A superb pair of open fit headphones, the third-generation AirPods are a huge step forwards from their predecessors

Superbly comfortable; Great sound quality; Spatial Audio support;

Microphone not the greatest;

A superb pair of open fit headphones, the third-generation AirPods are a huge step forwards from their predecessors

Superbly comfortable; Great sound quality; Spatial Audio support;

Microphone not the greatest;

Great sound quality; Sweat and water resistance; Long battery life; Skin-detect sensor very welcome;

AirPods Pro aren’t that much more expensive; No noise cancelling;

The Apple AirPods 3 improve on their predecessors in every way, assuming their new design is a good fit for your ears.

Improved sound, Longer battery life, Spatial audio

No noise-canceling, Awkward fit for some people

The new AirPods (3rd Gen) sound excellent, and come packed with useful features. As an upgrade to the earlier AirPods, they're exactly what you'd hope for (as long as you don't prefer in-ear tips). But you need to be prepared to live with sound leaking in.

Dynamic, detailed sound, Great new design, Improved battery life, Outer-ear fit ideal for some…

…But the fit isn't for everyone, Battery life still average overall, Sound leaks in, Smart features are only for iOS

While better-sounding alternatives exist, the AirPods 3 are daily delights with a strong selling point in spatial audio Spatial audio support is a real bonus Balanced, clear and detailed sound Strong battery life Beaten for transparency Still no on-bud volume adjustment Fit won't be for everyone

The AirPods 3 are a solid revamp of one of the most popular sets of true wireless earbuds, adopting a better design, improved sound, longer battery life and more advanced features such as spatial audio. Their open-air fit is unrivalled in the industry and certainly has some advantages.

Pros: open fit, solid sound, decent battery, great case, good squeeze playback controls, great connectivity, special features with Apple devices including spatial audio, decent call quality.

Cons: no sound isolation at all, no noise cancelling, lack features when connected to Android or Windows, no on-board volume control, cannot be repaired, expensive.

From the butt of jokes to wireless trendsetter, Apple’s AirPods are serious business now. The true wireless earbud market is a huge deal in accessories, and all eyes were on late 2021’s AirPods (3rd generation) launch to see just what Apple could do for the midrange.

Tight iPhone integration, Solid battery life, Improved audio performance, Spatial audio is clever, IPX4 water resistance

Fit won't suit every ear, No active noise cancellation, Open design means you hear ambient noise

The improved sound quality and battery life alone are reason to prefer third-generation AirPods over the second generation, but the design will be an improvement for some users, too.

Shorter stems, Water- and sweat-resistant, Greatly improved sound quality, Longer battery life

Fit is highly dependent on your personal ear shape, A bit pricey

Apple overhauled its open-ear design to be a version that sits between its existing base model and the noise-canceling Pro . The third generation has a shorter stem and smaller case, like the Pro, but keeps that open-ear design (the Pro has sound-isolating ear tips).

Open-ear design eliminates the “thud” of footstrikes, Spatial audio

Some people have fit issues