Since the launch of the AirPods Pro 3, there have been complaints from users who have noticed static or crackling when using the headphones, especially when noise cancellation is active but no media is playing. Users have also encountered strange high-pitched whistling noises that occur intermittently.

airpods pro 3 new blue
We shared the issues at the end of October and despite two subsequent firmware updates, the issues were not resolved. Apple released ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ firmware version 8B25 in November and firmware version 8B30 on December 10.

Feedback from users who have installed the firmware updates indicate that the noise issues have not been resolved. Affected users hear static sounds with active noise cancellation on, sometimes while playing media and sometimes without. There have also been reports of latency and audio sync issues when watching videos.

Some AirPods Pro 3 users have had their AirPods replaced by Apple, but the replacement earbuds had the same problem, so it’s unclear if there’s a hardware fix for the problem.

Apple’s latest firmware updates haven’t provided details on what’s included, saying only “bug fixes and other improvements.”

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