When the AirPods Pro 3 originally debuted, I was a little hesitant to upgrade. I felt the AirPods Pro 2 were still excellent. In addition, one of the key features of the AirPods Pro 3, Live Translation, was also coming to the AirPods Pro 2. However, after using them extensively, I can definitely say that they are worth the upgrade for many people.
Fit makes the difference
It all fits, pretty much. AirPods Pro 3 feel much nicer in my ears. They’re a lot lighter in a way – in the sense that I don’t really think about wearing them.
I didn’t realize this was the case with my AirPods Pro 2 until I tried the AirPods Pro 3. The new shape and foam ear tips make the AirPods Pro 3 much easier to wear for longer periods of time.
Apple says these are the “safest and best-fitting AirPods ever,” based on 100,000 hours of user research and 300 million in-ear data points. That is certainly accurate.
Brighter transparency mode
Apple isn’t talking about it, but at least in my experience, the AirPods Pro 3 offer a brighter transparency mode than the AirPods Pro 2. I’d imagine this is mainly to compensate for the fact that the AirPods Pro 3 fit better in your ears thanks to the foam ear tips.
It’s a big deal to me. I’ve never been a fan of talking while wearing my AirPods—mainly because I felt like I couldn’t hear everything as clearly. Now with AirPods Pro 3 I am fine.
Equally great sound quality
If you like the sound of your AirPods Pro 2, you’ll probably feel the same way about the AirPods Pro 3. I’m certainly no sound expert, but at least in my opinion, both pairs of headphones are on par. If you’re someone who’s been looking for better sound, this might be a bit of a letdown, but it’s great news if you already love the sound from your AirPods Pro 2.
Less overall battery life
Now for one downside: the case has a lower battery life.
Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 last longer than the AirPods Pro 2. Apple advertises up to 10 hours of listening time with the headphones in transparent mode, compared to 6 hours for the AirPods Pro 2. That’s a big difference.
However, the case comes with significantly less battery capacity. AirPods Pro 3 lasts a total of 24 hours when combined with a charging case, compared to 30 hours on AirPods Pro 2.
That might not sound like much, but I’ve absolutely noticed it in the time I’ve been using them. This little iOS notification reminding you to charge your AirPods appears much more often, whereas I saw it very rarely with my AirPods Pro 2.
My AirPods Pro 3 are about to die on me, so there’s that, but you’ll definitely need to be more careful about charging with these new earbuds.
Wrap
All in all, AirPods Pro 3 is a great product. If you have an older pair of AirPods, you should consider upgrading, even if you don’t think you need a new one — if you have the disposable income to do so.
Apple Stores offer samples for AirPods if you ask, so I highly recommend you do that if you have the time. The AirPods Pro 3 look like a minor upgrade on paper, but once you try them, everything changes.
Also a little note: AirPods Pro 3 have a slightly larger case than AirPods Pro 2 and are lighter. That’s not a huge difference, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
If you’d like to pick up a pair of AirPods Pro 3, you can get them on sale right now for just $209 on Amazon.
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