Three years after the last refresh, Apple's newest premium earbuds are finally in people's ears, and the early verdict isn't the universal praise the company's marketing machine might suggest.
Reviewers and everyday buyers are split on whether the upgrades justify the price, and the debate says a lot about where the wireless earbud market is heading.
The headline feature is improved noise cancellation, which most testers agree is noticeably stronger than the previous generation.
Commuters report that subway rumble and airplane drone fade further into the background, and the transparency mode sounds more natural when you need to hear the world around you.
Battery life also crept upward, though not dramatically enough to silence critics who wanted a bigger jump.
Where things get murky is the health and hearing features Apple has been pushing hard.
Some reviewers praise the new hearing-related tools as genuinely useful for people who struggle in noisy rooms, while others point out that similar functionality has existed in cheaper competitors for a while.
The gap between Apple's polished presentation and what the hardware actually delivers is narrower than the ads imply.
At a premium tier, these earbuds compete against options from Sony, Bose, and a wave of aggressive budget brands that keep closing the gap.
For iPhone owners locked into the ecosystem, the seamless pairing and find-my features remain a real draw.
For everyone else, the calculus is less obvious, and plenty of shoppers are asking whether last year's model at a discount is the smarter move.
The deeper story here is that earbud innovation has plateaued.
Once you nail noise cancellation, fit, and battery, there's not much left to wow people with, so companies lean on software tricks and subscription-style features.
Apple is very good at selling polish, but polish alone doesn't move the needle the way a genuinely new capability would.
For many users they're still among the most comfortable and reliable options, especially if you live on an iPhone.
But the hype cycle around every Apple launch has trained people to expect revolution, and this is closer to a solid evolution.
The gap between what's advertised and what's delivered is where the real conversation is happening. **Our take:** If you already own a recent pair, there's little reason to rush out and upgrade.
If you're buying your first premium earbuds and you're deep in Apple's world, these are a safe pick, just not a thrilling one.
Final Thoughts
The smart move is to wait for a sale rather than pay full freight on day one.