I Replaced My Airpods Max With The Airpods Pro 3 For Flights, And It's Been A Game-changer

1 hour ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The AirPods Pro 3 bring respective creation updates and a bunch of caller aliases upgraded capabilities to a merchandise that was already among nan champion headphones.
Apple kept nan unit value astatine $249, and this merchandise tends to get discounted during vacation sales.
AirPods Pro 3's starring characteristic is progressive sound cancellation that now rivals over-the-ear headphones, which amazed maine successful real-world testing.

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

Apple has taken what is arguably 1 its astir iconic and wide acclaimed products -- nan AirPods Pro 2 -- and elevated them pinch a important upgrade for 2025. Since nan merchandise has a elemental ngo and it didn't look that location were a ton of things Apple could do to make them better, it's ever a consequence to make large changes.

And make nary mistake, location are awesome changes successful nan AirPods Pro 3.

Also: I tried Apple's 2 large AI features announced astatine nan iPhone 17 arena - and some are crippled changers

I've been utilizing a brace for weeks since they were first announced astatine nan Apple Event. And I'm happy -- moreover a small relieved -- to study that Apple didn't ruin a bully point here. In fact, there's 1 area wherever I didn't recognize it was moreover imaginable to make them better, but they are. And location are caller features that make nan merchandise much useful. Of course, location are besides a mates gaps and unsighted spots, and we'll talk astir those, too.

But if you've had a brace of AirPods aliases AirPods Pro successful nan past and loved them, nan bully news is there's a awesome chance you're going to emotion nan AirPods Pro 3 moreover more.

How I tested AirPods Pro 3

I started testing nan AirPods Pro 3 connected nan time they were announced astatine Apple Park connected September 9. I wore them connected a five-hour formation location from California to trial nan sound quality, progressive sound cancellation (ANC), and artillery life. And I've been wearing them regular since then, and comparing them pinch AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 pinch Noise Cancellation, AirPods Max, Google Pixel Buds Pro, Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, and Meta Ray-Bans smart glasses (which I've been progressively utilizing astatine times erstwhile I utilized to deterioration AirPods).

I spent nan astir clip comparing nan AirPods Pro 3 to Sony's XM5 earbuds because those person immoderate of nan highest value sound and progressive sound cancellation of immoderate earbuds I've ever tested -- truthful overmuch truthful that they are moreover much costly than AirPods Pro astatine $329.

To analyse sound quality, I played Hans Zimmer's "Only I Will Remain" from nan Dune: Part Two soundtrack because it has a very analyzable multi-layered group of sounds that see whispers, whooshes, bass-filled booms and rumbles, lilting highs and lows, and a beautiful substance of large and quiet flourishes.

I've been an AirPods personification since nan first type almost a decade ago, moreover though they initially didn't fresh into my ears. With nan thief of a brace of silicone receptor hooks from AhaStyle that I wrote astir connected CNET, I was capable to make them activity and truthful I would transportation some nan AirPods and nan earhooks successful my pouch each day.

Also: I compared nan iPhone 17, iPhone Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max: Here's who should upgrade

When nan first AirPods Pro were announced pinch silicone eartips successful October 2019, I was thrilled for nan fresh unsocial and instantly pre-ordered a group and person utilized a brace of AirPods Pro each time since, including their successors, nan AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 2 pinch USB-C. They fresh into my ears overmuch amended and I've been very happy pinch nan sound value -- but a small little happy pinch nan ANC, though I figured I couldn't expect overmuch much from a brace of earbuds. Enter AirPods Pro 3.

The upgrades successful AirPods Pro 3

To start, Apple redesigned nan style of nan AirPods Pro successful type 3. If nan original AirPods Pro creation was for illustration a caput sitting connected a brace of shoulders, past nan AirPods Pro 3 creation is for illustration personification purposefully sticking their cervix out.

It's subtle erstwhile you first look astatine them, but they decidedly consciousness different successful your fingers erstwhile you commencement putting them successful and retired of your ears aggregate times a day. As a result, nan AirPods Pro 3 consciousness for illustration they beryllium a small deeper into your eardrum. Some group whitethorn not for illustration that sensation astatine first, but it didn't fuss me.

Also: AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What to cognize earlier rushing to upgrade

The different beingness constituent of AirPods Pro 3 that Apple redesigned was nan receptor tips, which person switched from axenic silicone to foam-infused silicone. In different words, they are foam connected nan wrong and silicone connected nan outside. This is meant to springiness nan earbuds a amended seal wrong your ear. And since different people's ears are shaped differently, it's besides meant to contour to various ears. Apple has besides added an XXS (extra other small) group of tips for AirPods Pro 3.

In my testing, nan caller receptor tips do fresh a small spot amended than nan receptor tips successful AirPods Pro 2 and were little apt to autumn out. However, I've precocious been utilizing nan $25 AZLA XELASTEC silicone receptor tips connected AirPods Pro 2 and they are honestly moreover amended astatine staying successful my ears and creating a beardown seal. When AZLA releases a type for AirPods Pro 3 successful October, I'll apt usage those to switch nan Apple receptor tips.

So let's get into nan remainder of nan upgrades and what they mean for regular usage of AirPods Pro 3.

Sound quality -- Do nan AirPods Pro 3 sound conscionable arsenic bully aliases amended than AirPods Pro 2? That's 1 of nan astir important things you request to cognize if you're considering an upgrade. First, it's important to admit that sound value tin beryllium a very subjective point because group perceive things differently. Apple claims that nan AirPods Pro 3 person a redesigned "multiport acoustic architecture pinch much precise airflow control." That's key, because aft all, nan main point immoderate speaker does to create sound is move aerial around.

In my tests, I recovered nan AirPods Pro 3 to person fuller, deeper, and clearer sound than AirPods Pro 3. It's particularly noticeable erstwhile watching movies pinch big, cinematic soundtracks. In my value trial pinch Zimmer's "Only I Will Remain" song, AirPods Pro 3 were again noticeably clearer and fuller than AirPods Pro 2. However, nan value didn't rather scope nan level of Sony's XM5's earbuds -- I tin still perceive notes successful nan Sony's that I can't perceive successful nan AirPods Pro 3. But while AirPods Pro 2 were astir 70-75% arsenic bully arsenic nan Sony's, AirPods Pro 3 were astir 90% of nan measurement there.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) -- This is wherever nan AirPods Pro 3 really shine. Their champion characteristic is simply a monolithic upgrade successful sound cancellation. And I'll beryllium honorable successful saying I'm not rather judge really Apple pulled this off. The AirPods Pro 2 were already astir arsenic bully astatine sound cancellation arsenic immoderate earbuds you tin bargain -- though ZDNET antecedently gave a flimsy separator to Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. I usage ANC connected nan AirPods Pro 2 astir each day, and from nan first clip I turned connected nan ANC connected nan caller AirPods Pro 3, I was shocked astatine really bully it was. It seems to defy nan rule of physics, it's that good.

It's overmuch amended than nan Sony XM5 earbuds, which were correct up location pinch Bose and AirPods Pro 2 among nan champion ANC earbuds -- partially because Sony was already utilizing foam eartips. After utilizing AirPods Pro 3 for weeks successful a bunch of different noisy scenarios to effort to find a flaw, I'm convinced nan ANC is astir 80-90% arsenic bully arsenic nan AirPods Max and different starring over-the-ear headphones. It's truthful bully that connected my adjacent cross-country formation I'm going to time off AirPods Max astatine location and effort only walking pinch AirPods Pro 3.

Also: This caller AirPods Pro characteristic makes maine mobility why I still deterioration an Apple Watch

Extended artillery life -- Another logic I consciousness comfortable leaving AirPods Pro Max astatine location and only walking pinch AirPods Pro 3 connected my adjacent travel is that Apple claims that they person accrued nan artillery life by astir 25%. I haven't spent capable clip testing them yet to opportunity I'm afloat assured successful verifying that number. However, I did easy get done a cross-country formation pinch much artillery life remaining than I'd typically get pinch AirPods Pro 2, truthful I americium assured that there's an upgrade successful this department.

Heart complaint monitoring -- Similar to nan PowerBeats Pro 2 (Beats is besides owned by Apple), nan AirPods Pro 3 person added bosom search arsenic a wellness feature, which follows nan hearing wellness features added successful 2024. Since I deterioration an Apple Watch, I don't person overmuch request for nan bosom search feature, but I person respective colleagues who are fresh to usage AirPods Pro 3 to way their workouts alternatively of Apple Watch. And Apple intelligibly has nary problem pinch that because you tin now usage AirPods Pro 3 to commencement and way definite types of workouts successful nan Fitness app.

Live translation -- I besides sewage to trial nan caller Live Translation characteristic connected AirPods Pro 3 and nan champion portion astir it is really easy it is to commencement -- conscionable do a long-press connected some earbuds astatine nan aforesaid time. The translator itself is astatine slightest arsenic meticulous arsenic different unrecorded translator features I've tried pinch Google Pixel devices and Meta Ray-Bans, which is to opportunity it tin beryllium deed aliases miss.

I request to do a batch much testing connected this and I'm assured that I will this autumn and past I'll study backmost pinch a abstracted article comparing AirPods Pro 3 to nan latest Google and Meta unrecorded translator upgrades. Also, support successful mind that this characteristic will activity pinch AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 pinch Noise Cancellation erstwhile they are connected to an iPhone pinch Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro aliases later).

An upgrade to Find My -- The AirPods Pro 3 see an upgraded Ultrawideband spot (U2) that Apple claims increases nan uncovering region of nan charging lawsuit by astir 50% utilizing nan Find My app. I'm not judge astir nan 50% increase, but I did person nosy trying to find AirPods Pro 3 pinch FindMy and they did springiness disconnected a awesome that nan FindMy app noticed a small farther distant than AirPods Pro 2. The coolest portion is that this is apt a awesome that a caller second-generation AirTag powered by nan U2 spot will besides beryllium coming soon.

Also: I'm not swapping my Apple Watch for nan AirPods Pro 3's bosom complaint search - here's why

Improved particulate and h2o protection -- Apple besides upgraded nan particulate and h2o protection of nan AirPods Pro 3. The AirPods Pro 2 were antecedently IPX4 certified, which intends they offered nary particulate protection (the X) and level 4 h2o protection (against sweat and ray splashes of water). The AirPods Pro 3 connection IP57 certification, which intends they person level 5 particulate protection (against minimal amounts of dust) and level 7 h2o protection (against full immersion and downpours of rain). I did not effort to trial this, but I'm gladsome to spot it. By comparison, nan Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds person an IPX4 rating.

What I'd for illustration to spot successful AirPods Pro 4

Personalized audio settings -- One of nan biggest things that has ever been missing from AirPods is nan expertise to personalize your sound settings. Apple claims that "AirPods Pro 3 characteristic next-generation Adaptive EQ" to lucifer nan style and shape of each person's ears. However, plentifulness of group would still emotion to boost nan bass themselves, for example. Products specified arsenic nan Sony XM5 earbuds make this easy, but it's still not imaginable connected immoderate AirPods.

Also: Intrigued by Live Translation? You whitethorn not person to bargain caller AirPods to entree it

Temperature sensor -- The bosom complaint sensor successful AirPods Pro 3 makes consciousness since nan PowerBeats Pro 2 had already pioneered nan feature. However, nan wellness sensor I would person loved to spot added to nan AirPods Pro 3 was a somesthesia sensor, since nan receptor is simply a awesome spot for taking a person's somesthesia and we've seen really smart rings person utilized this to thief alert group erstwhile they mightiness beryllium coming down pinch a microorganism aliases an infection. The Apple Watch has a somesthesia sensor but I haven't recovered it to beryllium very meticulous aliases adjuvant because of its placement connected nan wrist.

ZDNET's buying advice

Of each nan caller products Apple released astatine its September 9 event, nary merchandise sewage much important upgrades than nan AirPods Pro 3. And astatine nan aforesaid time, Apple maintained nan aforesaid unit value astatine $249. As I've already mentioned, my favourite Android earbuds, nan Sony WF-1000XM5, unit for an eye-watering $329 -- and they will only link to 2 devices astatine a clip while AirPods Pro 3 tin link to your iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air, Apple Watch, and Apple TV and automatically move betwixt them.

If you are an AirPods personification and person ever wanted to person amended Active Noise Cancellation, past you are nan number 1 campaigner to upgrade to nan AirPods Pro 3 because nan caller ANC is by acold nan product's standout feature.

Also: I tried each iPhone 17 model, and my buying proposal is different this year

If you'd for illustration to beryllium capable to way your workouts without wearing a watch aliases different wellness locator connected your wrist, past you mightiness beryllium nan adjacent astir apt customer for AirPods Pro 3.

If you person a brace of AirPods aliases different earbuds that are wearing retired and you request to switch them -- aliases you person a brace pinch older features and you're not happy pinch nan sound aliases ANC value -- I person small uncertainty that you would beryllium very happy pinch a brace of AirPods 3, particularly if you person aggregate Apple devices.

My only push is to beryllium diligent if you can, and don't salary afloat price. When we get to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, AirPods are 1 of nan favourite items for Amazon, Best Buy, and different retailers to put connected sale. You could spot AirPods Pro 3 discounted to $199 to $229 later this fall, if history repeats itself.