AirPods Pro 3 Arrive With Heart-Rate Sensing, Live Translation Using Apple Intelligence

Apple has unveiled the AirPods Pro 3 with heart-rate sensing, improved noise cancellation, a more compact case, and upcoming live translation features powered by Apple Intelligence. They'll be available for preorder today at a price of $249. TechCrunch reports: One of the standout features of the AirPods Pro 3 is its heart-rate sensing capability, a first for the AirPods line. This addition will operate similarly to the Powerbeats Pro 2, using LED sensors to provide precise measurements. The collected data will sync with Apple's Fitness app. The active noise cancellation, which reduces external noise, has been significantly improved. Apple says it removes twice the noise compared to Pro 2.

A noteworthy upcoming feature is a live translation capability, thanks to Apple's iOS 26 software update. This lets you have conversations in different languages, using your iPhone to translate while the phone plays one language and the AirPods handle the other. Other notable updates include smaller, more comfortable earbuds. Apple now offers foam ear tips in five different sizes, and the company claims it's "the best-fitting AirPods."

Missing the obvious

[thegarbz]

Apple fans already have a heartrate sensor on their wrist, they don't need one from the ear. The Apple watch is only capable of night average body temperature. The ear canal is a perfect place to measure temperature (which is how it's done in hospitals). They should put that sensor into the things, not replicate a functionality from another gadget.

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[alvinrod]

I suspect that the customer base for their ear pods is vastly larger than that for their watches. I've wanted an excuse to get a smartwatch for a while now, but no company has ever really sold me on one. However, a pit of earbuds are something that I do want and having a neat feature that would otherwise require a more expensive watch could sway me to pick up a pair of these. Of course price is a bigger factor. The $5 gas station wired ear pods do most of what I want for a hell of a lot less money. Much har

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[Valgrus Thunderaxe]

The $5 gas station wired ear pods do most of what I want for a hell of a lot less money.

Except Apple users have no way to connect this.

Re: Missing the obvious

[SeeKay]

You can get a $4 usb-c to 3.5mm dongle to compliment your $5 earphones .. charging can still be done at the same time with a more expensive dongle or wirelessly It was never blocked .. just most people who own Bluetooth buds / Pods understand the instant lifestyle upgrade ..

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[Tarlus]

They literally do.

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[ihadafivedigituid]

Disclaimer: I am a professional live sound engineer with loudspeaker design and other related experience on my CV. I'm sitting in front of a pair of very nice $kilobucks Dynaudio speakers as I write this. I own Sennheiser HD600s and a nice headphone amp. My studio monitors are pretty nice too.

If I had to choose just one playback device, my Airpods Pro 2 would win. The original Pros were pretty good for things like cycling (transparency mode is the only safe way to go) and noisy place etc but fidelity was

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[Tom]

Apple fans already have a heartrate sensor on their wrist, they don't need one from the ear.

That's wrong. I stopped using wrist watches 25 years ago and haven't looked back a single day. I don't want shit on my wrist. Try living without for a year and you'll realize why. It's hard to express in words. It's like having a chain removed.

Headphones, on the other hand, I use occasionally. For phone calls or for music on the train, plane, etc. - and especially for the plane if the noise cancellation comes close to my current over-the-ear Bose I'd take them on the two-day business trips where I travel wi

Don't hold your breath

[ThumpBzztZoom]

"Upcoming" AI live translation should be as believable as all their "upcoming" AI features they advertised as available during the last iPhone release which still don't exist.

Live Translation Using Apple Intelligence

[93 Escort Wagon]

My hovercraft is full of eels!

Hopefully not...

[Kyogreex]

This addition will operate similarly to the Powerbeats Pro 2

AFAIK heart rate sensing on the Powerbeats Pro 2 doesn't work while music is being played. That's a pretty big weakness, so hopefully that's not true of the AirPods Pro 3.

Slashvertisement.

[msauve]

Whatever happened to tags here?

Re: Slashvertisement.

[Camembert]

If earphones that offer live translation, much like the Babelfish in that classic fun sf novel, is not news for nerds, then what is?

Finally some use for AI!

[thesjaakspoiler]

Make the person talk to me sound like a aged pirate!

Might be the killer app for the AI revolution

[rocket rancher]

This smells like a slashvertisement, but if you ignore that and get beyond the marketing fluff and Apple lock-in, there might be something to live language translation. There are big caveats: translation accuracy still stumbles on nuance and idiom, even tiny latency can break conversational flow, and $249+ hardware limits accessibility. And if your conversation partner isn’t on the same ecosystem, the magic trick collapses.

But despite all that, I think this feature matters. If email was the killer ap

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[cerberusss]

It's a great feature but what's weird is that "Live Translation with AirPods is not available if you are in the EU and your Apple Account Country or Region is also in the EU." https://support.apple.com/de-d... [apple.com]