In its latest event at the Steve Jobs Theaters in Cupertino, Apple unveiled a dazzling array of new products. While iPhone 8 & iPhone X had center stage along with the next generation of Apple Watch and Apple TV, they quietly launched the next iteration of the urBeats lineup, since it doesn’t really warrant that much time on the big stage.
The urBeats3 come in two main versions. The first is comes with a type-c jack for those who want to avoid any hassle of connectors. The second version a pair of wired earphones with a 3.5mm axial-aligned driver. Apple must have realized the irony in releasing a pair of wired earphones, when their latest lineup of phones doesn’t even come with audio port, which is why they have included a lightning adaptor for this version, in the retail packaging. That way, they play well with the latest iPhones. There is a RemoteTalk button, which can be used to talk to Siri, make calls and control music playback with dedicated controls. The earphones feature a flat tangle-free cable.
Unlike the 2nd generation urBeats, there are two colour schemes for the urBeats3, for each version respectively. The type-c jack version comes in matte gold, black and matte silver, whereas the 3.5 mm jack version can be purchased in grey, white, black and blue, giving you a lot of options to make a bold fashion statement unlike any other inexpensive earphones on the market. In terms of comfort, the urBeats3 have been ergonomically designed to be used anywhere, whether you want to work out or just go out for a jog. To cater to varying ear sizes, these earphones come with a variety of ear tip options in the box. If you require a greater stability during your workout sessions, you can also opt for the optional secure-fit wingtips. To top it all off, there is also a carrying case in the retail box to help you easily carry your beats around.
So, they are comfortable and we’ve established that they are convenient to carry around, let’s talk about the sound quality. According to the marketing material, the fine-tuned acoustic design delivers an optimized sound output with makes it a pleasant listening experience across genres. Although that sounds promising, everyone expects them to follow suite with the rest of the urBeats lineup and produce a boosted bass.
Another selling point for some people could be the compatibility of the type-c versions with MacBook, models 2017 and ahead since they now feature a type-c port as well. The Apple urBeats3 come bearing a price tag of $99.95 (approx. £73.60). Both the versions have been priced the same, but the 3.5 mm jack version is going to be available on shelves later this fall. Considering the pros and cons of both, the urBeats3 offer a pretty decent upgrade to those unhappy with the stock ear pods. While there are quite a lot of alternatives available on the market, these earphones a good balance of value for your money and sound quality.