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The AirPods Pro aren't just any pair of active noise-canceling earbuds; they're one of Apple's bestselling products. So, when the brand releases a new pair, they have a lot to live up to. Thankfully, the AirPods Pro 3 are more than up to the task.
I've been testing audio products for well over a decade, and each iteration of the AirPods Pro has delivered an impressive set of features in a compact form factor. The AirPods Pro 3 are no different. These earbuds are the whole package with improved ANC, a built-in heart rate sensor, better water resistance, and refined sound quality.
Though I don't love how the tweaked design fits in my ears, other users may prefer the revised shape, and there's no denying that these are Apple's best AirPods so far. After hands-on testing with the new earbuds, here's a full rundown of what the AirPods Pro 3 are like to use.
When Apple announced that it had tweaked the physical shape of the AirPods Pro 3 based on research and scans of different ears, I didn't think too much of it. My only thought was that these would fit even better than past models and that this would be a great change. I was wrong.
As soon as I put the new AirPods Pro in my ears, I could feel how much the shape had changed. Beyond the feel, I could also see in the mirror that they stuck out of my ears much more than before. Whereas the stem on the AirPods Pro 2 hugged my earlobe tightly, these new earbuds jut out and refuse to touch my face. Some users may prefer this, but I liked the old fit better.
I tried the different-sized ear tips in the box, including the new XXS small option, but that didn't improve my issue. To be clear, I can still use the new earbuds just fine. With the medium-sized tips, they physically fit inside my ears with a tight seal, as verified by the acoustic seal test in the app settings. They don't fall out of my ears when I walk around, but the overall comfort has decreased for me compared to older models. My ears just don't like the new AirPods Pro dimensions as much as the previous ones.
I've been racking my brain to find a way to give some guidance as to whether the AirPods Pro 3 will work for other people. Fit and comfort are so personal and dependent on your particular ear shape that it's hard to know. But since the AirPods 4 with ANC and other AirPods models have fit like a glove in my ears, my only suggestion is to use those previous iterations as a barometer.
If past models haven't worked for you, then you may find more success with the Pro 3. If past ones fit you perfectly, then just be aware that this new model could feel less comfy.
Apple says that the AirPods Pro 3 have the "world's best in-ear active noise-cancellation." After spending many hours with the buds continually lodged in my ears, I can confidently say the AirPods Pro 3 offer a noticeable improvement in ANC performance over the AirPods Pro 2. But in my experience, they don't quite live up to Apple's claim, as the competing Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 had a slight edge in my testing.
The new AirPods Pro 3's impressive ANC performance is the result of several factors, including ultra-low-noise microphones that filter out unwanted distractions. Foam has also been injected into the silicone ear tips, which should contribute to less sound breaking through.
To my ears, the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 still take the top spot in ANC performance, but just barely. Unless you're A/B testing these back to back, you might not notice a difference. Both significantly dampen the hum of an airplane cabin. Both did a great job with higher-pitched sounds, like vacuum cleaners, but I noticed slightly better results from Bose's earbuds in that area. Subway sounds are another area where Bose could have an edge for commuters.
That said, some of these variances in ANC performance between the two earbuds could also be a result of minor differences in fit, so the Pro 3 could offer better results in certain ear shapes. Regardless, it's clear that the AirPods Pro 3 perform better than their predecessor. If the AirPods Pro 2 were around a seven out of 10 in ANC performance, then I'd give the Pro 3 and Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 an 8.5 or nine.
In addition to excellent ANC, the transparency capabilities of the AirPods Pro 3 remain stellar. If the fit doesn't remind you that they're in your ears, you may just forget.
The AirPods Pro 2 already sounded good, but Apple has made some small tweaks to the Pro 3 to improve the quality even more. This is accomplished in the form of better airflow, thanks to a new multiport acoustic architecture. One visible aspect of this is the larger vent on the top of the buds. Making this improvement creates a wider soundstage with more room for sound to occupy. You might notice deeper bass as a result of this change, too.
Think of listening to music from a speaker while standing in a tiny coat closet and how confined that might sound, compared to listening in a larger bedroom or living room. Opening up the amount of space sound can fill usually results in the ability to pick out more details with fewer frequencies overlapping and masking each other.
One of the reasons I love the AirPods 4 with ANC so much is because of their expansive sound. The AirPods Pro 3 seem to have adopted a similar acoustic architecture to allow more airflow. "Older" by Lizzy McAlpine provides a good example of the expanded depths as the slow, delicate chords are played on the piano. The music is airy but full and rich.
Improving the AirPods Pro in this manner means that spatial audio content also has more dimension, which is a nice perk for listeners who enjoy formats like Dolby Atmos. Music sounds great, but so do movies and TV shows. I had to pause a show more than once to double-check that the surround sound noises I heard were actually from what I was watching, rather than something from another room in my house.
The embedded heart rate sensors are a great addition, but they could go unnoticed if you already have an Apple Watch. Pairing the earbuds with an iPhone allows people without an Apple Watch to track more fitness activities. When the AirPods Pro 3 are paired, more workout types become available in the iPhone Fitness app.
That said, people who already have an Apple Watch on their wrist probably won't see any increased utility unless Apple alters the sensor's functionality in the future. For instance, I would love it if the earbuds' heart rate sensor could proactively check on my health data without specifically triggering a workout.
Although Apple Watch wearers who already have access to this kind of tracking won't notice much of a functional difference, the AirPods Pro 3's heart rate data will still be integrated into Apple Health, along with smartwatch data. Apple sorts the readings behind the scenes to determine the best or most accurate information to use and filters them accordingly.
I took the AirPods Pro 3 on a run, only connected to an Apple Watch. When I checked the data later in the Health app on my iPhone, I could see readings from both the smartwatch and Pro 3 earbuds had been used.
Starting a workout from my iPhone with only the AirPods Pro 3 connected was just like using the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 with their heart rate sensors. It's easy to activate, and it gives people more options to capture their workout data. I didn't have any issues listening to music on the Pro 3 while they tracked my heart rate. You won't have to sacrifice any functionality to use the feature, and it's a great perk if you don't already have a fitness tracking device like an Apple Watch.
Another new perk that helps make the AirPods Pro 3 even better for workouts is their IP57 sweat and water resistance. The AirPods Pro 2 were only rated as IP54, which can protect from splashes. But IP57 is a more heavy-duty level of protection that can handle temporary immersion in water.
The battery life of the new AirPods Pro 3 is probably more complicated than it should be. The earbuds themselves have a longer listening time than the Pro 2. With ANC enabled, the Pro 3 can last up to eight hours versus the Pro 2's rating of six hours. To me, that's a meaningful difference. However, there's a tradeoff. The AirPods Pro 3's total battery life, including the charging case, is now 24 hours versus the 30 hours offered by the Pro 2.
In practice, I haven't noticed much of a difference yet. The true test will come with long flights or travel days. Having 24 hours of total battery life means you can still listen for more than a week with casual use before having to worry about power. I'm not sure why there's less battery life in the case, but ultimately, I do think the longer sustained listening time through the earbuds is the right choice.
Live Translation is a new feature compatible with the AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods 4 with ANC. To activate it, you press and hold both ear stems. The feature requires a connected iPhone with Apple Intelligence, so you can't just stick the earbuds in by themselves and get language translation.
To test it, I pulled up a Spanish-speaking YouTube video to see if I could follow along. The good news is that Live Translation started automatically after being activated and just fed the English words into my ears. The bad news is that there is a meaningful lag. It takes almost as long as a human translator would, with delays for the time to think about the meaning and all.
Right now, I see this feature as an interesting way to follow along in a crowd. You might be able to use it as an observer in a foreign country to pick up the context of what people around you are talking about. But as a direct way to communicate with someone else? Based on Live Translation's current form, I'd still rather hold my phone up and have a translation app do it on-screen.
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are a solid improvement over the last model. If you're an Apple user, these are the total package for anyone who wants versatile earbuds for general use, traveling, or workouts. Even though the revised fit could be an issue for some ears, I still feel comfortable recommending them to most people. Rather the just handle various uses, they excel at them.
These are especially great for people new to AirPods and are considering buying them as their first pair. That said, if you already have AirPods Pro 2 and you're happy with them, then I wouldn't recommend rushing to upgrade to the new ones. The previous-generation buds still have some miles in them before they'll be outdated.
The AirPods Pro 3 are now available from Apple's store and other major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy for $249. That's the same suggested retail price of the AirPods Pro 2, but you can often find the older model discounted for less.