Smart & Connected Life > Headphones & Ear Buds New Apple AirPods 3 and Pro 2: Price, Release Date, Specs, and News New AirPods are here. Here's everything you need to know By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Facebook Twitter Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on May 17, 2022 Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Release Date Price Pre-Orders New Features Specs and Details The Latest News Apple's always got a few more tricks up its sleeve, and its wildly popular AirPods are no exception. The third-gen AirPods have already been released, and the second-gen AirPods Pro are expected this fall. When Will AirPods 3 or AirPods Pro 2 Be Released? Apple announced the AirPods 3 on October 18, 2021, along with the new MacBook Pros. Pre-orders for the AirPods 3 started the same day as the official announcement, on October 18, 2021. You've been able to order the AirPods 3 from Apple.com from the US and more than 26 other countries since October 26, 2021. As for the AirPods Pro 2, everything's still in the rumor stage, but the industry is circling in on late 2022; the fall, if Mark Gurman is correct, and specifically September 13, according to iDrop News. AirPods 3 Price The AirPods (3rd gen) are $179. Apple lets consumers purchase the new AirPods with an interest-free payment plan via its Apple Card credit card, like you could with the previous AirPods lineup. AirPods 3. Apple Pre-Order Information We won't know when AirPods Pro 2 pre-orders will start until they're announced. Keep an eye out for the next Apple event. The usual approach is to announce the new product, then make it quickly available for pre-order, and actually get the product out on the market not long after. New AirPods Features Why introduce a new product if it's just like the old one? Apple's no slouch at the marketing game. Apple AirPods 3 Features The AirPods 3 feature a new contoured design with a shorter stem than v2. It also has the same force sensor as the AirPods Pro. There's also spatial audio (i.e., 3D-like listening experience) and longer battery life. They come with the H1 chip, so computational audio, according to Apple, helps the new model deliver "breakthrough sound" with Adaptive EQ. Apple Here are some other notable features: Sweat and water resistance (IPX4 rating). Up to six hours of listening time, and 30 hours of total listening time with the charging case. That's an extra hour over the previous generations. Five minutes of charge time provides an hour of battery life. Dynamic head tracking and spatial audio with Dolby Atmos; this applies to Apple Music, movies, and TV shows. Audio Sharing lets you share audio between two sets of AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max, while using an iOS device or Apple TV. Apple AirPods Pro 2 Rumored Features If you're going to drop several hundred dollars on a pair of tiny earbuds, they'd better be worth every penny. From what we hear, AirPods Pro 2 are going to deliver the following: No stems at all and a more rounded design. Improved battery life. Gyroscopes and accelerometers to measure body orientation and movement. (This tracks with the advent of Apple Fitness+.) Interchangeable ear tips. AirPods 3 Specs and Hardware The internal workings of the new AirPods are improved, too: An acoustic mesh covered mic helps reduce wind sounds, which means audio comes across crisper.The AAC-ELD codec offers full HD voice quality to assist in delivering clear and natural communication for calls. Similarly, beamforming mics block out ambient noise and focus on your voice to help with sound clarity.A new skin-detect sensor recognizes if your earbuds are being used, and will pause playback when removed. AirPods 3 Tech Specs Audio Tech: Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking / Adaptive EQ / Custom high-excursion Apple driver / Custom high dynamic range amplifier Sensors: Dual beamforming microphones / Inward-facing microphone / Skin-detect sensor / Motion-detecting accelerometer / Speech-detecting accelerometer / Force sensor Chip: H1 headphone chip Controls: Press once to play, pause, or answer a phone call / Press twice to skip forward / Press three times to skip back / Press and hold for Siri / Say “Hey Siri” to do things like play a song, make a call, or get directions Resistance: Sweat and water resistant (IPX4) Size and Weight: 1.21 inches tall / 0.72 inches wide / 0.76 inches deep / 0.15 oz Charging Case: Works with MagSafe charger, Qi-certified chargers, or the Lightning connector Battery: Airpods: Up to 6 hrs listening time with single charge (up to 5 hours with spatial audio enabled) / up to 4 hrs talk time with single chargeWith Charging Case: Up to 30 hrs listening time / up to 20 hrs talk time / 5 min in case provides 1 hr listening time or 1 hr talk time Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 Accessibility: Live Listen audio / headphone levels / headphone accommodations The Latest News About Apple AirPods You can get more Smart & Connected Life news from Lifewire on all kinds of topics; here are some other stories and rumors about Apple's update to its AirPods product line. AirPods Pro 2 to Launch Alongside iPhone 14, Report Claims New AirPods Come Out Next Week AirPods 3 Leak Reveals New Design Leaker Points to Potential Multiple Sizes of AirPods Pro 2 Go Hands-Free With These Top AirPod Commands Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies