The third-generation earbuds come with the H1 chip, spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, and low-distortion custom drivers that promise to deliver powerful bass and clear high frequencies, Apple said. They’re sweat- and water-resistant, and have a new contour design. Some might be happy to hear that the AirPods stem is now shorter than the previous generation, giving it a more subtle appearance. The new AirPods also come with Adaptive EQ, which Apple first introduced in the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. It supposedly tunes music in real-time, depending on the shape of your ear, to deliver a consistent listening experience. An inward-facing microphone monitors the sounds coming out of the earbuds, then Adaptive EQ tunes the low and mid frequencies to compensate for any losses that might happen due to variances in fit, Apple said. The third-gen AirPods have a bigger battery that can last up to six hours on a single charge, which is one hour more than the previous generation offered. It also can get up to four hours of talk time. With four total charges in the case, they can get a total of 30 hours of listening time, Apple said. Five minutes of charging gets the AirPods about an hour of use if you need to top up quickly. Apple also is adding MagSafe wireless charging to the case, something that previously was only available for iPhones and the Apple Watch. The new Apple AirPods cost $179 and are available to order now on the Apple website. They come out on October 26.
