AirPods Pro

December 13, 2016: After months of anticipation and delay, Apple finally launches the first-generation AirPods. The tiny wireless earbuds arrive in Apple’s online store just in time for holiday shoppers looking for stocking stuffers.

Like so many Apple products, they aren’t the first wireless earbuds to arrive on the scene. However, AirPods’ rapid success will fuel a wireless listening revolution.

Apple released new firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 on Thursday that offers bug fixes for a major recent firmware upgrade. Version 8B28 and 8B30 merely tweak the wireless earbuds, but every AirPods update is worth installing.

Apple recently explained exactly how to update your AirPods firmware. The process can happen automatically, in the background, but there is a way to speed things up. It’s a good idea to manually check that you’re running the latest version, which brings bug fixes and sometimes great new features.

Read on for more details, and find all current AirPods firmware versions, along with instructions for getting the AirPods update as quickly as possible.

If you waited for an AirPods Pro 3 deal that beats Black Friday and Cyber Monday, your moment has arrived. Apple’s excellent noise-canceling earbuds are way down to just $199. That’s a 20% discount off the newly upgraded earbuds — and $20 less than Black Friday.

AirPods Pro 3 bring new features, including a heart rate monitor, revved-up audio quality and redesigned ear tips for better active noise cancellation. Plus, like the previous model, they can even function as clinical-grade hearing aids.

Make no mistake: These are the best wireless earbuds you can buy for your iPhone, Mac and other Apple gear. Nothing can match how seamlessly AirPods integrate with Apple devices. 

AirPods Pro 3’s redesigned ear tips are an unexpected hit-or-miss change. The new foam-infused tips radically change how the earbuds feel when worn.

Apple knows the ear tips are not one-size-fits-all, so the company includes five sizes of ear tips in the AirPods Pro 3 box. You can easily switch them out to find the best size for your ears.

Using the wrong size can cause problems. The earbuds can slip out if they’re too small or irritate your ears if they’re too big. They might even cause high-pitched feedback if you engage active noise cancellation with the wrong size ear tips (especially when flying).

If you don’t like how your new AirPods Pro 3 feel in the ear, don’t be hasty and return them. You should try out different ear tips first. Here are some tips to make sure you achieve the best results.

Apple is already working on future generations of its AirPods lineup despite only recently releasing the AirPods Pro 3, according to a new report. The company focuses development efforts on transforming its popular earbuds into AI-powered devices with enhanced health tracking capabilities.

I put AirPods’ new Live Translation feature to the test and came away impressed with the results. 

I tested the feature with the help of Niléane, a native French speaker and fellow tech blogger. While we hit a few stumbling blocks in our conversation, we were able to have a perfectly good chat for a solid 10 minutes.

I cut it down to a seven-minute video, where you can see it for yourself. Keep reading for my full thoughts and analysis of the fantastic new feature. 

In testing the latest AirPods Pro 3 for this review, I found Apple’s high-end earbuds deliver remarkable audio quality and practically unbelievable active noise cancellation. Add to that a heart rate monitor that’s on par with the Apple Watch’s sensor, and Apple has made the best earbuds around even better.

The biggest upgrade is the AirPods Pro 3’s new foam-infused ear tips. They help increase the earbuds’ noise cancellation to uncanny levels. Plus, somehow, the audio quality sounds punchier than ever. I get better sound out of Apple’s tiny earbuds than from some over-ear headphones.

Here’s how the AirPods Pro 3 stack up to their predecessors.

With AirPods Pro 3 coming September 19, it’s time to sell your old AirPods for quick upgrade cash. The bad news is that Apple doesn’t let you trade in old AirPods, and neither will most other buyback services.

However, Cult of Mac offers good money for your old AirPods, making your next upgrade more affordable. We won’t leave you waiting weeks for your e-check if you sell us your old AirPods, AirPods Pro or AirPods Max to our buyback program. And we promise that none of the tech we receive will end up in a landfill.

So, what are you waiting for? Lock in a 30-day guaranteed quote in seconds, with no haggling or hassles. It’s the easy way to sell your old AirPods.

Apple gave a hearty update to its highest-end wireless earbuds, launching AirPods Pro 3. The new buds improve noise cancellation, battery life and add heart rate monitoring and live translation.

“With breakthrough audio performance and entirely new capabilities, I think AirPods Pro are truly incredible,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “These are my favorite AirPods ever,” said Kate Bergeron, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering.

This announcement comes at Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event. The new third-generation AirPods Pro cost $249 and will be available starting September 19. Preorders will open today.

A new rumor suggests AirPods Pro 3 will debut this year, but won’t bring any breakthrough hardware upgrades. The rumored IR-equipped cameras, which supposedly will enable air gestures for interacting with the earbuds, might not arrive until 2026.

Apple could unveil its new flagship AirPods Pro 3 earbuds at Tuesday’s Awe Dropping event.

However, the earbuds won’t pack any breakthrough hardware upgrades, including IR-equipped cameras for air gesture support. That feature supposedly must wait until 2026.

PrimOn the fence about buying a pair of AirPods for your iPhone or Mac? Amazon Prime Day sales are the best time to buy Apple’s wireless earbuds, with prices dropping to record lows.

Amazon already frequently discounts AirPods. But for its flagship sale event for the year, it dropped them to new lifetime low prices.

Two reliable analysts recently predicted that the AirPods Pro 3 release date won’t come before the end of 2025.

Apple is reportedly loading the next generation of its high-end wireless earbuds up with new features, and that’s apparently taking some extra time. All the way to 2026.

Apple reportedly will add a live translation feature to AirPods in iOS 19 that will enable real-time conversations between people who speak different languages.

The feature will come alongside Apple “bolstering the translation technology in iOS 19.” With this advancement, Apple is set to compete with other ai translation earbuds, bringing seamless multilingual communication to AirPods. Learn more about the update here.

Apple’s audio lineup recently expanded with the arrival of Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds, creating an interesting competition with the established AirPods Pro 2. Both high-end wireless earbuds share Apple’s technology backbone but target different segments of the market. So in a Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro 2 comparison, which should you choose?

Let’s compare these premium options across design, features, performance and value to help you determine which is right for your lifestyle.

AirPods Pro 3 keep generating buzz as we approach the launch of Apple’s next-generation premium wireless earbuds. Here’s what to expect from AirPods Pro 3, which probably will arrive in early 2025.

While the current AirPods Pro 2 model dominates the market two years after launch, rumors say its successor will bring substantial improvements and new features. Unfortunately, you probably shouldn’t expect changes to the recently updated AirPods 4 and AirPods Max in 2025. We could see updated earbuds or headphones from Apple subsidiary Beats, though.

Apple’s next AirPods Pro refresh could feature heart rate monitoring. But they are in “early development” and might not launch soon.

Engineers inside Apple are also working on several health-focused features for future models of the earbuds.

Amazon has dropped the price of the latest AirPods Pro 2 to just $170, a killer deal for the best wireless earbuds out there. This fantastic early Cyber Monday deal knocks a hefty $79 (32%) off the AirPods Pro 2 (regularly $249).

The deal is currently available at Amazon.

Now that AirPods Pro 2 can act as hearing aids, it’s hard to recommend any other earbuds for your iPhone, Mac or iPad. And yes, this is for the latest model with the USB-C charging case.

AirPods come with no obvious controls, so it’s easy to think you just stick them in your ears and start listening. But Apple’s wireless earbuds offer features that aren’t immediately obvious. We recently published six hidden tips and tricks for AirPods. Now here are a few more you might not know.

The latest group covers how to easily control your AirPods, how to find a lost one, and a simple way to extend their battery life.

Apple gave reviewers early access to a soon-to-be-released software update that allows AirPods Pro 2 to go beyond providing entertainment to become hearing aids. They report that the wireless earbuds really do help people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

There’s also a huge cost advantage, but there are limitations that keep AirPods from being the right solution for everyone.

It’s that time of year again, Amazon Prime Day (the fall edition, October 8 and 9). So the early deals flowed starting over the weekend, with the full-on sale hitting with even better deals on Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ll show you the best Amazon Prime Day deals on Apple gear, from AirPods to iPads to MacBooks to Studio Display. And that includes Apple audio subsidiary Beats, too. Click on the links below, and return to this page often — deals are subject to change, often for the better, and we’ll add more as we find them.

Update: Though prices on some items continue to fluctuate, Amazon has extended most deals beyond Wednesday.

Apple just got the approval it needs from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to make the latest AirPods Pro into medical-grade hearing aids.

Once Apple releases a software update for the wireless earbuds, they’ll be able to help those with mild to moderate hearing loss.

AirPods Pro 2 will soon go beyond providing music and podcasts as the wireless earbuds become genuine medical-grade hearing aids.

“We’re adding this groundbreaking capability to help more than 1 billion people living with mild to moderate hearing loss,” said Sumbul Desai, MD, Vice President of Health at Apple.

Today we’re going to see how to clean AirPods, AirPods Pro or any other earbuds, using tools you probably already have. It’s essential to keep your AirPods clean to keep them working properly. Plus, it’s easy for them to get gross.

For instance, the other day on the metro, I pulled out my AirPods and dropped one on the floor. The earbud bounced over dried and dirty beer stains, and who knows what other filth and bacteria that had been traipsed in on a million passengers’ shoes (and the odd hippie’s bare feet). I gave up on listening to anything on the trip home, and slipped the rescued AirPod back into its case.

It’s not only hippie toe jam that we have to worry about, either. Because we constantly push AirPods deep into moist holes in our heads, they crust up with earwax and whatever bacteria live in our earholes. Happily, cleaning and disinfecting AirPods is not only easy. It’s just about as satisfying as digging a deep-seated booger out of your nose, or picking an almost-healed scab.

Like iPhones, Apple regularly updates AirPods with new features. iOS 18 will continue that trend by introducing several enhancements for Apple’s earbuds. They include interacting with Siri using head gestures, lowering audio latency while gaming, and more.

Read on to see what new AirPods features iOS 18 will bring to further improve the best earbuds for Apple fans.

AirPods 4 could launch in just a few days to replace two models of wireless earbuds now in Apple’s lineup. Rumors indicate the new version will borrow a feature from the Pro models: Active Noise Cancellation.

And AirPods Max 2 could be in for a revamp next Monday, too. Probably not so for AirPods Pro 3, though.

Here’s what to look forward to in new AirPods variants when they’re unveiled at the “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9.