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One AirPods Pro 3 Feature Upgrade Comes With a Catch

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Apple's new AirPods Pro 3 boast a range of new features and improvements that make them a tempting upgrade over previous models, but there's one enhancement that only lives up to its promise if you pair the earbuds with a new iPhone 17.

airpods-pro-3-blue.jpeg

The third-generation AirPods Pro Charging Case is equipped with a U2 chip – a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip that enables Precision Finding. This feature helps you locate the case using the Find My app at longer distances, in the unfortunate event that you lose or misplace your AirPods Pro 3 somewhere around you. The AirPods Pro 3 Charging Case comes with a built-in speaker, so you can also make it play a sound using ‌Find My‌ to more easily locate it.

Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip actually debuted in the iPhone 15 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but the chip's implementation in AirPods Pro 3 is more advanced. According to Apple, it enables a location-tracking range of up to 200 feet/60 meters, which is up to 3× longer range compared to Apple's first-generation U1 chip in the AirPods Pro 2 charging case, AirTag, and other devices.

However, Apple's claim of a 1.5x increase in the distance of Precision Finding only applies when the AirPods Pro 3 are paired with an iPhone 17 – a detail buried in its marketing footnotes. Apple doesn't explain why the improvement doesn't apply when the earbuds are paired with older devices that also have the U2 chip.
Note that Ultra Wideband isn't universally supported worldwide, therefore Precision Finding won't work in some countries. AirPods Pro 3 are available to pre-order now, with general availability starting on Friday, September 19, when the iPhone 17 lineup also launches.

(Thanks, Mostafa!)

Update: An earlier version of this article queried whether iPhone Air also got the 1.5x improvement when paired with AirPods Pro 3, since Apple's website didn't specify. Apple has since updated its website to explicitly names iPhone Air as supporting the improvement.

Article Link: One AirPods Pro 3 Feature Upgrade Comes With a Catch
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/16/airpods-pro-3-feature-iphone-17/
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MacRumors said:
However, Apple's claim of a 1.5x increase in the distance of Precision Finding only applies when the AirPods Pro 3 are paired with an iPhone 17 – a detail buried in its marketing footnotes.
Click to expand...
Actual quote from the footnote: "Improved Precision Finding requires iPhone 17 and AirPods Pro 3; availability varies by region."

Clearly the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are losing out as well. ;)

Also, will the 17e count as an "iPhone 17"?
 
mortee said:
Bluetooth 6.0 feature
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BS. Its the same chip. Just firmware locked. Just like all the camera enhancements, Stagemanager and AI.

They did the same shizzle with APP2 where the USBC connector miraculously unlocks loss less audio and AVP capabilities.

Classic.

Can't wait for the last "catch" for the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

At the moment:

All sleazy tricks have been uncovered for:

iPhone 17 range - battery improvement via Adaptive Power Mode

iPhone Air - Battery improvement adaptive power mode and A19 Pro chip that had been firmware degraded.

Apple Watch 11 - Battery Test manipulation and is an S10 in disguise (which actualy is an S9 and S9 is actually an S6.
 
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klasma said:
Actual quote from the footnote: "Improved Precision Finding requires iPhone 17 and AirPods Pro 3; availability varies by region."

Clearly the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are losing out as well. ;)

Also, will the 17e count as an "iPhone 17"?
Click to expand...
Cancelled my iPhone 17 Pro preorder.

Im not moving to the other side of the world to unlock this feature neither!
 
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Dave245 said:
Not cool Apple
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What's not cool? Apple adding features to new/updated products that weren't available before? This extra distance is likely limited to the iPhone 17 models because of some new hardware they have that older iPhones do not have. Apple adds features to older devices regularly when it can do so via software/firmware but some things require new hardware. This seems like some hardware limitation with older iPhones.
 
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They’re discontinued to be more and more reasons not to upgrade with Apple.

And they just can’t help but lock themselves in and only alienate their customers making them less inclined to shop

I’m really becoming very sick and tired of how they do business
 
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neuropsychguy said:
What's not cool? Apple adding features to new/updated products that weren't available before? This extra distance is likely limited to the iPhone 17 models because of some new hardware they have that older iPhones do not have. Apple adds features to older devices regularly when it can do so via software/firmware but some things require new hardware. In this case, what others speculated about (Bluetooth 6) is a strong candidate for the hardware that helps with the longer distance.
Click to expand...

It doesn’t affect me, I’ve still got my AirPods Pro 3 on order, however i think this kind of thing should have been mentioned at the keynote.
 
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Presumably the new iPhone Air also gets the 1.5x improvement when paired with AirPods Pro 3, but Apple doesn't explicitly say so.
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The fine print on the AirPods website does explicitly say so:

“12. Compared with AirPods Pro 2. Improved Precision Finding works with AirPods Pro 3 paired with iPhone Air or iPhone 17 models; availability varies by region.”
 
You mean like how Apple buried that the hypertension & sleep scores & live translation are available on devices other than the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and made people think you needed new watch and/or AirPods hardware to get upgraded features coming with iOS 26?
 
It might well be wrong but my quick internet search suggests that in theory the U2 Ultra Wideband chip could support data transmission rates up to a theoretical maximum of 500Mbps. Even 1% of that would easily support an audio stream.

I'm thinking that, since the AirPods Pro (APP) case has a speaker and a U2 chip in it, might it be possible for the other half of the live translation picture - the bit where you have your phone translating your replies into the other person's language and then either show the other person your phone screen or have the phone speak the translations - to, as an alternative to getting out your phone, have the phone beam the audio translation of what you're saying to the speaker in the APP case?

If the audio quality and volume were sufficient then to me simply holding the APP case in your hand with the speaker facing whomever you're talking to seems like a more discreet and elegant arrangement vs having to get out your more valuable and fragile iPhone to present the translation of what you're saying to the other person.
 
Similar to when usb-c was debuted with Apple and they throttle controlled the transfer speeds of the non-pro version of the iPhone vs the PM (480Mbps vs 10 GBPs) which is still the case for the every model from 15 to the current 17.

In typical Apple fashion, just gatekeep the standard for the premium lineup.
 
iFishishh said:
Similar to when usb-c was debuted with Apple and they throttle controlled the transfer speeds of the non-pro version of the iPhone vs the PM (480Mbps vs 10 GBPs) which is still the case for the every model from 15 to the current 17.

In typical Apple fashion, just gatekeep the standard for the premium lineup.
Click to expand...

They have different USB controllers.
 
ThailandToo said:
How is it Apple’s fault? It’s a new hardware implementation. They can’t go back and reinsert a new chip into old phones.
Click to expand...

It's the fact that Apple's presentation makes it sound like certain features are available for anyone who buys the new AirPods...to entice people to buy the new AirPods...while also making it sound like certain features are available only for the new hardware (but are available on old hardware via the iOS/WatchOS/IpadOS 26 software upgrade)...to entice people to buy the new Apple Watch 3 or Phones...

One feature is available only if you buy a new phone but advertised as if it's available as part of the AirPods with any phone...while other new features are available on older devices via the upcoming software update but advertised as being available specifically with the incoming new phone/watch hardware... So sneakily misleading in Apple's favor to promote purchasing new things first and foremost.

That lack of transparency is Apple's fault.
 
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