Apple’s iPhone keynote is now underway but the firm’s first annoucement is nothing to do with smartphones. In fact, the technology company has kicked off its keynote by revealing some clever new AirPods that come with features that have never seen before.
Perhaps the most impressive upgrade coming to the new AirPods Pro 3 is Live Translation. This does exactly what it says on the tin. As you speak to someone in a foreign language, the AirPods will translate the conversation in real time. You’ll even get a transcript beamed onto the screen on the iPhone.
Live Translation on AirPods is available in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, and will be coming to four more languages by the end of the year
It looks impressive and could certainly help when travelling around the globe.
Along with translation, the Pro 3 now come with a heart rate sensor tucked inside. This will help to monitor pulse when users head out for a walk or run.
AirPods Pro 3 introduce a custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that shines invisible infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow.
It basically means you don’t need an Apple Watch to get a precise reading from your heart.
Of course, these are earbuds and Apple reckons it’s boosting the audio credentials of its popular buds.
There’s better Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), four times better than before. Apple says this has been made possible with ultra-low noise microphones and advanced computational audio combined with new foam-infused ear tips for greater passive noise isolation.
There’s also better airflow through the buds, with Apple promising users should get over-the-ear performance from these smaller buds.
Another thing coming to the AirPods Pro 3 is a more comfy design. To deliver this improved fit for even more people, Apple is boasting that the internal architecture has been completely re-engineered to make each AirPod smaller, while the external geometry of the ear tip was aligned to the centre of the body for increased stability.
“With AirPods Pro 3, the most popular headphones take a massive leap forward, providing fantastic sound quality and the world’s best ANC of any in-ear wireless headphones,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.
“Combined with an improved fit that provides greater stability for even more people, heart rate sensing, extended battery life, and Live Translation enabled by Apple Intelligence, AirPods Pro 3 take personal audio to the next level.”
The new AirPods will go on sale this month and cost the same as the current AirPods Pro. Expect to pay around £229.