The AirPodsPro 3 (right) look similar to the AirPods Pro 2 (left) on the surface, but have a slightly different shape and new eartips along with a heart-rate sensor in each bud.
David Carnoy/CNET
With Apple releasing the AirPods Pro 3, folks who already own the AirPods Pro 2 may be wondering whether it’s worth upgrading.
A good portion of my full review of the AirPods Pro 3 is devoted to discussing the differences between the two models. Here’s how I conclude my review: “Several new features, such as Live Translation, will be available for the AirPods Pro 2, so many AirPods Pro 2 owners won’t feel the need to upgrade right away. But if you’ve been using AirPods Pro 2 for a while, it might be worth passing them on to a friend or relative and upgrading to the Pro 3s.”
Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2025
Like
Design upgrades to the buds and eartips improve their fit
Noise cancellation has been upgraded and is now top-notch
They sound better with improved bass response and more clarity
Built-in heart-rate monitoring with new sensors
Excellent voice-calling performance (upgraded microphones)
Battery life is rated for up to 8 hours (up from 6 for AirPods Pro 2)
Don’t like
They still use the H2 chip found in the AirPods Pro 2
Heart-rate monitoring is buried in fitness apps
While they work with Android, many of their features are exclusive to Apple devices
Some new colors would be nice
Why I like them
While I didn’t get a new H3 chip and I was hoping that the charging case would be able to convert into a Bluetooth transceiver to use the buds on a plane with an in-flight entertainment system, I did get most of what I was looking for in the AirPods Pro 3. The changes may seem incremental to some folks, but all the key elements, such as fit, sound quality and noise cancellation, have been noticeably leveled up along with single-charge battery. They’re about as close as earbuds get to being complete: excellent noise cancellation, strong voice-calling performance and sound quality that rivals the very best. Few buds excel in all three areas — and the Pro 3s manage it while packing in plenty of extra features, including their new heart-rate monitoring feature. Read my full review.
Reasons to buy
As I said, these buds are significantly improved in the four most important areas: fit, sound quality, noise cancellation and battery life. The result is that you don’t feel like you’re making any compromises when buying the AirPods Pro 3 if you’re an Apple user.
Reasons to skip/keep looking
While they work with Android devices, you lose many of the AriPods 3’s extra features if you’re not using them with Apple devices (iPhones and iPad in particular). They also may just be a little too expensive for many folks.
Read our Apple AirPods Pro 3 review.
AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What’s stayed the same
The AirPods Pro 3’s list price is still $249 (£219, AU$429). That wasn’t a given with all the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration tariffs, but we’ll see how the price shakes out on Amazon and other retailers, where AirPods models often get discounted.The AirPods Pro 3 are powered by Apple’s H2 chip, the same one that powers the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 and Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. Rumors pointed to an H3 chip, but that didn’t happen. No new color options; white is still the only option.The AirPods Pro 3 stick with Bluetooth 5.3, just like the AirPods Pro 2 (though some true-wireless earbuds have already jumped to Bluetooth 6.0).The buds still feature a MagSafe charging case with USB-C and wireless charging. However, no USB-C charging cable is included (Apple also left out a charging cable with the AirPods 4, though most people have a USB-C cable).
AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What’s changed
While they look similar to the previous model, the AirPods Pro 3 have been redesigned. Their geometric shape has changed a bit, with the angle of the bud shifted. They’re the same length but slightly smaller width-wise, slightly larger depth-wise and weigh a touch more (5.55 grams vs. 5.3 grams on the AirPods Pro 2).The AirPods Pro 3 come with new foam-infused silicone eartips in five sizes, including a new extra-extra small size.The AirPods Pro 3 are equipped with heart-rate sensors like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.2x better noise cancellation compared to the AirPods Pro 2, according to Apple.While the AirPods Pro 3 have 10.7mm drivers like the AirPods Pro 2, those drivers have been upgraded to take advantage of the buds’ new multiport acoustic architecture, which moves more air through the buds and improves sound quality.The AirPods Pro 3’s microphones have been upgraded.The AirPods Pro 3’s Transparency Mode has been enhanced.New Live Translation feature (also available for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 series, but not the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2).The AirPods Pro 3’s battery life has improved to 8 hours with noise cancellation on and up to 10 hours in Hearing Aid mode with transparency on. The AirPods Pro 2 are rated for up to 6 hours of battery life with noise-canceling on.Instead of being IPX4 splash-proof like the AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3 got an IP57 rating (so did their charging case), which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water. (I poured water on them and they survived just fine.) They’re also dust-resistant.The AirPods Pro’s case now includes a U2 chip, boosting Precision Finding range in the Find My app by 1.5x (requires an iPhone 17). The AirPods Pro 2’s case has the U1 chip.Like with the AirPods 4, the AirPods Pro 3’s case no longer has a button for Bluetooth pairing. You simply double-tap on the front of the case to put the buds into Bluetooth pairing mode. The AirPods Pro 2 have a physical button for Bluetooth pairing.
The AirPods Pro 3’s new geometric shape and eartips are among the biggest changes
While the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Pro 2 look very similar at first glance, they do feel different in your ears. That’s because the AirPods Pro 3’s new eartips are made of silicone but infused with foam toward the front of the ear tip. Also, the angle of the bud has been adjusted so the eartips point more directly into your ear canals.
Close up of the AirPods Pro 3’s new tips and heart-rate sensors.
David Carnoy/CNET
If you’re someone who couldn’t quite get a good fit with the original AirPods Pro or Pro 2, the new design could very well help you get a snugger, more secure fit. The fact is that a tight seal is crucial for optimal sound and noise-canceling performance, and Apple redesigned the eartips to make sure users could hear the sound and noise-canceling upgrades with the AirPods Pro 3.
Alas, the new AirPods Pro 3 tips don’t work with earlier AirPods Pro models; they attach differently.
Do you really need the AirPods Pro 3’s heart-rate monitoring?
I personally don’t feel that heart-rate monitoring is a must-have feature, particularly if you already own a smartwatch with the feature. But for some folks, it will be a welcome addition. The heart-rate sensors have been custom-designed for the AirPods Pro 3 (they’re Apple’s smallest heart-rate sensors) and aren’t identical to the ones in the Powerbeats Pro 2, but the experience using the heart-rate monitoring feature is the same.
How much better are the AirPods Pro 3 than the AirPods Pro 2?
It’s always hard to put an exact percentage on how improved one generation of a product is to the next, and there are always some people who will prefer the older model for whatever reason. But for me, the AirPods Pro 3 are about 20-25% better.
While they both use the H2 chip, the newest AirPods have been redesigned on the outside and inside, and most people should notice the improvements to sound quality, noise cancellation and fit.
Testing the AirPods Pro 3 in the streets of New York.
David Carnoy/CNET
If you own the original AirPods Pro, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend upgrading, especially if your battery life has decreased.
If you’re happy with your AirPods Pro 2, there’s no hurry to upgrade unless your battery life has become an issue (some people have the older AirPods Pro 2 with a Lightning connector for charging instead of USB-C). The previous generation supports most of the same features as the AirPods Pro 3 (aside from heart-monitoring), including Live Translation and Hearing Aid mode.
It’s worth pointing out that the AirPods Pro 3 offer slightly better speech clarity for Hearing Aid mode (with Automatic Conversation Boost) and better battery life — up to 10 hours with Transparency and Hearing Aid mode. That makes the AirPods 3 the better choice if you have small to moderate hearing loss and plan to use your AirPods as hearing aids.
AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods 4 with ANC spec comparison
AirPods Pro 2AirPods Pro 3AirPods 4 with ANCWeight (each earbud)0.19 ounce (5.13 grams)0.20 ounce (5.5 grams)0.15 ounce (4.3 grams)Weight (case)1.79 ounces (50.8 grams)1.55 ounces (43.99 grams)1.22 ounces (34.7 grams)Water resistantIPX4IP57IP54SensorsSkin-detect sensor, Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer,Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensorSkin-detect sensor, Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer,Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor, heart-rate sensorOptical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer,Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensorMicrophonesDual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphoneDual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphoneDual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphoneChipH2H2H2ConectivityBluetooth 5.3Bluetooth 5.3Bluetooth 5.3Active Noise Cancelation,Transparency modeYesYesYesConversation Awareness,Adaptive AudioYesYesYesVoice Isolation,Personalized volumeYesYesYesBattery lifeUp to 6 hours+30 hours with caseUp to 8 hours+24 hours with caseUp to 5 hours+30 hours with caseWire in boxYesNoNoLaunch Price$249$249$179
