With the AirPods Pro 3 announced, many will be wondering how they compare with older models. Are they better than the AirPods Pro 2, and in what ways?
We’ll go through the main differences between the AirPods Pro 3 and its predecessor, but in short, the new AirPods look like an improvement, at least on paper.
AirPods Pro 3 feature longer battery life
The AirPods Pro 2 could only muster six hours of battery life when ANC was enabled. With the latest model, they’ve boosted the runtime to eight hours with ANC enabled. According to Apple, these AirPods should be able to last for as long as a transatlantic flight.
And that’s not the only boost they’ve received in terms of stamina. The Hearing Aid mode that was first introduced on the AirPods Pro 2 has been extended so that it lasts up to 10 hours with the AirPods Pro 3.
Live Translation on new AirPods
The Live Translation feature powered by Apple Intelligence makes its way to the AirPods Pro 3, making it easier to understand other languages when you’re overseas.
And if both users are using AirPods Pro 3 with Live Translation enabled through their iPhones, you can have a conversation despite the language difficulties, with the new AirPods lowering the ANC to make it easier for you to hear the translation in real-time.
Twice the ANC power
One of the stats that Apple threw out at its September event was the increase in noise-cancellation over the older models. The AirPods Pro 3 is 4x more powerful than the original AirPods Pro, and compared to the AirPods Pro 2, it’s twice as powerful.
This, according to Apple, has been achieved through new foam-infused ear-tips that offer greater levels of noise isolation, with ultra-low noise microphones and “advanced computational audio” intended to offer a better noise cancelling experience than was possible on the previous buds.
Packing a new heartbeat sensor
It’s been rumoured for years that AirPods were going to feature health-related features but the AirPods Pro 3 are the first to really venture into the fitness area.
Similar to the Powerbeats Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3 will have a built-in sensor to monitor your heart-rate sensor during workouts.
AirPods Pro 3 and iPhone users will also benefit from new features in the Fitness+ app such as Workout Buddy, which will track your fitness data and offer motivational insights to help you improve. Users will also be able to track performance metrics through their iPhones, such as how many calories you’ve burned in a session.
The price is the same
Here’s one thing that hasn’t changed with the AirPods Pro 3. It’ll sell for $249 in the US, the same price as the AirPods Pro 2 launched at.
In the UK, the 1:1 pricing seems to have disappeared with the new AirPods launching at £219 instead.
