My brand new AirPod gen 3s are stuck in pairing mode and will not connect to my device

Hey James9375,

Hmm, that's odd. Are you in an area with good internet connection? (Not that that should matter, but could be a factor). Only thing I can think of, is to reboot your iPhone, and retry with the provided steps by Apple Support to connect your AirPods to your device:

Pair AirPods (1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation) - Apple Support (IE)

Hope this helps man! :D