Sony takes on the expected AirPods 3 with new wireless buds

Apple is widely expected to announce a new set of truly wireless buds to supplement the current upgraded AirPods model. A number of AirPods parts for the current edition have been contracted for production well into 2020, say analysts, suggesting that Apple doesn't plan to replace its spring chicken with the eventual AirPods (2/3?) which it is expected to announce in the fall with a number of new features. 

Thus, the current AirPods with wireless charging, always-on Siri, and H1 processor, may be sold alongside the fall model that is rumored to be water-resistant and with noise-cancelling features. That could only mean one thing - higher price for the AirPods 3 model which may sport a different design given that its main added value is expected to be the noise cancellation feature.

They could sit above the current AirPods + Wireless Charging Case = $199 bundle, and yet shouldn't warrant pricing above the $250 that Apple wants for its new PowerBeats Pro true wireless pair and their whopping 9 hours of listening time. Enter Sony and its truly wireless buds variation of the critically acclaimed WF-1000XM3 cans.

The new Sony buds come with a $230 price tag, or as much as the AirPods 3 are likely to cost, and introduce Apple's eventual new noise-canceling feature planned for the AirPods 2/3 here and now. In fact, Sony claims that these are the best noise-isolating buds currently on the market, as of June 2019, and explains why. First off, the new WF-1000XM3 buds come each with a microphone that sends the ambient sounds to Sony's new QN1e noise-cancelling chip, which filters out the background fluff.

Next is the design of Sony's new wireless buds, as they fit in a way that largely blocks ambient sounds in the first place, aided by the specialized rubber coating. If you want to hear the noise around you, the buds borrow the best features from their canned brethren, Sony’s Quick Attention gesture where you tap on the left touch pad to lower the volume for a second and hear what's happening around you.

In addition, when used in conjunction with Sony's Connect app that offers Adaptive Sound Control, the smart function can automatically detect if you are on the move, running, walking, or simply chilling somewhere, and then adjusts ambient sound settings to suit the situation. You can manually customize those settings as well, and a proximity sensor tells Sony if you are wearing just one of the buds so that it can adjust the sound towards voice calls, for instance. Needless to say, the buds also work with Google Assistant and have handy touch control pads on them, as any self-respecting wireless earphone should do this day and age.

The fresh Sony earphones are rated for 6 hours of playback on a charge, or exactly as the AirPods, and come with their own charging case that can top them off three times, for a full day of listening. Needless to say, there is also a quick charge function with 90 minutes of listening available for 10 minutes spent in the case, neat. As if borrowed directly from the AirPods again, the connectivity improvements consist of a a dedicated chip to connect each bid directly to your audio device, minimizing pairing and dropped connectivity issues.

The Sony WF-1000XM3 will be launched a bit later this month in two color options - black and platinum silver - and they are priced at $230 which, again, is as much as the AirPods 2/3, or whatever Apple names them, are expected to cost. Sony, however, will have about two months head start on Apple's upcoming AirPods that are slated for a September release alongside the new iPhones 2019.