I wanted the AirPods Pro 3 to replace my trusty Pro 2, but one detail held them back

I had high hopes for the Apple AirPods Pro 3. I adore the AirPods Pro 2 and use them all the time, both in the office and while travelling and commuting. If I take one pair of earbuds with me while I’m out and about, they will be the AirPods Pro 2.

There are three reasons for this. First and foremost, the AirPods Pro 2 fit like a dream. I often struggle with in-ear headphones, but these never fall out of my ears, and I can wear them for hours without any discomfort.

The AirPods Pro 2 also sound amazing. They aren’t the most audiophile headphones I’ve ever tried, but they sound clear, loud and well-balanced. Finally, the ANC on the AirPods Pro 2 is second to none, period. All three features work in tandem and complement each other.

A familiar favourite with lofty promises

Imagine my excitement when Apple announced the AirPods Pro 3 in early September. The company promised an updated fit, better sound, stronger ANC, longer battery life, and additional perks like in-ear heart rate tracking for workouts. Who wouldn’t get excited if their favourite headphones got a massive update?

The AirPods Pro 3 landed on my desk a week ago, and I put everything aside to try them. They have a similar feel to their predecessor, but the shape of the buds is different. Apple claims they scanned thousands of ears to find the best earbud shape that fits most ears and to “match the natural geometry of the ear canal.”

My immediate thought after reading this was, “The shape of the AirPods Pro 2 already felt perfect to me, so I was curious why Apple decided to change it.”

Nevertheless, I popped the AirPods Pro 3 in my ears and was surprised that they stuck out. The predecessor’s stem sat close to my face – so do the Apple AirPods 4, but due to the angle of the tip, the headphones don’t sit flush in my ears.

Fit tests and shifting impressions

Of course, I’m not the person to give up after the first stumble. The new Pro 3 come with more ear tip options than before – surely, I can find one that suits my ear better? Apple provides an Acoustic Seal Test in the settings, so I did what any self-respecting reviewer would do: I tried all the different ear tips included in the box.

Sadly, the feature suggested the largest, which also happened to be the least comfortable. I guess it makes sense for the large ear tip to block the most ambient sound; they just aren’t super comfortable, that’s all.

Even so, the app said the fit was right, so it was ready to take the AirPods Pro 3 out for a spin. As expected, the sound is solid. Apple says the new headphones use a “new multiport acoustic architecture [that] provides more precise control of the airflow that carries sound into the ear, transforming the bass response, expanding the soundstage so you hear every instrument, and adding stunningly vivid vocal clarity.”

I was swapping them in and out, trying to listen to songs on the Pro 3 and Pro 2, and I couldn’t tell the difference. As mentioned above, the sound quality on the Pro 2 was already sublime, and the Pro 3 also sounds great, albeit not much better. I can hardly imagine how you would make it sound leaps and bounds better.

Transparency’s magic, ANC’s misstep

One area where I can certainly tell the difference is Transparency mode. When turned on, the AirPods Pro 3 sound like they aren’t in your ear, with the music still playing – it’s pure magic.

Noise cancellation is a different ballgame, though. It’s probably due to the less secure fit, but ANC feels less effective than on the AirPods Pro 2, despite being advertised as twice as good.

I tried the feature on the train and the tube, and it didn’t block sounds as well as the AirPods Pro 2 can. It’s not terrible, but certainly not on par with the predecessor, in my experience.

I was super keen on trying Live Translation, but for now, it’s not available in my region. I can fly all the new DJI drones, unlike the good folks in the US, but due to European regulations, Live Translation is off the table. You win some, you lose some, right?

Workouts in your ears

Heart rate tracking is another new trick up in the AirPods Pro 3’s sleeves. Much like one of my favourite workout headphones, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, the new AirPods have sensors built in and can feed heart rate data straight into the Fitness app on iPhones, supporting more than 50 workout types.

(A fun tidbit, the Beats uses the same H2 chip that powers the AirPods Pro 3.)

Accuracy, based on my somewhat limited testing experience, appears to be accurate compared to the Fenix 8 Pro I’m currently testing. That said, don’t expect pro-level stats – the AirPods Pro 3 only tracks heart rate, which limits the information you can get out of your workout.

For many people, this will be sufficient, but if you take your training seriously, I recommend wearing an Apple Watch, a dedicated running watch, or a multisport watch. I like it that Apple added this feature, as it’s a lot less intimidating to track workouts with headphones than it is with wrist-worn wearables.

Not to mention, you get more value for your money, and considering the AirPods Pro line isn’t cheap, a built-in (and working) heart rate sensor might tip the scales in favour of the new Apple buds when it comes down to upgrading from an older model.

Longer life, lighter price

Battery life has been boosted to 8 hours of listening time with ANC on, which is a 33 per cent increase from the previous generation. It’s even longer in Transparency mode with Hearing Aid enabled: up to 10 hours of listening time on a single charge, a 67% increase over the AirPods Pro 2.

The charging case holds another 16 hours of charge, and it’s now also easier to find. Apple says that thanks to the Ultra Wideband chip in the Charging Case, Precision Find My can help you locate your AirPods Pro from 1.5x farther away if they are ever misplaced.

This roughly translates to ~15–22 m indoors, and potentially up to ~45 m (150 feet) in ideal open-air conditions. You can make the case chime to make it even easier to locate, and the compass in the Find My app will also point in the correct direction.

I was ready to love the AirPods Pro 3, but they aren’t the right fit for me, both metaphorically and physically. I understand and appreciate that things can’t stay the same, even if they worked in the past – I can imagine people would be upset if Apple turned around and said, “The new AirPods Pro have the exact same shape as their predecessor, which we launched three years ago.”

It’s not unusual for the brand not to make significant changes, though. The Apple Watch just recently got a battery upgrade after 11 years (!), and the Apple AirPods Max have been out for five years with no update in sight. So maybe, there was no need to completely reshape the AirPods Pro 3, after all.

That said, the new headphones are different from their predecessor. You get a redesigned acoustic platform (although it retains the same H2 chip, which is very economical and sustainable for Apple), a heart rate sensor, and new hearing protection features.

And here’s the kicker: the AirPods Pro 3 is cheaper than the AirPods Pro 2 were when they were launched in the UK, selling for only £219. The AirPods Pro 2 originally sold for £249, and the USB-C version knocked that down to £229. It’s encouraging to see that new tech doesn’t always come at a higher price, especially from Apple!

In other regions, the price remained the same, at $249/€249/A$429, which isn’t too bad, either. It’s not as good as getting the headphones for cheaper, but you also don’t have to pay the premium for a technically more capable product.

I just wish the fit worked better for me, as it holds back what is otherwise a very strong upgrade in the AirPods Pro 3. For now, I’m sticking to my USB-C AirPods Pro 2, at least until my next workout – that heart rate sensor is too tempting to give up!

The AirPods Pro 3 are available to purchase now directly from Apple UK, Apple US, and Apple AU, with prices starting at £219/ $249/ €249/ A$429.