In Pod we trust

CliffJoseph has a close encounter of the third kind with the latest addition to Apple’s popular range of Airpods

- CliffJoseph

With the arrival of the third generation of its AirPods, Apple has chosen to increase the price to £170. To be fair, the revamped AirPods boast a sleeker design, along with a number of other new features. And if the price doesn’t suit you, the previous second generation has had its price reduced from £160 to £120.

The trademark ‘stalk’ that protrudes from your ears has been reduced in size while the earpieces are slightly larger to house a new custom driver. This is now angled downwards in order to rest more comfortably in the ear and to direct sound directly into the canal.

The AirPods are now rated IPX4 for water and sweat resistance, so they’ll be able to cope with a spot of exercise in the great outdoors. The main microphone now includes a ‘wind mesh’ to reduce noise for voice calls, while a second internal mic monitors the sound inside your ears to provide ‘adaptive EQ’ settings based on the shape of your ears. Battery life is improved from five to six hours, although the charging case allows you to recharge the AirPods for a more respectable total of 30 hours.