Revolution in your ear! AirPods Pro 3 to replace smartwatches, can measure heart rate

Yesterday, during its autumn event, Apple introduced AirPods Pro 3, which bring a mix of expected improvements and a few surprises. The biggest new feature is the integrated heart rate sensor, which turns the premium headphones into a fitness tracker. The price remains the same as the previous generation – in the Czech Republic, 6,490 CZK.

A heart rate sensor Apple owed for years

AirPods Pro 3 use a PPG sensor with infrared light pulsing 256× per second, which, in cooperation with accelerometers and a gyroscope, can track heart rate during exercise.

Practically, this means you can go for a run with just your iPhone and headphones – no watch or fitness band needed. The Fitness app supports up to 50 types of exercises, and thanks to Apple Intelligence, you’ll also receive personalized motivational messages during your workout. The question is how accurate the measurement will be – the earlobe is not an ideal location.

Top-tier noise cancellation

Apple claims that AirPods Pro 3 have “the best active noise cancellation of any wireless in-ear headphones”. Compared to AirPods Pro 2, they filter out 2× more noise, and even 4× more than the first generation. This is aided by new microphones with extremely low noise levels and foam-layered ear tips, which now come in five sizes, including XXS.

Battery life with ANC enabled has been extended to 8 hours on a single charge (33% more than the previous generation), and even 10 hours in transparency mode.

Real-time translation – more of a promise for the future, for now

The Live Translation feature sounds great on paper – the headphones translate a conversation in real-time with someone speaking a different language. In practice, however, it is currently limited to English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Czech will not be available in the foreseeable future.

An interesting solution for longer conversations is that when both participants have AirPods, each hears the translation in their own language. If only you have them, you can use your iPhone as a display with subtitles for the other person.

Smaller body, greater durability

Apple used data from 10,000 ear scans and 100,000 hours of research to redesign the product. The headphones are smaller, but thanks to the new geometry, they fit better in the ear. For the first time, they also received IP57 certification – meaning they can withstand dust, sweat, and water immersion. This will be especially appreciated by athletes, even though competitors have offered this level of durability for years.

The charging case remains virtually the same, supporting both MagSafe and USB-C. Thanks to ultra-wideband technology, it has a 50% greater range when searching via the Find My app. The built-in speaker helps when the headphones get lost somewhere under a pillow.

Price and availability?

You can pre-order AirPods Pro 3 today, and they will be in stores from September 19. The price remains the same as the previous generation – 249 dollars in the USA, 6,490 CZK in the Czech Republic.

What do you think of the third-generation AirPods Pro?

Source: Apple