Apple Introduces New AirPods as HomePod mini Gets New Colours

Olufemi Adeyemi 

In addition to the new Apple MacBook Pro models, the company has now revealed what we can expect from the 3rd generation of Apple AirPods.

The buds represent some major changes from the 2nd generation, now with the powerful Apple H1 Chip combined with an in-house designed acoustic system, dynamic head tracking across Apple devices, and superior spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, and a smoother listening experience with Adaptive EQ.

Similar to previous generations, the third-gen AirPods are lightweight and focused on comfort, secure fit, and optimal position for delivering audio into the ear. The redesign also features a slightly shorter stem that is meant to make the already-slight AirPods even more less obtrusive.

The new design also includes new audio features, including some of the breakthrough sound experiences found in Apple’s premium AirPods Max headphones—such as Adaptive EQ and Apple’s new spatial audio feature with dynamic head tracking. These new features support the AirPod’s already outstanding overall audio performance.

Apple has now covered the microphone with an acoustic mesh to help reduce the sound of wind during calls, addressing a common issue with truly wireless earbuds which should make it much easier to slam those deals shut should you ever find yourself struggling against a particularly strong gust. AAC-ELD, a superior speech Bluetooth codec, is also now being used to offer full HD voice quality for clear, natural communication during FaceTime calls.

Battery life, which was already solid among wireless headphones, also gets a boost. The third-generation AirPods deliver a full extra hour of battery life, bringing the total amount of listening time you get—including a full charge case—up to 30 hours.

The Apple AirPods 3 will be available for $279 with online orders open now for shipping starting from Tuesday, October 26. This means that the previous model, the Apple Airpods 2, now drop to $219. Do note that AirPods will only work with Apple devices running iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, watchOS 8.1, tvOS 15.1 or macOS Monterey – all of which will be available as free software updates by the end of the month.

HomePod mini

There wasn’t a new HomePod mini announced, but there were new color options.

Probably not what anyone was expecting on the HomePod front, but now that the mini is Apple’s primary smart home device, the company has just announced a handful of additional colors for the line.

In addition to classic white and space gray, you can now get your HomePod mini smart speaker in yellow, orange, or blue.

The new colors join the black and white versions and will run $99, like their counterparts. The new versions of the mini will be available starting in November, just in time for the holidays.

October 19, 2021