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Deals: AirPods 3 Drop to New Low Price of $139.99

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aehaas said:
So you need to connect your AirPod to your iPhone to get it to update. the problem is that both are Lightning connectors. You need a Lightning connector to Lightning connector adapter? Where does one get this?
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? You connect the AirPods to your iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth, not physically with the Lightning cable.

Here are the instructions: https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/update-airpods/
 
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I owned the AP1 and loved them, but they barely hold a charge. I bought the Pros upon release and love the sound and features, but they just don't fit well and they fall out doing normal housework. I almost lost one while raking leaves. I bought the AP3 when it was only $20 off last week ?, but haven't had a chance to try them yet.
 
Instructions includes a note to rotate the AirPod stems forward; this has pretty much stopped my AirPod 3G from falling out.

For the first 2 weeks of use, my AirPods 3G frequently fell out of my ears. I almost returned my AirPods, because i was concerned one would eventually fall down a storm drain and be lost beyond warranty eligibility. When I contacted Apple Support, they said they had not heard this concern before (lol), and that i can send the AirPods in for technician examination. So when in doubt, RTFM, and I found the AirPod 3rd Generation manual says:

“Get the right fit
Gently press AirPods in your ears and rotate toward your face. Your AirPods should feel tight and secure.”
 
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D’oh! I bought mine on BF from Amazon for $149 I guess I missed out on this amazing deal! No matter, while it took a few days to adjust to the new fit coming from the AP2’s I do love them now ?
 
ejfontenot said:
I have pros but considering getting these also for conference calls and just a spare pair.

Anyone have both these and the pros? Use cases?
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I use the pros for public transportation / flights, use the max at home, and the regular AirPods for everything else. Workout, at work, the grocery store. Might be a little much but that’s what I do.
 
turbineseaplane said:
It is sort of interesting how aggressively these have been on sale since they released (which wasn't long ago at all).

It does make me wonder if they aren't selling nearly as well as Apple/retailers anticipated.
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That's the exact thing I would have liked to have seen in this article.
 
cwwilson said:
D’oh! I bought mine on BF from Amazon for $149 I guess I missed out on this amazing deal! No matter, while it took a few days to adjust to the new fit coming from the AP2’s I do love them now 😅
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Well, here’s what I would do [I don’t know when you purchased yours for the $149.00 price]. But if it was really recent, as in maybe two weeks, I bet you Amazon would price adjust, especially if you’re a Prime member. It really depends who you talk to you, but they might give you a credit to your account.
 
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I wish they’d improve AirPods 2. Shorter stems, better battery.

Both my wife and I tried the 3s, and they would NOT stay in our ears. Great sound, like the shorter stems, but they wouldn’t stay in. Also, squeezing stems is stupid. Tapping is a thousand times more functional. I’m back to AirPods 2; she’s sticking to Powerbeats pro.

Send feedback, folks. We did.
 
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suns93 said:
I have owned AP1 and AP2 - loved them dearly. And my wife has APP so I have been able to give those a lot of test drives.

I can’t stand the Pros. As with all silicone tipped buds, I experience the skeleton-vibration phenomenon. Additionally, they are just plain uncomfortable in my ear. Lastly, noise cancellation has never appealed to me - I enjoy being aware of my surroundings.

So, I was disheartened when I saw the redesign for AP3. Why fiddle with such a great product?

Well, after seeing the Black Friday deal and discovering how much resale value my AP2 (mine over 2 years old) held, I decided to bite the bullet and try out the AP3. I could always return them and buy a new pair of AP2.

Well, I’m happy to report that I love the AP3’s! The fit is great, I haven’t had either fall out yet, nor experienced ear fatigue from wearing them for long periods. The bass is definitely improved. Battery life improved.

At first I thought the ‘squeeze’ was a downgrade from ‘tap’. But now that I’m used to it, I actually prefer it. Keep in mind that I don’t often run into situations where my hands are either very messy or so full that I can’t squeeze, but would be able to tap with a knuckle or what have you. I far, far more frequently need to pause when coming across a neighbor while walking the dogs. With the taps, sometimes I’d miss and have to tap again, which on several occasions wouldn’t register yet again, in which case I’m just yanking them out of my ear and haven’t been able to hear whole sentences spoken to me. I’ve never had a squeeze fail me.
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I agree on silicone tips. Hate them. If I need a seal, I have other earbuds (actually, custom in-ear monitors. Different beast. Better than anything apple will ever sell because they’re for professional audio engineers/musicians and require an audiologist to make molds. For some folks, I can see the use case for APP, just not me.)

I see your points on the squeezing. Personally, I loathe squeezing. 99 times out of 100, I’m working with my hands when using AirPods (gardening, cooking, general choring), and tapping is my preference. I see your points, though, and perhaps the best solution would be to improve the tapping functionality in a future design. Or, give the option to toggle in settings between squeezing or tapping. Everybody wins. :)
 
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turbineseaplane said:
I agree completely.

I really hope they consider an "AirPods SE" update to the classic AP1/AP2 style.

This type of product is one that really can't have enough variations.
Peoples ears and preferences are all over the place, and many many options is a great thing.
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Yeah, if they're smart (which they are) they'll keep this is an option too. As you said, this the one product that most benefits from coming in different sizes since it's the only one we have to fit into the human body.

I personally wish I would've been disciplined enough to return my AirPods 3 when I was within my return window and gotten a new set of AirPods 2 instead. Alas, the need for having - and showing off - the latest and greatest convinced me that the AirPods 3 are "good enough". I don't listen to music on them so any improvements on the acoustics are lost on me since I only use them for listening to podcasts or the occasional phone call.
 
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suns93 said:
I have owned AP1 and AP2 - loved them dearly. And my wife has APP so I have been able to give those a lot of test drives.

I can’t stand the Pros. As with all silicone tipped buds, I experience the skeleton-vibration phenomenon. Additionally, they are just plain uncomfortable in my ear. Lastly, noise cancellation has never appealed to me - I enjoy being aware of my surroundings.

So, I was disheartened when I saw the redesign for AP3. Why fiddle with such a great product?

Well, after seeing the Black Friday deal and discovering how much resale value my AP2 (mine over 2 years old) held, I decided to bite the bullet and try out the AP3. I could always return them and buy a new pair of AP2.

Well, I’m happy to report that I love the AP3’s! The fit is great, I haven’t had either fall out yet, nor experienced ear fatigue from wearing them for long periods. The bass is definitely improved. Battery life improved.

At first I thought the ‘squeeze’ was a downgrade from ‘tap’. But now that I’m used to it, I actually prefer it. Keep in mind that I don’t often run into situations where my hands are either very messy or so full that I can’t squeeze, but would be able to tap with a knuckle or what have you. I far, far more frequently need to pause when coming across a neighbor while walking the dogs. With the taps, sometimes I’d miss and have to tap again, which on several occasions wouldn’t register yet again, in which case I’m just yanking them out of my ear and haven’t been able to hear whole sentences spoken to me. I’ve never had a squeeze fail me.
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First, great review. Second, there may be settings in the accessibility that will recreate the "tap" function/feature. I agree about the APP. They are horrible. I went back to the AP2s for that reason. I have the APmax as well, but that's not the same for walking, etc. I have taken the tips off the APP and placed them in my ears. Do they feel about the same or is it a better fit? I want to figure this out before I purchase them. Thanks!
 
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