All products and promotions are independently selected by our experts. To help us provide free impartial advice, we will earn an affiliate commission if you buy something. Click here to learn more
Apple has refreshed its AirPods Pro with a new design, improved noise-cancellation, longer battery life, and fitness tracking features. It's the first major shake-up to these bestselling Bluetooth 'buds since September 2022.
Although there was a small bump the following year with USB-C charging and improved dust resistance, Apple never referred to this model as a new "generation" of its AirPods. So, this is a long-awaited reboot for these bestselling wireless earbuds, but has it been worth the wait?
In a word: yes.
These reimagined AirPods Pro sound incredible and do a superb job of quashing unwanted background noise, whether that's the chugging of the train carriage on your morning commute or the hubbub from treasured colleagues when you're trying to write an AirPods Pro 3 review. Apple says its Active Noise-Cancellation (ANC) is 2x better than the previous version, or 4x better than the first-generation AirPods Pro, which debuted in late 2019.
That tallies with our experience wearing AirPods Pro 3, which do a sterling job of dimming the outside world, so you can listen to your favourite podcast, audiobook, or playlist at a lower volume and still hear everything clearly.
If you've never experienced ANC before, this clever technology does a much better job nullifying lower frequencies and predictable sounds, so you'll be able to erase the hum of the office printer or roar of an aeroplane engine more consistently than a high-pitched laugh or sudden alarm. AirPods Pro 3 are no exception, although these are notably better than other earbuds at cutting out chatter and endless train announcements.
Preorder Apple AirPods Pro 3 to be one of the first to own next-generation earbuds
If you want to take delivery of these AirPods Pro on launch day, Amazon is offering these new 'buds with 60 days of free Audible, its audiobook subscription service so you can choose from thousands of audiobooks. AirPods Pro 3 are eligible for Amazon's Pre-order Price Guarantee, which means you'll be charged the lowest price between today and the release date
[stars-5]
AirPods Pro 3
$219
The boosted noise cancellation is the result of ultra-low noise microphones working in tandem with the H2 system-on-a-chip and new foam-infused for a better seal in your ear canal. These are available in five different sizes to better fit more ears. Whereas AirPods Pro 2 shipped with four sizes (extra small, small, medium, and large), this new model adds an XXS to the mix.
Unlike some of its closest competitors, AirPods Pro 3 never make your ears feel blocked or like they need to be "popped", a potential side effect of Active Noise-Cancellation due to the way this technology produces sound waves to cancel out ambient noise.
With AirPods Pro 3, Apple is using a new multiport acoustic architecture, which lets airflow move around inside the 'buds to allow the speaker diaphragm to move freely
|APPLE PRESS OFFICE
If you do want to let the outside world in, Transparency Mode — a staple since the first generation of AirPods Pro — continues to impress. With this feature enabled, it's easy to forget that you're wearing earbuds, since conversations sound and feel so natural, with no delay or change to the sound of your own voice like you experience when listening to a recording of yourself.
It's ludicrously impressive to experience a live feed taken from the outward-facing microphones on each of these lightweight 'buds played in real-time in your ears. Transparency Mode can be used when nothing is playing or while listening to audio to stay aware of your surroundings.
Transparency Mode is eerily good. You can quickly forget that you're wearing AirPods Pro 3 when listening out for an announcement at the railway station or airport, or even in conversation with someone face-to-face
|APPLE PRESS OFFICE
If you enable Conversation Awareness, AirPods Pro 3 will automatically enable Transparency Mode and even boost the volume of voices in front of you when it detects that you're speaking.
The natural-sounding, high-quality passthrough that makes Transparency Mode such a winner really comes into its own with the new Live Translation feature. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), you'll hear a real-time translation of the person you're speaking to in your earbud.
It's clever stuff and feels exactly like watching a televised interview with someone speaking a foreign language —you hear a few seconds of the original audio, before the ANC subtly lowers the volume of their voice and a translation starts playing.
This lets you maintain eye contact during face-to-face communication, although you might need to explain why you're wearing your AirPods during a conversation to not seem rude.
@gbnews Apple just unveiled their newest iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods at the keynote! Tech Editor Aaron Brown breaks down the announcements, top features, and what tech fans need to know before these devices hit stores. #GBNews #UKNews #Apple #iPhone #iPhone17 #LatestNews
If you're speaking to someone who isn't using AirPods to translate your response, you can hold up your iPhone, which'll show a live transcription of your answer in their language. With the tap of a button, your iPhone can read out your response in their language.
The translation isn't happening inside the AirPods, it's handled by your iPhone, so this feature only works when you've got an iPhone in your pocket. However, you'll also need a newer model that supports Apple Intelligence.
If you're worried about extortionate roaming charges when travelling abroad, you can download a language to the Translate app preinstalled on your iPhone before you leave home.
It's worth noting this nifty functionality isn't exclusive to AirPods Pro 3, but will be coming to AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 2 via a software update soon. Likewise, Hearing Protection is coming to UK and mainland Europe, following certification for those regions. This helps your AirPods Pro 2 or new AirPods Pro 3 double up as ear defenders, intelligently lowering loud noises around you.
Performing a hearing test only takes a few minutes on your iPhone or iPad, with the results available immediately. These can be shared with your doctor, or used to fine-tune the Hearing Aid functionality built into the AirPods Pro 3
| APPLE PRESS OFFICEIt's one of a handful of clever health features built into these Bluetooth earbuds, which can be used as a clinical-grade hearing aids.
Apple introduced this feature with the previous generation of AirPods Pro, but this refreshed model packs enough battery life to last 10 hours when using the Hearing Aid feature. That means you'll comfortably be able to use AirPods Pro 3 to compensate for mild to moderate hearing loss all-day.
Apple’s Vice President of Health Dr Sumbul Desai about a new feature allowing AirPods to be used as hearing aids
AirPods Pro 3 are equipped with another clever health-focused feature, too. The engineers at Apple have squeezed a small heart-rate sensor into its new wireless earbuds, so you'll be able to track your beats per minute when exercising while listening to music. During its keynote, Apple revealed that more people work out with AirPods Pro than with any other headphones in the world, so this is likely to be a very popular addition.
Using AirPods Pro 3 won't quite replicate the experience of owning an Apple Watch. But it's surprisingly close.
In total, you can track over 50 workout types using a pair of AirPods Pro 3 and an iPhone in your pocket. Using the GPS built into your iPhone, you'll be able to see a detailed map of your route when exercising outside, the temperature and humidity on the day, while the AirPods Pro 3 will handle calories burned and heart rate.
You can kickstart a workout via the Fitness app preinstalled on every iPhone.
If you're subscribed to Fitness+, the subscription created by Apple with an on-demand library of guided workouts and meditations, you'll be able to see metrics like heart rate, calories burned, and the motivational "Burn Bar" display on-screen on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV to provide real-time feedback.
Apple has created new APIs to allow third-party developers to incorporate key metrics from AirPods Pro 3 into their fitness apps, so fingers crossed we'll see support from the likes of Strava and Runna soon.
AirPods Pro 3 introduce a custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that shines invisible infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow
|APPLE PRESS OFFICE
To transform its earbuds into a surprisingly complete fitness tracker, AirPods Pro 3 ship with the smallest custom-built heart rate sensor ever created by Apple's engineers. This proprietary photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor shines invisible infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow.
Readings from this new sensor are combined with data from accelerometers and gyroscope, before being processed by a new on-device AI model on iPhone to measure your heart rate and calories burned. Apple says it's confident these Bluetooth 'buds will ensure high measurement accuracy across skin types, movement types, and lighting conditions.
In fact, if you have tattoos, AirPods Pro 3 could be more accurate than an Apple Watch.
If you're concerned about sweat while wearing AirPods Pro 3 during a workout, these new models boast an industry-standard IP57 rating for water and dust resistance. That means they've survived immersion in up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes and shrugged off the experience.
However sweaty you get doing a 5km, you're not going to break these 'buds.
None of these new additions has diminished battery life.
Despite the new additions, Apple has managed to increase battery life up to 8 hours with Active Noise-Cancellation (ANC) and 10 hours while using these 'buds as clinical-grade hearing aids
|APPLE PRESS OFFICE
In fact, Apple says it's managed to increase battery life from six hours on its predecessors up to eight hours while using Active Noise-Cancellation (ANC).
That means you'll be able to fly to New York listening to music the whole time on a single charge. If your flight is delayed, five minutes inside the carry case tops up these 'buds with enough juice for 1 hour of listening time.
And if you're using Transparency Mode or the Hearing Aid functionality, that battery life extends to 10 hours on a single charge — that's the longest single-session battery life ever on a pair of AirPods. For the first time, there's a new generation of Ultra Wideband chip built inside the charging case, so you can use the Find My app to locate your AirPods Pro from 1.5x farther away if they are ever misplaced.
From the incredible Transparency Mode to heart-rate tracking, there's no shortage of clever features packed into these compact earbuds — and it's all powered by the H2 system-on-a-chip
|APPLE PRESS OFFICE
Let's finish up with sound quality. AirPods Pro 3 are packed with clever tricks — from translating face-to-face conversations, acting as a remote shutter button for your camera, tracking heart-rate during exercise — but none of that would matter if these Bluetooth 'buds didn't sound great.
Thankfully, AirPods Pro 3 sound superb.
Apple has redesigned AirPods Pro 3 with a new multiport acoustic architecture, which lets airflow move around inside the 'buds to allow the speaker diaphragm to move freely. The result is stronger bass than AirPods Pro 2, something that was true for the AirPods 4 with ANC, too. It adds a pleasant amount of punch to your favourite songs.
The carry case for AirPods Pro 3 has the same design as its predecessor, with the built-in speaker that emits a sound to help you find it whene you've misplaced it, and a cheerful chime to let you know when it's charging (either wirelessly or via USB-C)
|APPLE PRESS OFFICE
Spatial Audio, which maps out sounds in three-dimensional space around you, continues to impress on AirPods Pro 3. It dramatically improves the soundstage of your favourite songs, separating instruments and vocals for a crystal-clear listening experience that doesn't sound like it's being pumped directly into your ear canal — but rather feels like hearing room-filling sound all around you.
This feature, fast becoming an industry standard, isn't just limited to music and adds breadth to the audio in your next boxset binge or blockbuster movies watched while wearing AirPods Pro 3 too.
Despite the new additions, Apple has maintained the same £219 price tag. AirPods Pro 2 are still available from a few online retailers, but have been discontinued in your local Apple Store.
You can preorder AirPods Pro 3 right now, with those first-in-line for the new Bluetooth 'buds set to receive them through their letterboxes or available for pick-up in Apple Stores worldwide from September 19.
If you're looking for a feature-packed pair of Bluetooth 'buds with incredible ANC that work seamlessly with your Apple devices, AirPods Pro 3 will be (ahem) music to your ears.
More From GB News