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AirPods Pro 3 Are Major Upgrade With These 8 New Features

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Apple has introduced the AirPods Pro 3, and they are a major upgrade over the AirPods Pro 2.

airpods-pro-3-purple.jpeg

Below, we have recapped eight new features coming with the AirPods Pro 3, which are available to pre-order now, ahead of a Friday, September 19 launch.

  1. 2× more active noise cancellation: Apple says the AirPods Pro 3 offer up to 2× more active noise cancellation than the AirPods Pro 2, and up to 4× more than the original AirPods Pro. In fact, the AirPods Pro 3 offer the best active noise cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones, according to Apple.
  2. Improved sound quality: AirPods Pro 3 feature a new acoustic architecture, with next-generation Adaptive EQ, that "transforms the bass response, widens the soundstage so users hear every instrument, and brings vivid vocal clarity to higher frequencies across music, shows, and calls," according to Apple.
  3. Longer battery life per charge: Apple says AirPods Pro 3 offer up to 8 hours of listening time on a single charge, with Active Noise Cancellation enabled. That is up from 6 hours with the AirPods Pro 2. On the other hand, the AirPods Pro 3 charging case offers up to 24 hours of total listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled, whereas the AirPods Pro 2 case provides up to 30 hours of total listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled.
  4. Heart rate monitoring during workouts: Like the Powerbeats Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3 feature a heart rate sensor that shines pulsating infrared light to measure light absorption in blood flow. AirPods Pro 3 users can track their heart rate and calories burned, close their Move ring, and earn awards for 50 different workout types in the Fitness app on an iPhone, with no Apple Watch required.
  5. Improved fit: Apple says AirPods Pro 3 are the "most secure and best-fitting AirPods ever." The earbuds are slightly smaller, and the external design of each ear tip was "aligned to the center of the body for increased stability."
  6. Improved water resistance: AirPods Pro 3 have IP57-rated sweat and water resistance, up from IP54 for the AirPods Pro 2. By definition, an IP57 rating means the AirPods Pro 3 could withstand temporary immersion in up to one meter of water, but Apple's marketing only promises that they "can handle the sweatiest workouts and even a sudden downpour."
  7. U2 chip: No, the AirPods Pro 3 do not come with a free U2 album, but the charging case does feature Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, presumably for longer location-tracking range in the Find My app.
  8. XXS ear tip option: AirPods Pro 3 come with new XXS silicone ear tips, along with the same XS, S, M, L sizes included with the AirPods Pro 2. Apple says the tips are now infused with foam for greater passive noise isolation.

To learn more, read our stories about the AirPods Pro 3's new design with foam-infused ear tips. Also know that AirPods Pro 3 do not come with a charging cable.

Article Link: AirPods Pro 3 Are Major Upgrade With These 8 New Features
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/10/airpods-pro-3-features/
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honestly the improved water/sweat resistance is the most interesting update to me. improved sound/anc performance seems to come from a slight redesign and foam tips more than anything else.
 
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The improved fit with smaller earbuds is much needed. My AirPods Pro 2 fall out because they're too big. I also like the foam infused tips with more sizes.

I wonder how the heart rate sensor will work when paired with the Apple Watch. Whether one will take precedence or will it compute using both...

lozion said:
Lossless support?
Click to expand...
not supported on bluetooth
 
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dustin_ said:
honestly the improved water/sweat resistance is the most interesting update to me. improved sound/anc performance seems to come from a slight redesign and foam tips more than anything else.
Click to expand...
I agree, but also think the live translation is pretty cool. A lot of the other features like ANC I feel like we only know its better because they told us it is, and is a lot because of the tips.

I had some old wired JBL's that had foam tips and the noise canceling on those was incredible.
 
I am surprised that listening times when considering the charge case is actually less than Pro 2 by about 6 hours.Why is that?

I also wonder which device tracks heart beat and activity better: AirPods Pro 3 or Apple Watch. Would be interesting to do a comparison.

With the Watch (I use an Ultra), it is very difficult for it to track my heart rate in many circumstances, especially cold environment. For that reason, whenever I exercise, I additionally wear a Polar heart rate chest monitor. I wonder if the Pro 3 will have trouble tracking my heart rate when either I'm cold or it's cold out.
 
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repoman016 said:
I agree, but also think the live translation is pretty cool. A lot of the other features like ANC I feel like we only know its better because they told us it is, and is a lot because of the tips.

I had some old wired JBL's that had foam tips and the noise canceling on those was incredible.
Click to expand...
Will you need the APP3 for Live Translation, or will that also work on APP2?

Just googled around and it looks like it will work on APP2, so must be an update to iOS/iPadOS.
 
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msackey said:
I am surprised that listening times when considering the charge case is actually less than Pro 2 by about 6 hours.Why is that?

I also wonder which device tracks heart beat and activity better: AirPods Pro 3 or Apple Watch. Would be interesting to do a comparison.

With the Watch (I use an Ultra), it is very difficult for it to track my heart rate in many circumstances, especially cold environment. For that reason, whenever I exercise, I additionally wear a Polar heart rate chest monitor. I wonder if the Pro 3 will have trouble tracking my heart rate when either I'm cold or it's cold out.
Click to expand...
Are you hairy armed or adorned with tat’s? Apparently these 2 things make it struggle. I have to have my series 10 on tight for it to do ecg. Over the months the area where my watch sits now is thinner than rest of wrist.
 
I'm not unhappy with the Lightning based APP2 I bought back then, though the software updates did change the ANC back and forth with their modes, and varying clarity in lieu of excessive bass.

I'm intrigued by the heart rate monitoring, as well as the points 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 also. Seeing I don't use the device daily, I've never had issues with battery life or quality of sound to replace them as yet.

I rather wished that Europe did get:

1. the translation feature
2. the ph recording feature.
 
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Ta_whirimatea said:
Are you hairy armed or adorned with tat’s? Apparently these 2 things make it struggle. I have to have my series 10 on tight for it to do ecg. Over the months the area where my watch sits now is thinner than rest of wrist.
Click to expand...
Nope, not hair and not tats. What it is is that my extremities are easily cold to the touch. I'm slender.
 
Queues said:
Any word on whether heart rate monitoring works while playing music at the same time? I seem to recall that being a limitation with the Powerbeats
Click to expand...

According to DC Rainmaker (YouTube channel with high quality reviews of exercise tech), the HR data from Powerbeats Pro 2 cannot be displayed on compatible gym equipment like treadmills while listening to music from your phone. Apple confirmed this.

He also said that the PB Pro 2 HR accuracy is not great (his video shows graphs of his HR as tracked by the PB Pro 2 and other devices he's tested and found to be very accurate, and there are long stretches of his run where the data from the PB was much different than the other HR trackers, for example).

So I'm not optimistic about the HR monitor in the AirPods Pro 3. But I'll wait until objective reviewers are able to test out the feature.

Not a big deal for me, I'm always wearing an Apple Watch when exercising. But really important to some of my more athletic friends.
 
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And new ultra-low-noise microphones remove even more unwanted sound. So you only hear what you want — in an unheard-of audio experience.

MR forgot to mention the new mics‼️
 
Alpha Centauri said:
I'm not unhappy with the Lightning based APP2 I bought back then, though the software updates did change the ANC back and forth with their modes, and varying clarity in lieu of excessive bass.

I'm intrigued by the heart rate monitoring, as well as the points 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 also. Seeing I don't use the device daily, I've never had issues with battery life or quality of sound to replace them as yet.

I rather wished that Europe did get:

1. the translation feature
2. the ph recording feature.
Click to expand...
Ph recording?
 
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