Device hub · Earbuds · Desk research
AirPods (3rd generation)
AirPods (3rd generation) is the short-stem open-ear: H1, no ANC, no tips, Personalized Spatial Audio, IPX4 on buds and case, Lightning or MagSafe case.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedAirPods (3rd generation)
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an Apple asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedAirPods (3rd generation)
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an Apple asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
In short
AirPods (3rd generation) is the short-stem open-ear: H1, no ANC, no tips, Personalized Spatial Audio, IPX4 on buds and case, Lightning or MagSafe case. Buy it for an Apple open-ear with Spatial — not for sealed ANC or Hearing Aid. The $179 US 2021 launch is Apple’s published number. Discontinued / leftover still belongs on Apple compare and on this hub.
Who it is for
- iPhone owners who want an open-ear stem with Personalized Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ and who will not wear silicone tips.
- Old-vs-old / leftover shoppers comparing AirPods 3 to AirPods 2 (longer stem, no Spatial on the 2 sheet) or to AirPods Pro (1st generation) (sealed ANC).
- People who need IPX4 on both the buds and the charging case — Apple prints that on 111863, unlike AirPods 2 / 1 (no IP published) and unlike 1st-generation Pro (case not rated).
- Buyers identifying A2565 / A2564 buds with Lightning case A2897 or MagSafe case A2566 (Identify 109525).
Who should skip it
- Anyone who wants ANC or Transparency. Support 111863 does not list either. That job is AirPods Pro (any generation) or AirPods 4 with ANC.
- Anyone who wants Hearing Aid / Hearing Test / Hearing Protection. Those footnotes are AirPods Pro 2 and later.
- Android-first buyers who want LDAC or a first-class Google / Samsung app. Apple lists Bluetooth use on non-Apple devices with limited functionality.
- Shoppers who need a current open-ear sell-in. Later AirPods 4 / 5 hubs cover those SKUs; this page stays the 2021 stem.
Key differentiators
- Open-ear, no tips, force-sensor stem — the 2021 silhouette versus AirPods 2’s longer double-tap stem and versus every Pro’s silicone seal.
- Personalized Spatial Audio + Adaptive EQ without ANC. Do not write “transparency” onto this sheet to fill the row; the value is No / not listed.
- IPX4 on AirPods and charging case. MagSafe case (Qi + Lightning) or Lightning-only case on the same dimension/weight table.
- Battery: up to 6 hours (5 hours with Personalized Spatial Audio); up to 30 hours with either case; 5 minutes ≈ 1 hour. H1, Bluetooth 5.0 printed on 111863.
Caveats
- No ANC and no Transparency. Keep those earbuds-v1 keys and write No. Do not invent an ambient mode.
- Hearing Aid is not on this generation. Keep hearing_health as not published / not supported.
- Two case SKUs share one hub: Lightning Charging Case or MagSafe Charging Case (Qi + Lightning). Same 46.40 × 54.40 × 21.38 mm / 37.91 g table on 111863.
- Every numeric battery line is an Apple claim. GadgetShowdown has not lab-tested AirPods 3.
- Apple product photography is not hosted here. Third-party IP guidelines and Newsroom “editorial use” language do not give a commercial gadget site a clear redistribution license.
Earbud-category specs
Same manufacturer rows on every earbud page.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Open-ear stem (no silicone tips) | Apple Support 111863 |
| Fit / tips / wings | One-size open-ear; no ear tips in the box | Apple Support 111863 (In the Box) |
| Driver / acoustic architecture (OEM) | Custom high-excursion Apple driver; custom high dynamic range amplifier | Apple Support 111863 |
| Chip / processor | H1 headphone chip | Apple Support 111863 |
| Active noise cancellation (OEM) | No — Active Noise Cancellation is not listed on Support 111863 (accessed 2026-09-19) | Apple Support 111863 |
| Transparency / ambient (OEM) | No — Transparency mode is not listed on Support 111863 (accessed 2026-09-19) | Apple Support 111863 |
| Spatial / 360 audio (OEM) | Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ | Apple Support 111863TrueDepth iPhone required to create the personal profile. Compatible content / apps only. |
| Hearing features (OEM) | Not published | Apple Support 111863; Pro 2 Support 111834 footnotes |
| Battery — buds (OEM) | Up to 6 hours of listening time with a single charge (up to 5 hours with Personalized Spatial Audio enabled) | Apple Support 111863Apple’s 111863 battery section; battery life depends on device settings, environment, usage, and many other factors (OEM footnote). |
| Battery — with case (OEM) | Up to 30 hours of listening time with Lightning Charging Case or MagSafe Charging Case | Apple Support 111863 |
| Charging (OEM) | Lightning on both case SKUs. 5 minutes in the case ≈ 1 hour of listening. Lightning to USB-C Cable in the box. | Apple Support 111863 |
| Wireless charging | MagSafe Charging Case: MagSafe charger and Qi-certified chargers, or Lightning. Lightning Charging Case: Lightning only — no wireless charging. | Apple Support 111863 |
| Water / dust — buds | IPX4 — sweat and water resistant for non-water sports and exercise | Apple Support 111863 footnoteNot permanent. Do not charge wet. Not a swim bud. |
| Water / dust — case | IPX4 — Apple lists sweat and water resistant (IPX4) for AirPods and charging case | Apple Support 111863 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology | Apple Support 111863 |
| Codecs (OEM) | Not published | Apple Support 111863Do not invent LDAC. Later Apple battery footnotes on other AirPods sheets use 256 kbps AAC; 111863 does not reprint that encoding line in the section we pulled. |
| Microphones / calls (OEM) | Dual beamforming microphones; inward-facing microphone | Apple Support 111863 |
| On-bud controls | Force sensor: press once play/pause/answer or mute; press twice end call / skip; press three times skip back; press and hold Siri; “Hey Siri” | Apple Support 111863 |
| Multipoint / device switching | Automatic switching across devices on the same Apple Account. Not a named Android-style two-device multipoint toggle. | Apple Support 111863 system requirements / product language |
| Sensors (OEM) | Dual beamforming microphones; inward-facing microphone; skin-detect sensor; motion-detecting accelerometer; speech-detecting accelerometer; force sensor | Apple Support 111863 |
| Weight — one bud | 4.28 g (0.15 oz) | Apple Support 111863 |
| Weight — case | 37.91 g (1.34 oz) — Lightning Charging Case or MagSafe Charging Case | Apple Support 111863 |
| Dimensions — one bud | 30.79 × 18.26 × 19.21 mm (H × W × D) | Apple Support 111863 |
| Dimensions — case | 46.40 × 54.40 × 21.38 mm (H × W × D) | Apple Support 111863 |
| Finishes | White (the spec sheet does not list additional colorways) | Apple Support 111863 |
| Phone / OS compatibility | Latest iOS / iPadOS / watchOS / macOS / tvOS for full features. Usable as Bluetooth headphones on earlier Apple OS and non-Apple devices with limited functionality. | Apple Support 111863 |
| Find / Fast Pair / UWB | Not published | Apple Support 111863 |
| Companion app / firmware | iOS Settings (no third-party app). Firmware via Apple OS updates. | Apple Support 111863 |
| US MSRP (launch) | $179 (US) | Apple Newsroom 2021-10-18Apple Newsroom / 2021 launch. Street and leftover prices go stale; re-check on write day. |
| Price band | Midrange true-wireless ($150–$200 US launch) | Derived from Apple $179 start |
| Announced | 2021 (year introduced on Support 111863); Newsroom 18 October 2021 | Apple Support 111863; Apple Newsroom |
| Availability | Discontinued / leftover. apple.com/airpods merchandises AirPods 5, Pro 3, and Max 2 as of 2026-09-19 re-check. Compare HTML still carries 3rd-generation Lightning / MagSafe columns. This hub stays. | Apple AirPods compare; Support 111863 |
AirPods (3rd generation) extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other earbuds keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning vs MagSafe case | Lightning Charging Case works with the Lightning connector only. MagSafe Charging Case works with MagSafe, Qi-certified chargers, or Lightning. Support 111863 prints one size/weight table for both. | Apple Support 111863 |
| Identify | AirPods 3 — year introduced 2021. Bud models A2565, A2564. MagSafe case A2566 (2021). Lightning case A2897 (year introduced 2022 on Identify 109525). | Apple Support 109525 |
| In the box | AirPods 3; Lightning Charging Case or MagSafe Charging Case; Lightning to USB-C Cable; documentation. No ear tips. | Apple Support 111863 |
| Recycled content (OEM) | Apple: 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets; 100% recycled aluminum in the hinge of both cases; 100% recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board of both cases. | Apple Support 111863Manufacturer materials claim. Do not convert this into an independent carbon score. |
| Accessibility features | Live Listen, Headphone levels, Headphone Accommodations | Apple Support 111863 |
Overview
AirPods (3rd generation) is the 2021 open-ear stem. Apple’s own framing on Support 111863 is H1, Personalized Spatial Audio, Adaptive EQ, a force-sensor stem, and IPX4 on both the buds and the charging case. There are no silicone tips, no ANC, and no Transparency. The silhouette is shorter than AirPods 2 / 1 and is not a Pro seal.
This hub exists so later earbud writers can clone one honest device record instead of treating “AirPods” as a single product. The first spec table is earbuds-v1 — the same keys belong on AirPods 1, Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Sony WF-1000XM5, and Pixel Buds Pro. It is not a sitewide gadget schema and it is not watches-v1. Comparison URLs stay on their own -vs- slugs under /earbuds/…. This page’s public path is locked at /earbuds/airpods-3/.
We do not claim we wore these on a commute or a run. Where Apple omits ANC, we write No. Leftover or discontinued at Apple is not a reason to skip this hub; Apple compare still listed AirPods 3 as of 19 September 2026.
Fit, tips, and form factor
AirPods 3 is an open-ear stem. Support 111863’s in-the-box list is buds, a Lightning or MagSafe case, a Lightning to USB-C cable, and documentation — no tips. That is the fit story versus every Pro and versus later tip-free AirPods 4 / 5 hubs (those get their own sheets).
Dimensions are 30.79 × 18.26 × 19.21 mm per bud, 4.28 g — not the AirPods 2 40.5 × 16.5 × 18.0 mm / 4 g stem. Quote both sheets. Do not write “same AirPods fit.”
ANC, transparency, and spatial (OEM claims only)
Copy Apple’s names. Do not invent dB — and do not invent ANC.
- ANC: No. Not listed on 111863.
- Transparency: No. Not listed on 111863.
- Personalized Spatial Audio + Adaptive EQ on the spatial row. TrueDepth profile required; compatible content only.
A Pro page keeps the same anc key and writes the OEM ANC name. A first-gen AirPods page writes No for ANC, Transparency, and Spatial-as-listed.
Battery and charging (OEM table only)
Copy this table, do not invent rundown curves:
| Mode (Apple’s words) | AirPods 3 claim |
|---|---|
| Listening | Up to 6 hours |
| Personalized Spatial Audio | Up to 5 hours |
| With Lightning or MagSafe case | Up to 30 hours |
| Fast charge | 5 minutes in the case ≈ 1 hour |
In the box: buds, Lightning Charging Case or MagSafe Charging Case, Lightning to USB-C cable, documentation. MagSafe / Qi wireless charging exists only on the MagSafe case SKU.
ANC, fit, and battery
anc, fit_system, and battery_buds are earbuds-v1 rows: every later earbud page should fill them, even when the OEM only publishes “IPX4” or “not listed.”
AirPods 3 fit is the no-tip open-ear + IPX4-on-case story. Battery is the 6 / 30 table. ANC is the explicit No — that No is as useful to a vs-page as Pro 3’s 8-hour claim.
Codecs, Bluetooth, and switching
Apple printed Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology on Support 111863. It did not print LDAC, LC3, or SSC on the sheet we pulled. Keep codecs and write “not published.” Automatic switching is the Apple Account behavior, not a two-device Android multipoint toggle — keep multipoint and say so.
Hearing features and what not to invent
Hearing Aid is not on AirPods 3. Keep hearing_health and write “Not published on the spec sheet (accessed 2026-09-19).” Apple’s later footnotes say Hearing Test / Aid / Protection are AirPods Pro 2 and later.
Accessibility on 111863 lists Live Listen, Headphone levels, and Headphone Accommodations. That is not Hearing Aid. No medical advice.
Software, Find My, and compatibility
Full features: latest Apple OS family. Support 111863 does not list U1, a case speaker, or a lanyard loop. Do not copy Pro 2 Precision Finding onto this extras table.
Hey Siri and the force-sensor press-and-hold path are on the controls list. Skin-detect is the in-ear sensor name (not the dual optical sensors of AirPods 2 / 1).
Price and SKUs
US launch is $179 (2021; Newsroom 18 October 2021). Year introduced 2021 on Support 111863. Discontinued / leftover. apple.com/airpods merchandises AirPods 5 / Pro 3 / Max 2 as of 2026-09-19; compare HTML still carries 3rd-generation columns.
SKU split (do not merge ports)
| SKU | Year introduced (Identify 109525) | Bud models | Case model | Wireless charging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirPods 3 + MagSafe Charging Case | 2021 | A2565, A2564 | A2566 | MagSafe + Qi + Lightning |
| AirPods 3 + Lightning Charging Case | 2021 buds; case year 2022 | A2565, A2564 | A2897 | Lightning only |
In the box (Support 111863)
| Item | Present |
|---|---|
| AirPods 3 | Yes |
| Lightning Charging Case or MagSafe Charging Case | One of the two |
| Lightning to USB-C Cable | Yes |
| Ear tips | No |
| Documentation | Yes |
Do not invent independent scores, Amazon star averages, or “we wore them for a week.” If you need a winner against AirPods 2 or Pro 1st generation, that is a future /earbuds/…-vs-…/ page — this hub only describes one product.
Sources
- Apple Newsroom — Apple introduces all-new AirPods with spatial audio and longer battery life — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — AirPods 3 tech specs (111863) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — Identify your AirPods (109525) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple — AirPods compare — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple — Guidelines for Using Apple Trademarks and Copyrights — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Do AirPods 3 have ANC or Transparency?
No. Support 111863 does not list Active Noise Cancellation or Transparency mode. Keep both earbuds-v1 keys and write No. Do not borrow Pro language.
Do they have Hearing Aid?
No. Hearing Aid / Test / Protection are documented for AirPods Pro 2 and later. The hearing_health row on this hub is “not published on the spec sheet.”
Lightning case or MagSafe case?
Both are on Support 111863 with one size and weight table. MagSafe adds Qi and MagSafe wireless charging; both cases still use Lightning for the cable. Identify: MagSafe case A2566 (2021), Lightning case A2897 (2022).
Is Bluetooth 5.0 printed?
Yes. Support 111863 lists “Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology.” We do not have to fall back to an unversioned “Bluetooth” string on this sheet.
Is the $179 price a street price?
No. $179 is Apple’s published US launch price in 2021. Leftover and used listings are not launch MSRP.
Did Apple publish a codec list?
Not on Support 111863 we pulled on 19 September 2026. Keep the codecs row and write “not published” rather than inventing LDAC.
Official product page: AirPods (3rd generation). Tech specs: AirPods (3rd generation) specs.