Yet another AirPods Pro 3 feature doesn’t work with older iPhones, not even iPhone 16 series

The AirPods Pro 3 bring some major improvements over the AirPods Pro 2 but once again, not all improvements are available to all iPhone users. It was recently discovered that Live translations that are enabled by Apple Intelligence only work if you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer models, and now the improved Precision Finding feature has a similar (arguably worse) clause built it.

Apple added an updated U2 chip in the AirPods Pro 3 that enables improved Precision Finding. Compared to the AirPods Pro 2, the distance over which the new AirPods can be located has been increased by 1.5x. This, paired with the speaker inside the case, is meant to make locating the earbuds much easier. While all that is true, the upgraded feature does not work with older iPhone models, not even one generation old.

Within the fine text of its terms and conditions, Apple mentions that the improved Precision Finding feature works with AirPods Pro 3 only when paired with the iPhone 17 models. Apple first added the U2 chip in the iPhone 15 models but has not explained why the improved Precision Finding doesn’t work with those phones. Fortunately, the iPhone Air is supported, but that’s the extent of phones that are compatible. Moreover, not all regions allow for ultra-wideband support.

This comes after news of Live translations on the AirPods Pro 3 only working with iPhone 15 Pro models or newer, since it requires Apple Intelligence. Coming in at $249, these aren’t budget-friendly earbuds in the first place but what makes things worse is that they demand having the latest iPhone as well to use all the features.