The AirPods 3 is a cheaper AirPods Pro but it lacks one important feature

Apple has officially unveiled its 3rd generation AirPods that carry over almost everything from the AirPods Pro except for one most-wanted feature. In terms of design, it looks like a compact AirPods Pro without the replaceable ear tips. Like the original AirPods, these are still hard-tipped earbuds that some people might find more comfortable using for long hours of listening.

AirPods 3 pricing in Malaysia

The AirPods 3 are officially priced at RM829 in Malaysia. This puts it right smack in between the 2nd gen AirPods which are now priced at RM589 and the AirPods Pro which are still retailing for RM1,099. It comes only in white and it goes on sale in first-wave countries starting next week.

For Malaysia, there are no local availability details for the AirPods 3 at the moment so you’ll have to stay tuned.

What’s new with the AirPods 3?

The 3rd gen AirPods now offer spatial audio which provides an immersive audio experience with dynamic head tracking. According to Apple, it uses a custom driver and a high dynamic range amplifier that provides powerful bass with crisp and clean high frequencies. It also gets dual beamforming microphones as well as an inward-facing microphone.

On top of that, it also gets Adaptive EQ which tunes the sound in real-time based on how the AirPods are fitted into your ear. The stems are shorter than the original AirPods design and they come with force sensors to control your music playback and calls, just like the AirPods Pro.

The new AirPods are also sweating and water-resistant with IPX4 rating. For a hands-free experience, it supports Hey Siri commands as well as Announce Notifications with Siri. Despite being the latest, it still uses Apple’s H1 chip which is the same chip that’s found on the 2nd gen AirPods and the AirPods Pro. However, you do get a longer battery life with up to 6 hours of playback on a single charge or up to 5 hours with spatial audio enabled. You can get up to 30 hours in total playback with the charging case included or up to 20 hours of talk time for voice calls.

The new charging case supports wireless charging and is also compatible with the MagSafe. If you prefer to charge by cable, it still has a lightning port that pushes an hour of battery life with just a quick 5-minute charge. During today’s announcement, Apple has also updated the AirPods Pro case to support MagSafe charging as well. The AirPods Pro still retains the same retail price of RM1,099. All new AirPods buyers will get 6 months of Apple Music for free.

Despite the notable upgrades, it is still disappointing to find out that the new AirPods don’t offer active noise cancellation. During online mega sales, it is not unusual to find the AirPods Pro going for less than RM900, which is pretty close to the retail price of the AirPods 3. The only advantage the new earbuds have is longer battery life. The 3rd gen AirPods can last an hour longer than the AirPods Pro with ANC and transparency turned off.

To learn more you can check out the product page or view the comparison sheet below.