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Apple announced the new AirPods 3 at the brand’s Apple ‘Unleashed’ event today. You can pre-order them right now and they will start shipping out by next week. Here’s how to get the newest AirPods model in your ears as soon as possible: Right now the only retailer offering the new AirPods 3 is the Apple Store itself. You can pre-order the AirPods straight from a physical Apple Store or through the Apple Store app. Other retailers will get their AirPods stock in on October 26, but unfortunately aren’t offering pre-orders. If you need the AirPods right now, the Apple Store is your best bet.
The new AirPods will cost $179. In line with their role as an upgrade to the main line of AirPods, they are more expensive than the AirPods 2, which still have a baseline cost of $129, but cheaper than AirPods Pro, which will stay at $249.
The AirPods 3 are a total redesign from the AirPods 2. They have a slightly thinner, more ergonomic design, and don’t have silicon tips like the AirPods Pro. They do give the AirPods Pro a run for their money in terms of features — the AirPods 3 have the same pinch controls Adaptive EQ as the AirPods Pro.
The new Dolby Atmos Music, tech that tracks your head movement and adjusts spatial audio to match, is now available in the baseline Airpods. The AirPods Pro had this tech already. This brings an incredibly immersive audio experience to users who don’t want to pay $249 for their earbuds. Dolby Atmos tech will pair perfectly with 4K movies on an iPhone or Apple TV.
AirPods 3 offer an average of six hours listening time on one charge. With the wireless charging case, you can charge AirPods 3 four full times before you need to plug the case in again. That’s 30 full hours of listening if you have the charging case. In a pinch, five minutes of plugged-in charging will get you an hour of listening time. The new wireless case now supports MagSafe wireless charging.
You can pre-order the new AirPods 3 at Apple right now, or wait until October 26 and pre-order from your favorite retailer like Best Buy, Walmart, or Amazon. Check out the Apple link below.
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