Today Apple streamed their "Awe Dropping" event, which, as expected, covered a number of products. These products include the AirPods Pro, Apple Watch, and iPhone. This article will cover the first two items, AirPods and Apple Watch. So, let us start with the AirPods Pro 3.

AirPods Pro 3

Apple introduced a new set of AirPods, the AirPods Pro 3. The AirPods Pro 3 take the existing AirPods Pro 2 and enhance them. The AirPods Pro have had noise cancellation, but with the new AirPods Pro 3, they have 2x better noise cancellation. This is made possible with a new set of foam-infused tips, to provide even better sound isolation. There are now five different tips that you can choose from to get an even better fit than before. According to Apple, this was accomplished by "utilizing over 10,000 ear scans with more than 100,000 hours of user research".

The new tips are not the only change; there is a new feature coming to AirPods Pro 3, Live Translation.

Live Translation

With the AirPods 3, you can get live translations. Live Translations can be used in conjunction with an iPhone. When you use this arrangement, what you say on your AirPods will be automatically translated on your iPhone within the Translate app, so the person you are speaking to can read what you have said in their native language. Additionally, you can have your iPhone speak what you have said.

If there are two individuals, both with AirPods Pro 3, they can both use Live Translation to get a translation of what each of you says spoken directly into your ears. "Live Translation on AirPods is available in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, and will be coming to four more languages by the end of the year: Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified)."

Battery Life

The AirPods Pro 3 have improved battery as well, going from 6 hours on a single charge, to 8 hours when Active Noise Cancellation enabled. AirPods Pro 3 can be used as hearing aids. For those who utilize this feature, the battery life has improved to 10 hours with transparency enabled. This is a good improvement.

Pricing

The AirPods Pro 3 can be pre-ordered today for $249, and will be available beginning Friday, September 19.

Now, let us look at the new Apple Watches, starting with watchOS 26.

watchOS 26

The Apple Watch is Apple’s device for health tracking, fitness, messaging, and quick interactions. Each Apple Watch has its own set of features, but there are some that are common across all of the new Apple Watches: the Apple Watch SE 3, the Apple Watch Series 11, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. This feature is called "Sleep Score".

Sleep Score

The Apple Watch is capable of utilizing many of its sensors to try and provide you with an overall look into your health. One of the key places is sleep. The new Sleep Score feature will show you a look at your overall score for sleep. There are a number of factors taken into account, including: heart rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and respiratory rate.

All of this data is taken into account, and ultimately, an overall score is provided for your sleep. This information is displayed not only on the Apple Watch but also within the Health app on iPhone. Additionally, recommendations on how to improve your score will be made available.

Sleep Score is available with watchOS 26 on all Apple Watch models that support watchOS 26.

Wrist Flick

There may be instances when you have your hands full, such as while bringing in groceries, making a meal, or even carrying a child. During these times, it might be useful to be able to quickly handle a notification or phone call. Now, you can with "wrist flick".

The wrist flick action will allow you to quickly silence a notification or a call. As the name indicates, this is done with a flick of your wrist, forward and backwards. This is available on all of the new Apple Watches introduced today: the Apple Watch SE 3, the Apple Watch Series 11, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Hypertension

One of the focal points of the Apple Watch is when it comes to health. watchOS 26 adds a new notification for some Apple Watch models. That notification is for hypertension, or high blood pressure. According to Apple’s press release:

Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease, and impacts approximately 1.3 billion adults globally. It is frequently undiagnosed because it often has no symptoms, many people do not see a doctor regularly, and even during a clinical visit, it can be easily missed with a single measurement.

With watchOS 26 on the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3, you will now get notifications if high blood pressure is detected. From Apple’s Ultra 3 press release:

If users receive a hypertension notification, it is recommended that they log their blood pressure for seven days using a third-party blood pressure cuff and share the results with their provider at their next visit, which is consistent with the latest American Heart Association guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypertension.

That concludes the common features across multiple watches. Now, let us look at each of the models announced today, starting with the Apple Watch SE 3.

Apple Watch SE 3

The Apple Watch SE is the entry-level Apple Watch, but despite being entry-level, there are still a lot of features. The Apple Watch SE 3 is the newest entry in the line, and it adds some enhancements. In addition to Sleep Score, mentioned above, the new features include a new display, temperature sensing, new gestures, improved battery life, and 5G with cellular models.

S10 and Battery Life

The Apple Watch SE 3 has the S10, which replaces the S8 in the Apple Watch SE 2. The S10 enables some of the new features that will be outlined below. One of the features of the S10 is Low-Power mode. When you enable Low Power Mode on the Apple Watch SE 3, you can get up to 32 hours of battery life.

If you need to charge your Apple Watch SE 3 quickly, you can do so with the new Fast-charging. Fast charging will get you from 0 to 80% in 45 minutes. And if you charge for 15 minutes, you will get up to another 8 hours of battery life. So, for those times that you cannot fully charge, either of these can be quick ways of getting more battery life.

New Display

The Apple Watch SE 3 gets a new display. It is still an OLED display, like all Apple Watch models, but this one is now an Always On display. This means that the screen can remain on throughout the day. When the display is not active, it can dim and reduce the refresh rate down to 1 hertz, which saves battery life.

Gestures

One of the new features of the Apple Watch SE 3 is that it can now detect your wrist movements. This enables two new gestures: double-tap and wrist flick. When you use the double-tap gesture, which is double-tapping your index finger and thumb, you can perform the default action on whichever screen you are on. This can save you time when your hands are full.

Sensors

The S10 in the Apple Watch SE 3 provides some new sensors. This includes the new temperature sensor. This sensor will detect your wrist temperature while you sleep and provide information for the Vitals app. Additionally, it can also be used to retroactively predict when your ovulation cycle might have started.

Pricing and Availability

The Apple Watch SE 3 is available for pre-order today and starts at $249 for the 40mm model, and is $279 for the 44mm model. There are cellular models, which have 5G, for $50 more. The Apple Watch SE 3 will be available starting on September 19th.

Apple Watch Series 11

The Apple Watch Series 11 is a modest update, with only a couple of new features. These features include the aforementioned wrist flick, 5G cellular, and better battery life. The Apple Watch Series 11 still has the same S10 processor as the Series 10.

The biggest change is the improved battery life. The Series 11 will now have up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge. This is up from the 18 hours on the Series 10. Should you need to quickly charge your Apple Watch Series 11, this is possible as well. Just like the Series 10, you will get from 0% to 80% in just 30 minutes, but now if you fast charge for just 15 minutes you will get up to 8 hours of battery life. This is an improvement over the Series 10.

Pricing and Availability

The Apple Watch Series 11 is available for pre-order today and starts at $399 for the 42mm model, and is $429 for the 46mm model. There are cellular models, which have 5G, for $50 more. The Apple Watch Series 11 will be available starting on September 19th. Now, let us look at the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Apple Watch Ultra 3

The Apple Watch Ultra is designed to be the most rugged Apple Watch available. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 makes some improvements over the Apple Watch Ultra 2, including a new display, the S01, Emergency SOS via satellite, 5G, and improved battery life. Let us start with the S01.

S10 and Battery Life

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 was introduced in 2023 with the Apple Watch Series 9. At the time, both watches had the same System in Package, the S9. In 2024, Apple introduced the Black Titanium option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 but made no other changes. This year, with the Apple Watch Ultra 3, there is a new System in Package, the S10.

The S10 provides a bit more power for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, bringing it inline with the Series 11 and SE 3. The S10 on the Apple Watch Ultra proves some power efficiency, which allows for better battery life. Now you can get up to 42 hours on a single charge. And up to 72 hours in Low Power mode. If you need to fast charge, you can go from 0% to 80% in 45 minutes, and a 15-minute charge can provide up to 12 hours of battery life.

New Display

The Apple Watch Ultra has the largest screen of any Apple Watch thus far, at 49mm. The actual resolution has increased from 410 x 502 pixels to 422 x 514 pixels. This is a small 1.3% increase, but any larger display is good, and the case of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has not changed in size.

The new display is still an Always-On OLED display, but it is easier to glance at the display from a wider angle. This is achieved by having each pixel increase its light output to make it easier to see.

The wider viewing angles are not the only changes, from the Apple press release:

LTPO3 is also more power efficient, enabling a faster refresh rate when Apple Watch Ultra 3 is in always-on mode, going from once a minute to once a second, so it’s possible to see a ticking seconds hand without raising the wrist. Stopwatch, Timer, and over 20 watch faces are updated with support for this refresh rate. In addition, a new Waypoint watch face can help users navigate with a live compass, easily access satellite communications with a new complication, and quickly turn on Night Mode to help preserve night vision.

5G and Satellite

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 now supports 5G cellular. Along with this, you can also use Satellite connectivity, just like the iPhone. With Satellite connectivity, you can quickly call for emergency services, even when you are outside of cellular range. Additionally, you can send messages to friends and family via cellular.

Pricing and Availability

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is available for pre-order today for $799. All Apple Watch Ultra 3 models include 5G cellular. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be available starting on September 19th.

Closing Thoughts

The AirPods Pro 3 is a pretty good upgrade for those who can use the AirPods Pro headphones. The longer battery life and live translation will help a lot of people in a variety of situations.

The new Apple Watch lineup brings a big upgrade to the Apple Watch SE with an Always-On display, wrist flick, sleep score, and fast charging. All of these are major updates for the SE 3, and it still starts at $249.

The Apple Watch Series 11 saw the fewest changes, but you can get up to 8 hours of battery if you fast charge or 15 minutes. You also get Sleep Score and hypertension notifications.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 got a big upgrade with the new larger screen, with better, wider viewing options. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is still $799.

The AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra can all be pre-ordered today and will be available starting September 19th.

Sources:

• AirPods: Apple Newsroom
• Apple Watch SE 3: Apple Newsroom
• Apple Ultra 3: Apple Newsroom
• Series 11: Apple Newsroom