The Apple AirPods 3, also known as the 3rd Generation AirPods, was released late last year with an updated design inspired by the more-expensive AirPods Pro. Apple has dropped the price to $150 at least twice already at major retailers (give or take a few cents), but if you missed out on those discounts, the third-generation AirPods is once again on sale for $150.
The AirPods 3 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, skin/force detection for buttons and auto-pause, IPX4 sweat and water resistance, Adaptive EQ, support for "Hey Siri" when paired to Apple devices, and an Apple H1 chipset. Even though the design has been updated to more closely match the AirPods Pro, it doesn’t have the same in-ear fit, nor does it offer Active Noise Cancellation.
Apple AirPods 3
This is the latest generation of AirPods, with an updated design and MagSafe charging.
Apple says you can expect up to 6 hours of listening time (or 5 hours with Spatial audio enabled), or 4 hours of talk time. The charging case pushes that to 30 hours of listening time, or 20 hours of talk time. You can use either a Lightning cable or a Qi wireless charging pad to charge the AirPods 3 case, and Apple says leaving the earbuds in the case for five minutes should give you around an hour of listening time.
If you’re not sure if the AirPods 3 are for you, have a look at our roundup of the best true wireless earbuds. Even though Apple makes some of the best earbuds around, there are plenty of other options worth taking a look at, especially if you tend to use non-Apple products often and don't have a use for the Siri integration.
Amazon seems to be the only retail store with the AirPods 3 on sale right now — Apple's own website, Best Buy, and other stores still have it at the usual $179 price. Amazon orders seem to be a bit backlogged, as the product listing says "usually ships within 6 days" as of when this article was written, but you can still place an order.