Name: Apple AirPods Pro 3
Brand: Apple

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Short verdict: A year after launch, the AirPods Pro 3 are still the best earbuds you can buy if you own an iPhone. Noise cancelling is a big step up from the AirPods Pro 2, battery life per charge is up to 8 hours with ANC, and they add heart-rate tracking for workouts on top of clinical-grade hearing aid features. The new AirPods 5 cost a lot less, but their open fit can't block noise the way the Pro 3's sealed tips can. Just be aware that the new ear tips don't suit everyone, and Android owners lose most of what makes them special.

Rating: 4.5/5

Check Apple AirPods Pro 3 price on Amazon

AirPods Pro 3 at a glance

Apple announced the AirPods Pro 3 on 9 September 2025 and released them on 19 September 2025 at $249 in the US, the same launch price as the AirPods Pro 2. They replaced the Pro 2, which Apple stopped selling when the Pro 3 arrived. Discounts from major retailers are common, so it's rare to have to pay full price.

Spec	AirPods Pro 3
US launch price	$249
Release date	19 September 2025
Chip	Apple H2 (earbuds), second-gen Ultra Wideband (case)
Battery (earbuds)	Up to 8 hours with ANC; up to 10 hours in Transparency with Hearing Aid
Battery (with case)	Up to 24 hours with ANC
Fast charge	5 minutes gives around 1 hour
Weight	5.55 g per earbud; case 43.99 g
Ear tips	Five sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L (foam-infused)
Water/dust resistance	IP57 (earbuds and case)
Health sensors	Heart-rate sensor for workouts
Hearing features	Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, Hearing Protection, Conversation Boost
Bluetooth	5.3
Charging	USB-C, MagSafe, Qi, Apple Watch charger

What's new compared with AirPods Pro 2

The Pro 3 look similar to the Pro 2, but almost everything that matters has changed: Apple claims up to 2x stronger noise cancelling, battery per charge rises from 6 to 8 hours with ANC, a new heart-rate sensor tracks workouts, the redesigned shape and foam-infused tips (now in five sizes, including XXS) sit deeper in the ear, and water resistance improves from IP54 to IP57. The full side-by-side is in the Pro 3 vs Pro 2 section below.

Noise cancelling

This is the headline upgrade, and independent tests back Apple up. SoundGuys measured the Pro 3 cutting roughly 90% of outside noise, and RTINGS describes their noise isolation as outstanding: the ANC deals with low rumbles like engines and traffic, while the deeper fit and foam-infused tips handle higher-pitched sounds such as office chatter and clattering dishes better than the Pro 2 did.

Reviewers consistently put the Pro 3 among the very best noise cancelling earbuds, trading blows with the Sony and Bose flagships rather than trailing them. If ANC is your main reason for buying, see our roundup of the best noise cancelling earbuds for the full field.

Transparency mode is still a highlight. It sounds natural, and Adaptive Audio blends ANC and Transparency automatically depending on your surroundings. With iOS 27, Apple added a slider so you can nudge Adaptive Audio towards more or less noise cancelling.

Sound quality

The Pro 3 use a redesigned acoustic setup and have a warmer, bassier sound than the Pro 2, with more low-end punch. What Hi-Fi praised the improved sound and gave them five stars. SoundGuys' measurements show extra bass and some added treble in the 5–8 kHz range, and they note that Adaptive EQ makes the balance shift with volume, so the sound is more exaggerated when you listen quietly.

For most people the tuning sounds full and energetic on the go. The long-standing complaint that you couldn't change it was fixed in September 2026, when firmware for iOS 27 added a Custom EQ with low, mid and high controls.

There's still no high-resolution codec: the Pro 3 use AAC, which is fine for streaming on an iPhone but not built for lossless listening. Spatial Audio with head tracking works well with films and Dolby Atmos music.

Fit, comfort and ear tips

This is the most divisive part of the Pro 3. The new design sits deeper in the ear canal, and the foam-infused tips seal better, which is a big part of why the ANC improved. Many people find them the most secure-fitting AirPods yet.

But not everyone. Since launch, Apple's forums and Reddit have filled up with reports of sore ears, pressure and earbuds that loosen during exercise. SoundGuys found the glossy outer surface can slip as you sweat, and wrote a separate guide to fixing Pro 3 fit issues. Some owners also say the new tips tear easily when you swap them.

If you buy, run the Ear Tip Fit Test in the AirPods settings, try every size (you may need a different size in each ear), and buy somewhere with easy returns in case they don't suit you.

Keeping the tips clean also helps them grip and seal. See our headphone cleaning guide for safe methods.

Health features: heart rate and workouts

Each Pro 3 earbud has a heart-rate sensor that pulses invisible infrared light to measure blood flow. It works with the Fitness app on iPhone to track over 50 workout types, recording heart rate and calories without an Apple Watch.

In practice, reviewers report reliable readings for walks, runs and gym sessions, but SoundGuys found accuracy dropped during vigorous exercise when the earbuds shifted in the ear. With iOS 27 the Pro 3 can also share heart-rate data with compatible gym equipment through GymKit. Heart-rate sensing reduces battery life to around 6.5 hours per charge.

The IP57 rating means sweat and rain aren't a problem. For more options, see our guide to the best headphones for working out.

Hearing test and hearing aid features

The Pro 3 carry over Apple's hearing health features, which are among the most useful things any earbuds offer:

Hearing Test: a roughly five-minute test on your iPhone that gives you an audiogram-style result.
Hearing Aid: clinical-grade assistance for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, with adjustable amplification, balance and tone. Apple rates battery at up to 10 hours in this mode.
Hearing Protection: reduces exposure to loud environmental sounds such as concerts.
Conversation Boost: now switches on automatically for Hearing Aid users.

Availability of the Hearing Aid feature depends on your country, and it requires a compatible iPhone. For someone with mild hearing loss, this can make the Pro 3 dramatically cheaper than traditional hearing aids.

Battery life

Apple rates the Pro 3 at up to 8 hours with ANC on, and independent testing beats that: SoundGuys measured 8 hours 42 minutes, compared with 5 hours 43 minutes for the Pro 2 in the same test. That's enough for most long-haul flights.

The trade-off is the case. It now holds up to 24 hours in total with ANC, down from 30 hours on the Pro 2. Most people will still charge the case once or twice a week. Five minutes in the case gives around an hour of listening, and the case charges over USB-C, MagSafe, Qi or an Apple Watch charger.

Calls and microphones

On an iPhone, the Pro 3 handle calls well, with voice isolation reducing background noise. RTINGS rates the microphones as mediocre overall because quality varies a lot by device: they sound much better with an iPhone than with other phones or PCs. If you take lots of calls on a Windows laptop, keep that in mind.

iPhone vs Android

The Pro 3 are designed for the Apple ecosystem, and the gap is large:

Feature	iPhone	Android
ANC and Transparency	Yes	Yes (via stem controls)
One-tap pairing, automatic switching	Yes	No
Heart-rate tracking	Yes	No
Hearing Test / Hearing Aid	Yes	No
Personalised Spatial Audio	Yes	No
Custom EQ, firmware updates	Yes	No
Live Translation, Siri	Yes	No

On Android they work as capable Bluetooth earbuds for music and calls, and nothing more. SoundGuys sums it up as music playback only. Android owners paying $249 are better off with the Sony WF-1000XM6 or a Samsung or Google flagship. If you do use them with Android and run into dropouts, our guide to why headphones keep disconnecting may help.

AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods 5

Apple announced the AirPods 5 on 9 September 2026, and they went on sale on 18 September. For the first time, both versions of the entry-level AirPods have noise cancelling:

AirPods 5 ($129): ANC, up to 4 hours per charge with ANC on (per Engadget's review), USB-C case.
AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case ($149): adds swipe volume control on the stem, an audible Find My speaker, wireless charging and up to 5 hours with ANC (22 hours total with the case).

Apple says the AirPods 5 remove up to 50% more noise than the AirPods 4 with ANC, and early reviews are positive about their sound. But the key difference is design. The AirPods 5 have an open fit with no ear tips, so they can't seal your ear canal. Reviewers note they handle steady hums well but struggle more with voices, and the Pro 3 remain far stronger in noisy places.

	AirPods Pro 3	AirPods 5 / with Wireless Charging Case
US launch price	$249	$129 / $149
Fit	Sealed, silicone ear tips (5 sizes)	Open fit, no tips
Noise cancelling	Much stronger	Good for an open design
Battery with ANC	Up to 8 h	Up to 4 h / 5 h
Heart-rate sensor	Yes	No
Hearing Aid / Hearing Test	Yes	No
Wireless charging	Yes	$149 model only
Water resistance	IP57	Improved, no rating given at launch

Buy the AirPods 5 if you dislike in-ear tips, mostly listen at home or in the office, and want to save money. The $149 model is the better buy for most people. Buy the AirPods Pro 3 if you commute, fly, work out hard or want the hearing and health features.

AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2

	AirPods Pro 3	AirPods Pro 2
Noise cancelling	Up to 2x better (Apple claim)	Very good
Battery with ANC	Up to 8 h	Up to 6 h
Total with case	Up to 24 h	Up to 30 h
Heart-rate sensor	Yes	No
Ear tips	Foam-infused, XXS to L	Silicone, XS to L
Water resistance	IP57	IP54
Hearing Aid, Live Translation, Custom EQ	Yes	Yes

Should you upgrade? If your Pro 2 still hold a charge and fit well, the upgrade is nice rather than necessary, because the Pro 2 got the hearing features, Live Translation and Custom EQ through software updates. If your Pro 2 battery is fading, you want better ANC, or you'd use heart-rate tracking, the Pro 3 are a clear improvement. Discounted Pro 2 at third-party sellers are only worth it at a big saving.

Pros and cons

Pros

Class-leading noise cancelling for earbuds
Up to 8 hours per charge, and more in independent tests
Heart-rate tracking for workouts without an Apple Watch
Hearing Test and clinical-grade Hearing Aid features
IP57 water and dust resistance
Custom EQ now available with iOS 27
Same $249 launch price as the Pro 2

Cons

New fit causes discomfort for some ears
Case holds less total battery than the Pro 2
Most features are missing on Android
No high-resolution Bluetooth codec
Microphone quality drops on non-Apple devices

Who should buy the AirPods Pro 3

iPhone owners who want one pair of earbuds for everything: commuting, flights, the gym and calls.
Frequent travellers who need strong ANC in a small case.
People with mild to moderate hearing loss who want an affordable hearing aid option.
Runners and gym-goers who want heart-rate data without a watch.

Skip them if you use Android, dislike in-ear tips (look at AirPods 5 instead), or already own Pro 2 that work fine. If you're shopping on a tighter budget, see our best headphones under $100.

Frequently asked questions

Are the AirPods Pro 3 worth it in 2026?

Yes, for iPhone owners. They have the best ANC Apple has made in earbuds, strong battery life, and health and hearing features no rival matches at this price. The cheaper AirPods 5 make more sense only if you dislike ear tips or don't need strong noise cancelling.

Should I upgrade from AirPods Pro 2 to AirPods Pro 3?

Upgrade if your Pro 2 battery is worn, you want noticeably stronger ANC, or you want heart-rate tracking. Otherwise, Pro 2 owners already have most of the software features, including the hearing aid tools and Custom EQ.

Do AirPods Pro 3 work with Android?

Yes, as standard Bluetooth earbuds for music and calls. You lose automatic switching, heart-rate tracking, the hearing features, Spatial Audio personalisation, EQ and firmware updates.

How long does the AirPods Pro 3 battery last?

Apple rates them at up to 8 hours with ANC per charge and up to 24 hours with the case. SoundGuys measured 8 hours 42 minutes with ANC on. Heart-rate tracking cuts that to around 6.5 hours.

Can AirPods Pro 3 be used as hearing aids?

Yes. They support Apple's clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, after you take the built-in Hearing Test on your iPhone. Availability depends on your country.

Are AirPods Pro 3 waterproof?

They're rated IP57, which means they're dust-protected and can survive brief immersion in water. That covers sweat and rain, but they're not designed for swimming.

Can you sleep with AirPods Pro 3 in?

You can, but the stems and deeper fit aren't comfortable for side sleepers, and ear health is worth considering. Read our guide on whether it's bad to sleep with headphones first.

Final verdict

The AirPods Pro 3 took Apple's most popular earbuds and improved nearly everything: much stronger noise cancelling, longer battery per charge, tougher build, heart-rate tracking and, since iOS 27, a proper EQ. Add the hearing test and hearing aid features and no other earbuds at $249 do as much for an iPhone owner. The new ear-tip design is the one real gamble, so buy from a store with easy returns. Android users and anyone who hates in-ear tips should look elsewhere, but for everyone else in Apple's world, these are the earbuds to buy.