Here’s how the AirPods 3 compare with their predecessors, the AirPods 2.
Apple has finally released the AirPods 3, over two years since it launched the AirPods 2 back in 2019. The new AirPods (3rd generation) come with a new AirPods Pro -style design, support for Spatial Audio, and custom drivers that are designed to combat distortion. All these new features could make the AirPods 3 an appealing prospect over the older AirPods 2 – but now that the latter have been given a permanent price cut, you may be wondering which Apple earbuds you should buy. While we haven’t had a chance to test the AirPods 3 for ourselves just yet (and we’ll be sure to update this guide once we’ve thoroughly reviewed the third-gen AirPods), we’ve taken a deep dive into the specs to help you pick the best AirPods for your needs. The Apple AirPods (3rd generation) are available to preorder now, with the official AirPods 3 release date set for October 26. Costing $179 / £169 / AU$279, they’re more expensive than the AirPods 2, but still cheaper than the noise-cancelling AirPods Pro. The second-gen AirPods launched back in March 2019, at $159 / £159 / AU$249 with the standard charging case, and $199 / £199 / AU$319 with the Wireless Charging Case bundled in. However, older true wireless earbuds have now been given a permanent discount, with the price dropping to $129 / £119 / AU$219. There’s a catch though – that price will get you the AirPods 2 with a standard charging case, and Apple is no longer selling them with the wireless charging case as a bundle. If you want the second-gen AirPods with a wireless charging case, you’ll have to fork out an additional $79 / £79 / AU$129 – which is more expensive than buying the new AirPods 3. So, if you’re fine with a standard USB-C charging case, the AirPods 2 are the cheaper option – and they’re sure to be discounted heavily over Black Friday 2021 (previous AirPods Black Friday deals have seen them drop as low as $99 /£99 / AU$99). But, if wireless charging is a deal breaker, your best option is to buy the new AirPods 3. The AirPods 3 and the AirPods 2 share a similar aesthetic, with an all-white, minimalistic design, but there are a few key differences between the two models. Firstly, Apple has shortened the stems for the AirPods 3, as well as furnishing them with touch-capacitive sensors that you can squeeze to control your music playback and phones calls, as with the AirPods Pro. The housings of the AirPods 3 wireless earbuds have also been made more streamlined, with a contoured design that’s supposed to funnel audio directly into your ear canals.
