Apple’s iPhone keynote has just taken place, but the firm’s first announcement had nothing to do with smartphones. In fact, the US technology company kicked things off by revealing some clever new AirPods that come with features that have never seen before. They are called the AirPods Pro 3 and will go on sale later this week.

Perhaps the most impressive upgrade coming to the new AirPods Pro 3 is Live Translation. This does exactly what it says on the tin. As you speak to someone in a foreign language, the AirPods will translate the conversation in real time. You’ll even get a transcript beamed onto the screen on the iPhone.

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

It looks impressive and could certainly help when travelling around the globe or if you didn’t listen during your French lessons.

Along with translation, the Pro 3 now has a heart rate sensor tucked inside. This will help monitor pulse when users head out for a walk or run. 

As Apple explains, “AirPods Pro 3 introduce a custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that shines invisible infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow.”

It basically means you don’t need an Apple Watch to get a precise reading from your heart.

Of course, these are earbuds and Apple reckons it’s boosting the audio credentials of its popular buds.

There’s improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which is four times better than before. Apple says this has been made possible with ultra-low noise microphones and advanced computational audio combined with new foam-infused ear tips for greater passive noise isolation.

There’s also better airflow with Apple promising users should get over-the-ear performance from these smaller buds.

Another thing coming to the AirPods Pro 3 is a more comfy design. To deliver this improved fit, Apple is boasting that the internal architecture has been completely re-engineered to make each AirPod smaller, while the external geometry of the ear tip was aligned to the centre of the body for increased stability.

More good news comes to power. AirPods Pro 3 increases battery life in Transparency mode by 67 percent over the previous generation with up to 10 hours with a single charge.

“With AirPods Pro 3, the most popular headphones take a massive leap forward, providing fantastic sound quality and the world’s best ANC of any in-ear wireless headphones,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.

“Combined with an improved fit that provides greater stability for even more people, heart rate sensing, extended battery life, and Live Translation enabled by Apple Intelligence, AirPods Pro 3 take personal audio to the next level.”

The new AirPods will go on sale this month and cost the same as the current AirPods Pro. Expect to pay around £229.