#airpods-pro-3

#airpods-pro-3

The AirPods Pro are about as ubiquitous as earbuds can get. Step outside your door, and you're almost certain to see people wearing them. For good reason, too. Their active noise cancelling (ANC) is excellent for the price, sound quality is great, and they're comfortable and convenient. If it ain't broke, why fix it? After all, messing with a winning formula just for the sake of change often ends up in disappointment.

Apple has taken what is arguably one its most iconic and widely acclaimed products -- the AirPods Pro 2 -- and elevated them with a significant upgrade for 2025. Since the product has a simple mission and it didn't appear that there were a ton of things Apple could do to make them better, it's always a risk to make big changes.

Almost three years after Apple introduced the original AirPods Pro 2 (updated with USB-C in 2023) with category-defining sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC), I can safely say that just about every company making ANC wireless earbuds has caught up or surpassed them, and often with buds that are sold for less than $250. Basic wireless earbuds featuresgood audio, good ANC, and good battery lifeare table stakes, and each of these is improved on AirPods Pro 3.

Every major brand promises the same three things: decent sound, acceptable battery life, and noise cancellation that works sometimes. The result feels like choosing between different flavors of mediocre, where each model excels at one thing while failing at everything else. Designer: Apple Many years of testing dozens of wireless earbuds reveals the same pattern every time. Premium models cost $300+ but still can't handle phone calls in windy conditions. Budget options sound terrible during workouts. Mid-range choices offer compromise everywhere without excellence anywhere.

Get a look at the real-time translation the new AirPods Pro 3 bring to your ears, which you can prompt through a gesture. Powered by Apple Intelligence, it uses noise cancellation to reduce the volume of the speaker to elevate the provided translation to the user. It came as one of several updates to the newly revealed AirPods Pro 3, which made their debut at Apple's iPhone 17 launch event.

One of the standout features of the AirPods Pro 3 is its heart-rate sensing capability, a first for the AirPods line. This addition will operate similarly to the Powerbeats Pro 2, using LED sensors to provide precise measurements. The collected data will sync with Apple's Fitness app. The headphones will also be equipped with the new H3 chip, which enhances audio quality,