The Apple event is less than two weeks away. Pundits and fans alike are waiting for AirPods Pro 3. The AirPods Pro 2 are pretty impressive but still fall behind in some key areas when compared to some other premium earbuds. Here are some features I would love to see on AirPods Pro 3 before I buy them along with the iPhone 16. I am still using the iPhone 12 Mini!
Table of Contents
1. Powerful Bass Preset
The AirPods have never been known for their bass profile. Users and even diehard Apple fans have been left disappointed time and again with Apple’s decision to not improve the AirPods Pro series with a solid bass profile. Apple proud itself on providing a balanced sound but that’s not what the buyers want. Arguably, Pro 2 offers lightly better bass than the OG Pro but is nowhere close to the competition like Sony WF1000 5 and Sennheiser Momentum 4.
I would love to see Apple break some middle ground they offer a preset enabling which will kick in the bass. Of course, it cannot be all software but will require better drivers and possibly a change in design to amply the effect. But then again, Apple is known for its clever designs.
2. Noise Cancellation Level Slider
AirPods Pro was launched with three noise cancellation modes – off, transparency, and ANC or adaptive noise cancellation. Last year, Apple added a fourth mode via a software update called adaptive audio. It is a cross between transparency and ANC mode to create a dynamic listening experience that changes depending on the noise levels around you. Good idea.
But there is no manual control or presets. You can enable/disable the mode but that’s about it. I want to use a slider to increase or decrease the adaptive audio mode based on the surrounding noise levels. A preset would be even better but I am happy with a slider that can be added as a widget in the Control Center. A case with a display would be awesome but more on that later below.
Did You Know: AirPods, in terms of revenue, is bigger than Spotify, Twitter (X), and Snapchat but probably separately?
There are headphones and even TWS out there that offer multiple noise cancellation levels to choose from. Surely, Apple can one-up them by adding a slider to set and save as preset a noise level that the user is comfortable with? Here’s an example. I am hard of hearing and want to set my own noise levels so I don’t have to worry about missing an important announcement at the airport.
Once again, Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 comes to mind. After the initial sound check is done, you get to create your own presets with a slider to reduce or increase noise being canceled.
3. Up to 4 Multipoint Connectivity
Alright, hear me out. Gone are the days when people had just one phone and one laptop. I have several devices and I am sure I am not the only one. I have two phones because I am continually testing features but I know people who carry two phones for work and home. Then there is my tablet and smart TV. And of, course my Mac that I carry for work. I also own a gaming laptop which has to be Windows but you may prefer a console. That’s a lot of devices.
AirPods 2 connects with a maximum of 2 devices simultaneously which is quite limiting. I would love to see Apple support multipoint connectivity for up to 4 devices. That would be a welcome move for many users.
4. Full High-Res Lossless Support
This is something that Apple Music users have been asking for since 2022. Apple Music supports high-resolution lossless audio compression but the AirPods Pro series doesn’t and that is just sad. You will find more details on it on Apple’s site but here is the short version.
Apple offers lossless audio between 16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD Quality) up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Now, the AirPods Pro 2 with lightning port didn’t support high-res lossless music play. But surprisingly, Apple added support for the same in AirPods Pro 2 with a USBC port without making a big deal of it.
What is even weirder is that Apple left out iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV out of it. Lossless music is only supported for Vision Pro. So who is using their VR headset for listening to music?
5. Display
I know, I know. This one is not for everyone. But a touch-sensitive display that quickly allows me to change settings without having to open an iPhone app would be so useful. I can change ANC settings, and noise levels on the fly while listening to music and traveling without touching my iPhone.
Plenty of premium TWS cases come with a display with quick toggles for features and settings. JBL Tour Pro comes to mind. But what about battery life? That would take a hit but what if Apple finds uses an e-ink display like that in the Kindles? We can let Apple rename the e-ink display to Apple i-ink display!!!
On a serious note, it seems Apple does have plans to introduce an AirPods case with display as per patents.
Are AirPods Pro Coming This Year? Probably Not
Apple offers the AirPods Pro 2 in two flavors – one with USBC and one with the lightning connector. AirPods Pro 3 should come with USBC standard (thanks EU). Note that the first AirPods Pro was launched in 2019 while the second came three years later in 2022. Following the three-year cycle, AirPods 3 should arrive in 2025 but we will soon find out.
