Muara Digital Team
At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
・Increased comfort and a more stable fit
・The heart rate monitor functions effectively
・Improved battery life
・Improved noise cancellation and transparency mode
・The cost remained the same
Cons
・No major new audio features
・The charging case has a lower battery capacity
Our Verdict
The sole truly new feature—heart rate tracking—is completely separate from audio functions. However, several clever design and construction enhancements result in significant improvements to an already excellent product.
Price When Reviewed
This amount will display the geolocated pricing information for the product undefined
Best Pricing Today
Price When Reviewed
$249
Top Deals Today: Apple AirPods Pro 3
Retailer Price
$249 View Deal
$249 View Deal
$249 View Deal
$249 View Deal
$249.99 View DealComparison of prices across more than 24,000 stores globally
Product Cost Price comparison from Backmarket
The AirPods Pro 2are among Apple’s top products from the past ten years. They were impressive when launched three years ago and have continued to improve through a series of software updates that have introduced valuable new features.
The AirPods Pro 3 initially appear to be just a small upgrade. They have new ear tips? The shape of the “bud” is slightly different? They can now track heart rate (something my Apple Watch already handles)?
More like AirPods Pro 2.5, aren’t I correct?
However, even though they use the same H2 chip as the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, the smart improvements to Apple’s top earbuds make them much better without increasing the cost. I’m reluctant to suggest them as an upgrade for AirPods Pro 2 owners, but it’s clear Apple has another major success in the works.
Can’t remove it from my mind Can’t stop thinking about it It’s constantly on my mind It won’t leave my thoughts It’s stuck in my head I can’t get it off my mind It’s always in my thoughts It’s not letting me go It’s constantly in my mind I can’t shake it from my mind
I have a mixed feeling about AirPods. The convenience and user-friendly design are very appealing, but from the very first pair, they never really fit well in my ears. The AirPods Pro 2 come closest to staying in place and being comfortable, but I still need to readjust them during a workout or risk losing one.
My preferred approach has beenaftermarket foam tips, which creates a significant difference. They are more snug and comfortable, and enhance audio quality by blocking more external noise.
So picture my interest when Apple revealed that the AirPods Pro 3 feature “foam-infused ear tips.” They even include five sizes—this new XXS option could be perfect for my fairly small ears! Are these as effective as my favorite AirPods Pro 2 foam tips?
Foundry
Yes. Although they still resemble the standard silicone flanges, there is sufficient foam integrated inside to provide the same secure and comfortable fit that I am accustomed to with the aftermarket tips. They remain in place, feel excellent, and offer better noise isolation. And those XXS tips are perfectly sized for me.
Oh, and avoid trying to fit AirPods Pro 3 ear tips onto AirPods Pro 2—Apple modified the connection to be more secure, so the tips won’t fall off when you pull out the earbud. This results in incompatibility.
A transformation could benefit you
Unless you examine them closely, you won’t notice the difference between AirPods Pro 2 and 3.
Positioning them side by side, you can observe that the “bud” section has a slight variation in shape—flatter in some areas, rounder in others. The ear tips are tilted inward more significantly—directed more toward the center of your head rather than facing forward—and this results in a much improved fit.
Foundry
The outcome of this adjustment, combined with the new foam-enhanced ear tips, is the first set of AirPods that truly remain in my ears, even during vigorous activity. I was able to achieve this with third-party foam ear tips previously, but now it functions that way right from the start.
Apple has updated the ventilation system, which is claimed to produce more distinct bass and a broader audio experience. When examined closely, it’s only marginally larger, and I definitely observed improved bass performance, although this might also be attributed to the new ear tips and their more angled design.
We got the beat
Another major update with AirPods Pro 3 is the inclusion of heart rate tracking. When used with iOS 26, you can launch the Fitness app and begin one of 50 various exercises (essentially the Apple Watch workout selection, with some exceptions like swimming that need an Apple Watch).
Your heart rate is monitored through both earbuds, along with your Apple Watch if you own one, as iOS selects the most reliable reading every five seconds.
Foundry
I typically exercise while wearing my Apple Watch, and I haven’t observed a major difference in outcomes between using the Watch alone, the AirPods, or the combination of AirPods and Watch. I guess that’s a positive aspect.
Heart rate tracking being limited to workouts is a necessary trade-off for battery life; the Apple Watch offers greater value through its regular, all-day heart rate monitoring. It’s difficult to believe that millions of potential AirPods Pro 3 buyers are interested in this feature but don’t own an Apple Watch yet. If you’re one of those people, this is a beneficial feature that functions as expected.
Good vibrations
The audio performance of AirPods Pro 3 is certainly superior to that of AirPods Pro 2, and roughly comparable to the Pro 2 model when using high-quality third-party foam ear tips.
If you pay close attention, you might be able to convince yourself that there’s a slight enhancement in noise cancellation, clarity (which is already a strong point for AirPods Pro), and low-frequency performance when compared to AirPods Pro 2 and foam ear tips. The contrast is more noticeable when compared to the standard AirPods Pro 2 ear tips.
That being said, I can’t help but feel let down that there aren’t any clear significant advancements in audio technology here. No H3 chip, noLE Audiowith its advanced LC3 codec, no lossless audio, just AirPods Pro 2 with some intelligent updates.
Foundry
In addition, the battery performance is somewhat improved. Apple’s eight-hour claim (with noise cancellation) has proven to be accurate after a few days of intermittent use. During two separate one-hour workouts with noise cancellation and heart rate tracking active, the battery level dropped approximately 17 percent, suggesting you can expect nearly six hours of use in such situations. The AirPods Pro 2 offers about two hours less (six hours with noise cancellation), but its charging case provides an extra 24 hours of power, whereas the AirPods Pro 3 case only offers 16 hours of charge.
Since AirPods Pro 2 are among our top Apple products from the past ten years, and although the AirPods Pro 3 don’t represent a major breakthrough, they still offer better fit, comfort, audio quality, battery life, and include heart rate tracking without increasing the cost. Apple has another successful product here.
If you’re an owner of AirPods Pro 2, particularly if you have an Apple Watch, invest$20 on foam eartips, and you’ll appreciate most of the AirPods Pro 3 features. For everyone else, the AirPods Pro 3 are straightforward to suggest, and we can only wish they will be available on sale soon at the significant reductions we’ve frequently seen with the AirPods Pro 2.
