Apple unveiled AirPods Pro, the third version of its popular wireless headphones, as it looks to target the higher-end of the market with added features including noise cancellation and sweat resistance.
The new AirPods will be available in most major Apple markets from 30 October, priced $250, an increase on the original AirPods and AirPods 2, [1] which launched earlier this year.
Apple said in a statement it revamped the design to be more lightweight and fit more comfortably. It also addressed a well-known grievance around size with the older generations of AirPods, offering three different sizes of silicone earbuds, which it said “conform to the contours of each individual ear, providing both a comfortable fit and a superior seal”.
Noise cancellation was achieved through a combination of two microphones and the improved fit.
Apple explained the first microphone faces outward to analyse external environmental noise, with the earphones then creating “an equivalent anti-noise” to cancel out this background interference before it reaches the ears. The second, inward-facing, microphone cancels the remaining noise detected.
The earphones are also water and sweat resistant, and offer a transparency mode enabling users to hear what is happening around them while listening to music.
Apple said the AirPods Pro offer a battery life of up to five hours.
[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/devices/news-devices/apple-upgrades-airpods/
