LATEST AIRPODS UPGRADE BRINGS 3D SOUND

Apple’s Airpods are the most popular wireless earbuds on the planet – you only have to count the number you see stuck in people’s ears on a bus trip to town to see that.

If you have an iphone, they’re almost an essential companion, and the third version is only going to make them more so. These Airpods sport the first re-design since they appeared five years ago. The stems are shorter and there are big changes inside – spatial audio with head-tracking arrives for the first time. Spatial audio puts you in the middle of a 3D space in which the individual sounds in music or chat can seem to be coming from any direction. In addition they track your head movements, so the sounds stay where they are as you move your head.

The whole thing is a little disconcerting at first, but as you get used to it, it brings a new dimension to the music.

Aside from that, the new Airpods feature some useful additions – better waterproofing, longer batterylife, and a charging case that has Magsafe built in – you can attach it magnetically to a compatible charger.

Oh, and of course, they sound great when listening to music.

The quality of the features and build come at a price – £169. They’re so good, though, and you’ll use them so often, that it might be worth paying.

The second gen Airpods remain available at a knockdown new price of £119, so that’s still an option, but the magic of spatial audio is certainly, in my book at least, worth the extra £50 alone…

Find out more about the new Airpods at apple.com/uk/ airpods