Reprinted from TidBITS by permission; reuse governed by Creative Commons license BY-NC-ND 3.0. TidBITS has offered years of thoughtful commentary on Apple and Internet topics. For free email subscriptions and access to the entire TidBITS archive, visit http://www.tidbits.com/ AirPods Pro 3 Improve Noise Cancellation, Add Workout Tracking and Live Translation Adam Engst Along with the expected releases of the iPhone 17 lineup and new Apple Watch models, Apple used its 'Awe Dropping' event to introduce the new[1]AirPods Pro 3. They offer enhanced noise cancellation, heart rate monitoring for workouts, and a new Live Translation feature. The wireless earbuds are available for pre-order now at the familiar $249 price point, with availability starting on 19 September 2025. The advancement that's likely to have the most impact comes in noise cancellation, which Apple says is twice as effective as the AirPods Pro 2 and four times better than the original AirPods Pro. Apple also redesigned the ear tips with foam-infused cushions available in five sizes (XXS, XS, S, M, L) for a more secure fit and enhanced passive noise cancellation. Other physical changes, though not immediately apparent, include a smaller body, redesigned ear tip geometry for better stability, and IP57 sweat and water resistance. For those who wear AirPods during exercise, the AirPods Pro 3 add heart rate monitoring and can start up to 50 different workout types through the iPhone's Fitness app. I'm having some difficulty imagining how all this will work in real life; for instance, what if you don't work out with your iPhone, and how will the accuracy of the heart rate monitoring compare to that of the Apple Watch? The most impressive new feature Apple showed off is Live Translation (currently in beta), which enables real-time translation of face-to-face conversations in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish to start, with Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese coming later this year. That's right, Apple has essentially created the Babelfish from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The AirPods automatically lower background audio with noise cancellation so you can focus on the translation. If the other person isn't wearing supported AirPods, you can use your iPhone as a horizontal display to show your speech in their language. Live Translation is powered by computational audio on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone running iOS 26. It also works on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 with Noise Cancellation. Unfortunately, [2]Apple says 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. I'm curious to hear how well it functions in real-world situations. Apple's Hearing Protection technology, including the Hearing Test, is now available to users in the EU and UK after receiving certification in those regions. However, it is also supported on the AirPods Pro 2, so there's no need to upgrade to access Hearing Protection. Finally, Apple improved battery life to 8 hours with noise cancellation turned on (up from 6 hours) and up to 10 hours in Transparency mode. Although it's fast and easy to charge the AirPods in their case'5 minutes in the case provides about 1 hour of listening'any boost in battery life is appreciated. Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 feature set sounds compelling, especially for owners of the original AirPods Pro. I can easily see how the improved noise cancellation, potentially more comfortable fit, better battery life, and Live Translation could encourage an upgrade. Even those who are happy with the AirPods Pro 2 might be enticed by the noise cancellation and battery life alone. References Visible links 1. https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/ 2. https://support.apple.com/en-us/121115?utm_source=chatgpt.com#:~:text=live%20translation%20with%20airpods%20is%20not%20available Hidden links: 3. https://tidbits.com/uploads/2025/09/AirPods-Pro-3-eartips.jpg .