Third-Gen AirPods Offer Only 5 Hours’ Listening Time With Spatial Audio Enabled

Apple on Monday announced third-generation AirPods, featuring an updated design, improved sound quality, and an extra hour of battery life compared to the second-generation ‌AirPods‌, which offer five hours of listening time. However, what Apple didn’t make very explicit in its marketing is that to get six hours out of its latest earphones, spatial audio must be disabled.

airpods 3
As noted in Apple’s fine print, if spatial audio is enabled, users can expect up to five hours of battery. That’s the same amount of listening time offered by the second-generation ‌AirPods‌, which don’t support spatial audio, but still half an hour longer than the AirPods Pro. That said, ‌AirPods Pro‌ can also be pushed to five hours of listening time by turning off Active Noise Cancelation and Transparency mode.

The new ‌‌AirPods‌‌, as rumored, feature a design similar to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ but without silicone eartips or Active Noise Cancelation. The new ‌‌AirPods‌‌ also include Adaptive EQ, which adjusts frequencies in real-time based on what a user is listening to deliver even improved sound quality.

According to Apple’s specifications page for the new ‌AirPods‌, the third-generation ‌AirPods‌ do not support the iPhone 6, ‌iPhone‌ 6 Plus, and the ‌iPhone‌ 5s, because they require iOS 13 to work. They also drop support for the iPad mini 2 and ‌iPad mini‌ 3 alongside the sixth-generation iPod touch.

The new third-generation ‌AirPods‌ are being offered alongside the second-generation ‌AirPods‌, as well as the higher-end ‌AirPods Pro‌. The new ‌AirPods‌ are available for pre-order now and will begin shipping next week.

(Thanks, Anton!)

Related Stories

Apple Announces Redesigned Third-Generation AirPods

Monday October 18, 2021 10:12 am PDT by

Apple today announced the third-generation AirPods, featuring an updated design, improved sound quality, and more. The new third-generation AirPods builds on features such as Spatial Audio in Apple Music, iOS 15’s Conversation Boost, and more. The new AirPods, as rumored, features a design similar to the AirPods Pro but without silicone eartips or Active Noise Cancelation. The new AirPods…

AirPods 3 Available to Order Today for $179 and Launch October 26

Apple today announced that the third-generation AirPods are available to order starting today, with pricing set at $179 in the United States. Apple also said the second-generation AirPods with a wired charging case are remaining available for $129, down from $159.
The third-generation AirPods will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, October 26, according to Apple.

Third-Generation AirPods Require iOS 13, Drop Support for Older iPhones, iPads, and iPods

The new third-generation AirPods drop support for older iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch models previously supported by the second-generation AirPods.
According to Apple’s specifications page for the new AirPods, the third-generation AirPods do not support the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and the iPhone 5s. They also drop support for the iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3 alongside the sixth-generation…

Redesigned AirPods Expected to be Announced During Monday’s ‘Unleashed’ Apple Event

Wednesday October 13, 2021 2:02 am PDT by

After their lack of appearance at Apple’s September event, updated third-generation AirPods can be expected to be unveiled during next week’s “Unleashed” Mac-focused event, according to a leaker.
Rumors had initially indicated that the new AirPods would ship alongside the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 announcement last month, but the new earphones failed to materialize. AirPods are best …

Kuo: Third-Generation AirPods to be Announced During ‘California Streaming’ Apple Event

Sunday September 12, 2021 6:40 am PDT by

Apple will announce its third-generation AirPods, featuring a new design similar to the AirPods Pro but lacking in “Pro” features during its “California streaming” Apple event on Tuesday, September 14, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in an investors note obtained by MacRumors. Kuo envisions two possible scenarios for how Apple treats the AirPods lineup following the launch of the new…

AirPods 3 Ready to Launch and Likely to Be Announced at Apple Event Next Week, Analyst Says

Apple is hosting a virtual event on Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with rumors widely suggesting the event will be focused on redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a faster version of the M1 chip, brighter mini-LED displays, and more.
In an investor note with Wedbush today, shared with MacRumors, analyst Dan Ives said third-generation AirPods will likely be announced at the …

Full AirPods 3 Feature Breakdown: Everything Rumors Say We Can Expect

With Apple’s third-generation AirPods believed to be arriving alongside the iPhone 13, which is just a few weeks away, we have compiled all of the coherent rumors from our news coverage to build a full picture of the features and upgrades coming to the company’s next-generation wireless earbuds.
AirPods 3 clones in a clear case, reportedly showing the next-generation design.
It is worth…

Third-Generation AirPods Still Rumored to Be on Track for 2021 Launch

The third-generation AirPods are still on track to be launched before the end of this year, despite their lack of appearance during the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 event earlier last month, according to DigiTimes.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported the weekend before Apple’s September 14 “California streaming” event that the third-generation AirPods would make an appearance during…

AirPods Pro Now Available With MagSafe Charging Case for Same $249 Price

In addition to introducing third-generation AirPods with a similar design as AirPods Pro, Apple today announced that the AirPods Pro now come with a MagSafe charging case, with pricing remaining set at $249 in the United States.
With a MagSafe charging case, the AirPods Pro case can magnetically attach to Apple’s MagSafe Charger or MagSafe Duo while wirelessly charging.
As expected, Apple …

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Ultimatepocket

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading