Early reviews of AirPods Pro 3 are out, and wow, are they positive. Engadget calls Apple’s latest a “comprehensive update to its best set of earbuds.” Cnet‘s headline perhaps said it best: “Big improvements, same price, no compromises.”
After poring over AirPods Pro 3 reviews from a wide variety of sources, it’s hard to find a negative comment anywhere.
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AirPods Pro 3 reviews: Making the best even better
Apple introduced AirPods Pro 3 at its Awe Dropping event last week, bringing a range of cutting-edge features to its top-of-the-line earbuds. In addition to improving noise cancellation, fit, audio quality and battery life, the latest version adds heart rate monitoring and live translation.
Frankly, reviewers gushed about all of these new AirPods Pro 3 features.
Improved active noise cancellation
Apple says AirPods Pro 3 offer the “best noise cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones.” Reviewers heard real-world improvement.
“I can tell you the ANC performance on this new model was noticeably stronger than before,” said Engadget’s reviewer.
In an in-flight comparison of AirPods Pro 2 versus the new model, The Verge reviewer said, “Both pairs of buds performed well, but the third-gen were noticeably better. The dull hum of the plane was completely eliminated, though I could still hear announcements if I didn’t have audio playing.”
The fit
Photo: Apple
Apple didn’t rest on its laurels when it comes to the design of AirPods Pro 3. It keeps working to make each successive generation fit better. In addition to changing the angle between the earbud and its stem, Apple changed the material the soft tips are made of.
“The buds felt noticeably different in my ears than the AirPods Pro 2 — snugger and more secure,” said a reviewer for Cnet.
The Verge said, “The new buds and tips are more angled, so they slot more naturally into your ear canal.”
Engadget said, “The new tips feel very different and seal off your ear canal in a more complete way than the Pro 2’s silicone-only tips.”
Enhanced audio quality
AirPods Pro 3 offer improved audio because of course they do. Every new AirPods generation does.
“With the AirPods Pro 3, all of Apple’s proclamations not only hold true but are obvious, observable improvements,” said Engadget’s reviewer.
“Put simply, you can hear more of everything,” said a review in PCMag.
Battery life
Even the best earbuds are useless once the battery runs out. Apple promises eight hours of battery life with active noise cancellation. But in their hurry to get out early reviews, many reviewers didn’t have time to test it.
Still, The Verge came through. “My usage roughly tracks with Apple’s eight-hour estimate for ANC listening time on a single charge.”
AirPods Pro 3 reviews: Heart-rate monitoring is solid
Photo: Apple
A major new feature of AirPods Pro 3 is heart-rate monitoring.
“Apple has managed to do something that really nobody else has: Produce a pretty solid heart rate sensing device in your ears. It’s not absolutely perfect, but it’s really strong,” said an exercise-focused review from DC Rainmaker.
Live translation
AirPods Pro 3 work with Apple Intelligence to deliver real-time conversation translation directly through the earbuds.
The PCMag reviewer wrote, “I tested the feature by having a conversation with a Spanish-speaking relative. It worked fairly well. I’m sure everyone’s mileage will vary here, but it’s a compelling new feature, particularly for those who travel.”
After their own tests with a subtitled movie, The Verge reviewer wrote, “The translation feature performed admirably, but struggled to recognize character names or account for abrupt pauses in dialogue.”
Video reviews
AirPods Pro 3 reviews: Final thoughts
When summing up, PCMag’s reviewer said, “The AirPods Pro 3 represent a significant step forward for Apple’s wireless earbuds, setting a new benchmark for performance, features, and design.”
The Verge called Apple’s new earbuds a “no-brainer upgrade,” and said, “Everything you liked about the AirPods Pro just got better — and so did everything you didn’t.”
And Cnet’s reviewer wrote, “All the key elements such as fit, sound quality and noise cancellation have been noticeably leveled up along with single-charge battery.“
Order AirPods Pro 3 now
The third generation of AirPods Pro can be preordered now, with in-store availability and deliveries beginning on September 19.
Despite all the improvements (and inflation), they sell for the same $249 price as their previous generation.
Buy AirPods Pro 3 from: Amazon or Apple
Apple's best wireless earbuds get even better, adding a heart rate monitor and tweaks that boost active noise cancellation and deliver even better audio quality.
- Supports Live Translation feature
- Foam-infused ear tips for better fit and ANC
- Built-in heart rate monitor
- Can function as hearing aids
- Only available in white
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
