AirPods Pro 3

Apple finally gave AirPods something we know you all wanted for years: a built-in equalizer that lets you change how your music sounds.

And unlike the EQ setting buried in Apple Music, this one is tied to your AirPods, not a specific application. That means your custom sound profile isn’t limited to music played through that singular app.

But to be clear: The new Custom EQ feature in iOS 27 isn’t the most sophisticated equalizer you’ll find for a set of headphones. It gives you just three controls — Low, Mid and High. But that’s enough to make a noticeable difference if you think your AirPods sound too bass-heavy, lack vocal clarity or need a little more treble.

Here’s how to set it up … and why you might want to.

Apple just released new firmware for its latest AirPods models, bringing several new capabilities to the company’s wireless earbuds and headphones. Firmware version 9A348 is available for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 and AirPods Max 2.

The update arrived Monday alongside iOS 27, enabling support for one of the most-requested AirPods features: a built-in equalizer that lets users customize the sound produced by their headphones.

Last year, Apple finally 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 to find all current AirPods firmware versions along with instructions for getting the AirPods update as quickly as possible.

Apple kicked off a very generous signup incentive for new Apple Card customers, offering enough Bonus Daily Cash rewards to effectively cover the cost of a pair of AirPods Pro 3.

But it’s important to read the fine print. This promo isn’t a trick, but getting a free pair of earbuds takes a lot more effort than simply signing up for a credit card.

Your AirPods Pro 3 aren’t just another pair of wireless earbuds — they’re your gateway to more productive workdays, more immersive entertainment experiences and even refined fitness tracking without Apple Watch.

Whether you’re crushing deadlines from your home office, unwinding with your favorite playlist, or going for a run, you can maximize AirPods Pro 3 through features that transform how you interact with audio throughout your day.

A leaked iOS 26 internal build reveals several new features Apple plans to introduce in iOS 26.4. These include credit card autofill support for third-party apps, folders in whiteboarding app Freeform, and a Sports tier in Apple TV.

The company will supposedly also introduce additional security measures with the update.

These excellent Cyber Monday deals on all AirPods models make Apple’s lineup of trend-setting headphones more affordable than ever.

Whether you want Apple’s entry-level earbuds (AirPods 4, with or without active noise cancellation), the amazingly versatile AirPods Pro 3 or the luxurious over-ear AirPods Max headphones, you can be sure that the latest models will work like a charm with all your Apple devices.

They’re even better when you can snag them at a discount — and most of these Black Friday deals drop AirPods to their lowest prices yet!

After spending a few weeks with the new SoundPeats Air5 Pro+ earbuds as my daily audio drivers, I’ve come to appreciate what this Chinese audio brand accomplishes at the budget end of the wireless earbud market. These earbuds, released Tuesday, pack an xMEMS Labs’ silicon-based micro tweeter in addition to a more traditional dynamic driver. With a Black Friday sale price of just over $100, they deliver features and performance that can cost twice as much with more established brands.

But do the buds outshine pricier competitors? Not exactly. My experience with their sound quality and adaptive hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) — “adaptive” being one of the new features that puts the “+” in the name — fell a little flat. I would not be tempted to choose these over AirPods Pro 3 for any reason other than cost.

A new open-source app called LibrePods aims to make the AirPods experience on Android nearly as good as on an iPhone.

Currently, Androids do not officially support AirPods. You can technically pair Apple’s earbuds with Android phones, but you won’t be able to access most of coolest features. 

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.

The budget wireless earbuds market has become increasingly competitive, but this EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus earbuds review finds they manage to stand out with a compelling combination great sound, premium features and aggressively good value. Priced at $100 — with a launch discount coupon on Amazon bringing it down to about $80 —  these earbuds challenge what we’ve come to expect from the sub-$100 category. And they do so while going toe-to-toe with Apple’s $249 AirPods Pro 3.

Imagine being on a long plane flight and one of your new AirPods Pro 3 earbuds keeps whistling in your ear. Infuriating, eh? That’s what some users of Apple’s latest wireless earbuds say happens while flying.

It certainly doesn’t happen to every user. But there’s no easy solution for those experiencing the problem. Still, there are a few things you’ll need to be ready in case you’re unlucky.

iOS 26.1 beta 4, which Apple released to developers Monday, brings two major new updates — and they both offer ways to turn off existing features. 

Find out what the new toggles do, and everything new we have found in the first four iOS 26.1 betas so far, below.

Ready to convert to Mac? I came across one user who scored a nice student deal on a MacBook Air, and soon found themself upgrading their whole outdated PC setup as a complete, highly functional and reasonably affordable Apple-ecosystem rig. 

“I’m so so cooked … the Apple ecosystem is a huge trap!” they joked. “Don’t let one device get into your house.” 

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. 

Some AirPods Pro 3 owners report hearing an annoying whistling sound from their new earbuds. The noise typically comes when they have the earbuds in, with no music playing and active noise cancellation on.

The problem doesn’t seem widespread, but enough new owners are reporting it to raise eyebrows.

iFixit released its teardown of Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 Wednesday, providing a close-up look at new features including the foam-infused ear tips Apple includes for greater sound isolation, as well the new battery scheme and repositioned rare-earth magnets. 

But the group’s major finding should be unsurprising to anyone familiar with the company’s wireless earbuds. The latest generation earns the same dismal 0 out of 10 repairability score that has plagued the product line since its inception nine years ago.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We dish out our reviews of the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air and AirPods Pro 3.

How’s the battery life? How’s the cosmic orange? How badly does the iPhone 17 Pro scratch? How good is AirPods’ new Live Translation feature?

In this extra-long edition, we go deep on our first impressions of Apple’s latest gear.

Also on The CultCast:

• We know Scratchgate is real. And an expert offers an explanation for the iPhone 17 Pro’s problem.
• Apple’s new iPhone cases are pretty great — and they’re already on sale.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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.

Crowds thronged to Apple stores around the globe Friday to pick up the newest iPhones — the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air — on launch day. Apple CEO Tim Cook himself threw open the doors of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York City on Friday morning.

Alongside the exciting new iPhone lineup, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3 and AirPods Pro 3 also arrived at Apple retail stores and authorized outlets on Friday

AirPods have a new trick that lets them work as a camera remote. Simply pressing the earbuds’ stem can control your iPhone’s Camera app and snap a picture. This proves helpful when you want to set your iPhone to take a large group photo with you in it.

However, the feature is off by default. You need to activate it. Here’s what to do.

Early reviews of AirPods Pro 3 are out, and wow, are they positive. Engadget calls Apple’s latest a “comprehensive update to its best set of earbuds.” Cnet‘s headline perhaps said it best: “Big improvements, same price, no compromises.”

After poring over AirPods Pro 3 reviews from a wide variety of sources, it’s hard to find a negative comment anywhere.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: After Apple’s truly Awe Dropping event, we’re picking up the pieces and discussing iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and the rest of the new hardware.

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple built iPhone 17 Pro like a tool for professionals. But is the cosmic orange color undeniably vibrant?
• The new Apple Watches look like solid additions, although the Apple Watch SE 3 gets the most meaningful upgrades.
• AirPods Pro 3 make one of our favorite Apple products even better.
• Somewhat surprisingly, Apple extends marquee features of Apple Watch Series 11 and AirPods Pro 3 to older devices.
• And finally, we go over the results of our Awe Dropping predictions game.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Apple no longer bundles a USB-C charging cable with the AirPods Pro 3. Since the earbuds include a USB-C port and support wireless charging, you are unlikely to rue its absence.

This marks another accessory Apple has dropped after the power brick.

You don’t have to buy the just-announced AirPods Pro 3 just to get Apple’s new Live Translation feature. The AI-powered communication option is coming to older models of wireless earbuds, too.

An iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence is required as well.

During Tuesday’s Awe Dropping event, Apple announced AirPods Pro 3, refreshed every model of Apple Watch and unveiled four all-new iPhones, including the first iPhone Air. It’s an impressive set of products in a pretty quick event.

But if you want to watch an even faster event, you can get the gist in 90 seconds with our Awe Dropping event video recap.