Apple Unveils Refreshed Watch Lineup, AirPods Pro 3 With Live Translation & 2X Better ANC
The freshly minted AirPods Pro 3 appear to be a significant upgrade from the previous model, with improvements on multiple fronts. Apple claims that the new buds' Active Noise Cancellation is even better, purportedly removing twice the noise as before. The earbuds' shape has been redesigned for a better fit, and they ought to remain more stable in the ears during workouts. An additional XXS tip size could help with comfort for smaller persons, too.
What Apple talked our ears off about, though, was the heart rate monitoring feature added to the third-generation AirPods Pro. An Apple-designed PPG sensor pulses 256 times a second to measure blood flow in the ear and tracks the information in the iPhone Fitness app, with 50 workout types available. There's also a potentially impressive translation feature that claims to let users have fluent conversations in real-time with the translation directly in the ear. This has the potential to come in especially handy for anyone traveling or working in multilingual environments.
The improvements also apparently extend to the core sound quality, helped along with the presence of an upgraded Adaptive EQ feature. According to Apple, the redesigned shell and airflow path ought to result in deeper bass, clearer vocals, and a wider soundstage. Finally, Apple upgraded the water resistance rating to IP57, meaning that the AirPods Pro 3 should be okay with water splashes and quick immersion. Apple is asking $249 for the new AirPods, the same price as the extant model.
Moving on from ear to wrist, we find the Watch Series 11. We'll first visit the features that apply to every model in the lineup, then move on to specifics. WatchOS 26 is the new hotness, with its Liquid Glass design and hefty improvements to the Workout data, including more metrics and AI data analysis. Perhaps disappointing chip enthusiasts everywhere, Apple elected to use the same S10 SoC for the new models. That doesn't mean that there are no hardware upgrades, though—far from it, in fact.
The front and back faces are covered in a ceramic bonded coating that Apple calls Ion-X and says is twice as scratch-resistant as previous offerings. The display is slightly improved, boasting better clarity when seen at an angle. The titanium models keep their sapphire coat, though. There's now 5G connectivity and dual-band WiFi on tap, while the battery life got a "15-30%" boost across all models, as well as fast charging that will let you top up the watch in about an hour, according to Apple. The watch bodies are generally thinner, too.
Over on the health front, the Series 11 and Ultra 3 carry a new blood pressure monitor that can detect hypertension. That's an impressive feat if it's accurate, as Apple claims it validated the algorithm with a wide study. The sensor combination allows the Watch to determine a Sleep Score that takes heart rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, ECG, and respiration rate into account, possibly detecting sleep apnea issues. Let's move to specific models.
The standard Apple Watch Series 11 includes the aforementioned accoutrements and has a battery that ought to last up to 24 hours in regular use, or 38 hours in low-power mode. The asking price is $399 for the standard aluminum body in 42 mm (also available in a new Space Gray color) and $429 for the 46 mm size. For each of those sizes, adding cellular connectivity is another $100 on top. Meanwhile, the Titanium version goes for $699 and includes 5G in the price.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 ups the ante with a two-way satellite comms with messages, potentially saving your bacon if you find yourself lost without your phone nearby. The display is a little bigger, thanks to slightly thinner borders, and it refreshes once per second, avoiding a flick to see the time in second accuracy. As before, the Ultra 3 comes with a depth gauge, dual-frequency GPS, and a siren. The price for this watch is hefty, but it didn't rise compared to last year, at $799 with one of the standard loops, or $899 with the Titanium Milanese Loop.
Those who want the vast majority of the Apple Watch package but can't justify the large price or the fancier features can get the Apple Watch SE 3. As previously mentioned, this model has no ECG, blood oxygen, or blood pressure sensing, but it otherwise keeps the same feature set as the standard Series 11, along with the physical improvements. The battery on this model lasts 18 hours, or 32 hours in Low Power mode. The base version without cellular connectivity can be yours for $249 for the 40 mm version, or $279 for the larger 44 mm model. Adding the cell modem increases the price by $50 on each variant.
