Apple’s first-gen AirPods were among the most ubiquitous and recognizable TWS earphones on the market, and for good reason. The pair offered seamless connectivity for iPhone users with a similar open-fit design and good sound quality. More importantly, following Apple’s suit, several brands have jumped on the TWS bandwagon, helping bring the segment into the mainstream.
Fast-forward to 2021 and Apple still has the largest share of the TWS segment. However, unlike the past years, the company now faces stiff competition from other audio-focused brands such as Samsung, OnePlus, etc. Can the brand’s latest AirPods 3, then, stand out? Let’s find out in this review.
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Design and Comfort
The earphones, in particular, resemble their pricier ‘Prosumer’ siblings, and the pair feature short, curvy stems with short, contoured indents. What’s more, compared to the second-generation Apple AirPods, the charging case for AirPods 3 looks a lot like what you get with the AirPods Pro as well, only smaller. Along with that, the great in-hand feel of the case, and satisfying snap whenever you open and close the lid is still in line with older models, which is great. Unfortunately, that’s more than I say about the pair’s in-ear fit and, unlike the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 3 uses an open, semi-in-ear fit design that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Maybe.
In fact, during my stint with the earphones, I had to put them in my ears over and over again to make sure the buds didn’t fall off. Naturally, I didn’t make the most of the earphones’ IPX4 rating, as the pair would refuse to stay in my ears when I was sweating it out at the gym. While I didn’t envision the in-ear fit of the AirPods 3, that’s not to say that you didn’t either. In fact, many people prefer the dangling, semi-in-ear type of earphones, as earphones with silicone tip can sometimes cut your ear or cause hearing fatigue. The AirPods 3, on the other hand, don’t completely isolate environmental noise. As a result, you will almost always hear whatever is going on in your surroundings, even when you are listening to music at high volume levels.
Unsurprisingly, the AirPods 3 leak sounds too, so you might want to be careful with your listening habits in a public area. On the bright side, the earphones ship with ‘pinch’ controls, similar to those you might have seen on the AirPods Pro or OnePlus Buds Pro. In short, you can squeeze the earbud stems to trigger a command or to go forward or backward a track, or to answer an incoming call. During my testing, at times the pinch control worked flawlessly, slightly removing the earbuds from my ears. Thankfully, you can use Siri to control your music playback too – it’s a little distracting, as the last thing you want to hear is an AI callout while listening to your favorite music. But, it kept me from having to re-adjust the earpiece over and over again, so you win some and lose some here.
Verdict
The price of AirPods 3 in the Indian market is very low and its retail price is Rs 18,500. It goes without saying that you can at least get your hands on the TWS Buds, including, but not limited to, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro (Review), OnePlus Buds Pro, and Oppo Enco X (Review). Plus, it’s hard to ignore the unit’s support for spatial audio as well, which adds a level of immersion that can’t be reciprocated by non-Apple TWS offerings—at least, not yet. That said, the AirPods Pro often sells for around Rs 20K and for their discounted price, offers better acoustics along with a more secure in-ear fit.
In fact, as of writing this review, AirPods Pro is available for just Rs 21K on various e-commerce portals like Croma and Reliance Digital. If you have a tight budget and don’t care about the pair’s semi-in-ear design, then between the two, you should opt for the AirPods 3. However, if you can stretch your budget to a few thousand bucks, you’ll get much better value from the AirPods Pro. Even though the AirPods 3 isn’t perfect, it’s still a good option for buyers who are connected to Apple’s ecosystem.
Editor’s rating: 3.5 / 5
Pros:
- Comfortable, compact design
- Excellent for taking calls
- Superb sound stage
- Spatial audio works well
Cons:
- In-ear fit not everyone’s cup of tea
- Bass output is not the best
- Expensive