In contrast to Apple’s second-generation AirPods which were a minor update rather than a complete redesign, they were overdue for a new one. Fortunately, the company gave us just that with this year’s 3rd generation. The AirPods 2021 look a bit different, with handy features from Apple’s more expensive earbuds and headphones. Despite the stick-bud look and overall fit that divides people, Apple has made its “regular” AirPods better in nearly every regard.

Design

Third-generation AirPods are completely redesigned by Apple. We’ve taken some features from AirPods Pro and combined them with AirPods’ original design. The ear tips are not silicone when you first plug them in. There will be plenty of people who don’t like the new model because it’s similar to the first two AirPods. The stem has the same mix of designs. With the new model, Apple’s shortened it by a third and added the force sensor from the AirPods Pro to the onboard controls.

Apple says it shaped its new “contoured design” after analyzing customer feedback and acoustic studies as well as heat map modelling and thousands of ear scans. According to the company, the tapered silhouette and angle make the shoes more comfortable. Additionally, the updated earbuds direct sound better into your ears. As it turned out, the new model is much more comfortable and has a great design that helps deliver better sound.

Features and software

This new pair of AirPods comes with Apple’s H1 chip, just like Apple’s previous models. With that component, you can do a lot. Here’s what you can do. Flip the case open next to your iPhone and you can sync the two by tapping the pop-up. This is a really simple way to pair earbuds, and you’ll soon notice how much time you wasted pairing the earbuds before you could access the Bluetooth menu. I quite frankly feel as though those days are long past and, to be honest, it is goodbye.

Siri’s always on thanks to the H1 chip. This lets you talk to your virtual assistant without looking at or reaching for your phone. This version of AirPods includes Dynamic Head Tracking, Adaptive EQ, spatial audio and spatial audio enhancements from the pricier Pro and Max.

Review of Apple AirPods (2021)

Like the previous models, the AirPods can also be used to switch between devices on your Apple devices automatically. Your MacBook Pro will switch over to voice call automatically when a call comes in while you’re listening to music. Afterwards, you don’t have to pair up again. Apple’s latest version of iOS lets the third-generation AirPods announce notifications with Siri and improve Find My. You can also share audio now.

Since Apple gave AirPods the same actions as AirPods Pro, they now have sensor-driven controls. Second-gen models had limited options and you had to tap the earbud to access them. You can play/pause and take calls like on the Pro version (press once), skip forward and backward tracks (press twice and three times) and activate Siri (press and hold). Volume control isn’t available. There’s a hold-and-hold button on the AirPods Pro, but Apple could’ve changed this to control volume – up on one side, down on the other. So far, this seems redundant for Siri, especially since the hands-free assistant is already a part of the AirPods.

Quality of sound

There’s a world of difference between the new AirPods and the first two. Honestly, better than the first two. From last year’s model to this year’s, Apple made no noticeable changes to the sound quality. A high dynamic range amp and a proprietary driver were included in gen three’s audio upgrade. “Rich and consistent bass” and “crisps, clean highs” are what this duo produces, says the company. it was all going to be great from the very first song. I’ve never heard me say “wow” when first heard an older AirPod, but since the older ones sounded so average this time, it was involuntary.

In general, the sound is a lot bigger and better. There’s nothing compressed or boring about this. It’s open and airy. Although the sound quality has improved greatly from Sony’s WF-1000XM4, Master & Dynamic’s MW08, as well as Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2, this model does not match the absolute best I have tested: Sony’s WF-1000XM4. Despite the new improvements, Apple’s new AirPods are an improvement over the Galaxy Buds 2 and can be compared with the Elite 75t from Jabra, when it comes to price and sound quality – both of which come with active noise cancellation and are priced similarly to Apple’s newest.

Quality of calls

Every time Apple announces its latest AirPods, they hype the voice quality. New inset microphone covers with acoustic mesh help reduce wind noise, says the company. In addition to the AAC-ELD codec, they have “full-HD voice quality” so you’re always clear and crisp when you’re on FaceTime. AirPods also support spatial audio, so you can feel like you’re in the same room when using FaceTime with friends. It’s basically the direction in which the person is positioned on your screen that makes the sound. It’s not like talking in real life, but it’s better than nothing. Your device will feel more immersive in landscape mode and you’ll have better directional audio.

In fact, the new AirPods make FaceTime calls crystal clear. Calls on the phone sound better too, but not as well. Compared to most earbuds I’ve tried, these have better voice quality, but not by much. As claimed by Apple, these AirPods block background noise and concentrate on your voice. The clamour goes away when you stop talking, but comes back when you do. The other person may get distracted depending on how loud the noise is. Voice quality improved, but the most noticeable difference will be on FaceTime.

Life of a battery

Along with the redesigned AirPods, Apple improved their battery life. The company says the earbuds themselves can last up to six hours and the charging case can last up to 30 hours total. Using a fixed spatial audio track instead of dynamic head tracking, the test took just over seven hours. It’s a big upgrade from the second-generation model, which lasted five hours.

In a pinch, you can use the new AirPods – they charge up in about an hour in the case after five minutes. Where the original AirPods Pro case had wireless charging as an option, now that case and the AirPods case have MagSafe. With the MagSafe case, you’ll still be able to use Qi pads, but Apple’s magnetic charger is faster. In fact, Apple’s second-generation iPad from AED 426 does not have any wireless charging support.

Conclusion:

This time, we’re not doing anything modest. With the apple air pods 2nd generation prices in Dubai, Apple completely changed the design and audio quality. With a more affordable set of earbuds that deliver all the key features of AirPods, the company has retained all the convenience. Apple faithful love these earbuds because they can’t find anything like them anywhere else, so the company does well to keep it that way.