairing Mode: How to Connect Your Earbuds Quickly
Learn how to put AirPods Pro 3 into pairing mode and connect to any device. This is a step-by-step guide for a fast and seamless setup.
Did you know? AirPods Pro 3 are IP57 — and the case is too
Apple quietly made beach days and dusty trails less scary. With AirPods Pro 3, both the earbuds and the charging case carry an IP57 rating for dust and water resistance. Earlier AirPods cases only offered basic splash protection, so this is a meaningful durability jump for runners, gym-goers, and anyone who pockets the case in messy places.
AirPods Pro 3 Don’t Support Apple Music Lossless
Did you know? AirPods Pro 3 do not stream Apple Music in Lossless quality from your iPhone. The Apple Store lists “No Lossless Audio” for Pro 3. Lossless playback remains a Vision Pro–specific path that works with AirPods Pro 2 (USB‑C) via Apple’s proprietary wireless link, not general Apple Music on iPhone.
AirPods Pro 3 Heart Rate Accuracy Hinges on This Key Test
With the introduction of the AirPods Pro 3, Apple has quietly transformed a simple audio feature into a critical component of its health and fitness ecosystem.
AirPods Pro 3 Unboxing: What’s Inside the Box (Real Photos)
If you’re wondering exactly what Apple ships with the new AirPods Pro 3, here’s a clean, photo‑driven unboxing and first look.