One of Apple’s most popular products just got an upgrade. This Monday, Apple introduced the all-new AirPods Pro 3. While there are some notable improvements from the previous generation, they aren’t quite as big an upgrade as the first to the second generation. That said, if you’re still rocking Lightning or USB-C AirPods Pro 2 with solid battery life, upgrading to these new ones might be tricky.
First of all, Apple’s not introducing a new audio chip. As such, the sound quality will remain the same. However, if you choose to upgrade to these new earbuds, Apple says the Active Noise Cancellation is twice as good as on the previous model. This is due to a reengineering of the earbuds, which made them smaller with a new foam tip that improves the fit in the ear canal.
It’s always tempting to upgrade to the latest and greatest version of a device, but this one isn’t quite a no-brainer. Below, we’ll go over some of the reasons you might want to consider upgrading to AirPods Pro 3 as well some reasons you can skip this generation.
Pros and cons of AirPods Pro 3
While the most innovative feature of AirPods Pro 3 is the new heart rate sensor and integration with the Apple Fitness app, this feature will only work for those exercising without an Apple Watch. That said, if you’re always wearing your Apple Watch, you’ll likely never utilize the AirPods Pro 3 heart rate monitor. That’s worth considering before you buy these earbuds.
Another perk of these earbuds, longer battery life while using ANC or Transparency Mode, also has a downside. While you can get up to 8 hours of battery with a single charge, these earbuds only get up to 24 hours of listening time with the charging case, while the previous generation offered 6 hours in a single charge, but up to 30 hours maximum with the case.
Finally, the new Live Translation feature, which is an incredibly exciting innovation, will be also available to AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 owners once watchOS 26 rolls out. You don’t necessarily need to upgrade your hardware to access this feature.
Should you get AirPods Pro 3?
Rumors suggest that Apple is working on a more significant AirPods refresh for next year. While this could mean an entirely new AirPods series (Ultra, maybe?), the latest AirPods Pro generation does have a few feature you won’t find elsewhere. For example, the charging case features the second generation ultra-wide band chip, which Apple calls U2.
With that, this will be the first device from Apple aside from the iPhone and Apple Watch to have a higher range of discovery. Apple also improved the water resistance of these earbuds with an IP57 rating. Previously, they were only resistant to splashing water, but the AirPods Pro 3 can safely be submerged in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
Buyers will get all of that for the same $249 price tag as the AirPods Pro 2. AirPods Pro 3 features a better fit, improved ANC, bigger battery life, and an all-new heart rate monitor. However, they still has the same H2 chip, which means they will feel different but sound the same.
