Three years after the second-generation model launched, Apple has finally unveiled the AirPods Pro (3rd generation), and while it may look almost identical to its predecessors at first glance, there’s a lot more happening underneath that familiar, shiny white exterior that makes this a must-have upgrade.
The AirPods Pro line has always been about delivering premium audio with active noise cancellation, wrapped in a compact package beyond the standard AirPods series of in-ear monitors, and since its 2019 debut, has helped shape the direction of the category. The third generation continues that trajectory while also pushing the line into entirely new territory – now with health tracking, real-time translation, and even more immersive audio than before.
Right out of the box, the smooth plastic chassis of the case looks and feels similar to previous iterations, but for the first time, there’s a difference. At 47.2 x 62.2 x 21.8mm, the new AirPods Pro case is slightly larger than the 45.2 x 60.6 x 21.7mm case of the second generation, which means it won’t fit into your existing AirPods Pro cases, unlike how the second generation could fit into the cases for the original. Upon opening the unit, you would also notice that each ear piece is slightly different in size, with a shorter stem on the new model, measuring 30.9 x 19.2 x 27mm and weighing 5.55g, making it a little shorter yet also heavier (likely due to the slightly thicker stems) than the 30.9 x 21.8 x 24mm, and 5.3g of the second generation.
Performance-wise, it is powered by the same H2 chip as the second generation but also comes with improved audio algorithms that offer noticeably improved active noise cancellation (ANC), and if you thought those for the second generation were good, these earphones sound incredible because the silence they bring is deafening. The redesign of the new AirPods means they fit differently in your ear than before, providing a tighter seal, which is impressive because the earlier ones were already top-notch in blocking out external audio.
With these, the angle of the tips has been altered to rotate inwards, directing the miniature speakers directly into the ear canal. This change took some getting used to, as I was still using the second-generation model concurrently. The previous iteration is already very stable during activities, and never felt as if they would fall off, but the new models offer a new sense of security, knowing that you can block off almost any type of noise, and having the peace of mind that these will never fall out.
The ANC application here is actually quite noticeable, as you literally hear your environment melt away the moment you put them on, so if you make the morning and evening commute via train and bus, be prepared for a much quieter journey as Apple has said that this model removes up to twice as much noise compared to the previous, and four times more than the original.
The most obvious application is with Apple’s recent addition of their hearing test that analyses a user’s overall hearing loss in decibels of hearing level (dBHL) and hearing loss classification and recommended next step. With the second-generation AirPods Pro, the app kept telling me there was too much ambient noise around me in my home, with the children outside in the living room. With this model, the added seal makes it easier to use this feature, as it blocks out more external audio, which means you don’t need to take the test in complete isolation away from external noise.
Not everything is due to technology, though, as aside from the ultra-low noise microphones and advanced algorithms, there’s also the new foam-infused ear tips that provide greater passive noise isolation. In a first for Apple, there are now five sizes available, including a new XXS option on top of the existing XS, S, M, and L ones. For those who’ve always struggled to get a secure fit with the previous models, this is a welcome addition.
One other thing Apple has done is reengineer the acoustic chamber for the new AirPods Pro, which means they didn’t simply improve on things – they had to redesign the internals to cater to the overall structural change of the unit, and while there’s some debate by longtime users on if the changes are better, there is a sharp, almost livelier improvement to the acoustics here. From listening to Taylor Swift’s latest album on Apple Music to catching up on the newest and final episodes of Stranger Things on Netflix, there’s a noticeable richness to the audio. It’s not a night-and-day difference from the second generation, but there is an audio brightness that wasn’t there before, where vocals feel more present and the bass has more punch. That said, it’s not that there’s a huge improvement over the AirPods Pro second generation – they both sound different but offer a distinct soundstage that doesn’t make me want to immediately ditch the previous model for the newer one.
Does this mean there’s no need to upgrade to the new model? Surprisingly, the most significant additions and improvements to the AirPods Pro 3 aren’t about sound, but rather on the health and communication ecosystem that the Apple family of devices form an intrinsic part of.
Apple has added a custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor – the same technology used in its Apple Watch to measure heart rate – into the new AirPods Pro, which is now used to measure light absorption in blood flow from your ear to track your heart rate. This means you can now track heart rate and calories burned across 50 different workout types directly from the Fitness app with your iPhone, without the need for an Apple Watch. It’s not meant as a replacement for your Apple Watch, but if you combine this with the accelerometers, gyroscope, GPS data from your iPhone, this can open up fitness tracking to a whole new demographic who have not invested in Apple’s wrist device, but can now benefit from Apple’s fitness ecosystem, from closing their Move ring, track activities and workouts, and even earn achievement badges.
For those who listen to music as they run, cycle, or do cardio, Apple has added Workout Buddy, a digital friend who provides motivational messages during your intensive workout based on your fitness data and preferences. It’s like having a gym buddy or pacer on your run, to urge you to push yourself to the limit, and be that constant presence at the halfway mark of your activity, or tail end of your run. And because it’s powered by Apple Intelligence, you can set the voice you want to hear and know it won’t have any of the judgmental tones for the times that you don’t make it.
The other headline feature is Live Translation, which is not new, as other brands have had it for the last few years, but Apple’s late entry to the game doesn’t disappoint. Originally launched with non-Asian languages including French, German, Italian and Spanish, it added more Asian ones in November, including Chinese (Traditional) and Vietnamese. Powered by Apple Intelligence and running locally on your iPhone (so no internet connection required), the AirPods Pro 3 can translate conversations in real time across multiple languages.
You speak in English, the other person hears the translation in whatever language option you pick (either through their own AirPods or via your iPhone’s speaker), and vice versa. There is minimal delay, which is expected since this is not a word-for-word translation, but translating the spoken words in context to what’s being said. The translation in Chinese sounds surprisingly natural and a boon for travellers, international business meetings, or even simply ordering food at that authentic mainland Chinese restaurant down the street.
Apple has also continued to push the AirPods Pro as hearing health devices. Building on the Hearing Aid features introduced with the AirPods Pro 2, the third generation now includes automatic Conversation Boost, which intelligently amplifies voices around you while reducing background noise in loud environments. The bad part is if you’re on a call and someone is speaking directly at you, be it a waiter or sales assistant, there’s a chance that the person on the other line can hear more than just you speaking.
For those of us who dislike constantly charging accessories, there is an improvement to battery life, and users now get up to eight hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled on a single charge, up from six hours on the previous model. Switch to Transparency mode with the Hearing Aid feature enabled, and that jumps to 10 hours. The MagSafe charging case provides up to 24 hours of total listening time, and the good news is that a quick five-minute charge offers about an hour of playback, which is perfect for when you grab your AirPods on the way out, only to realise the unit is out of juice.
The case itself retains the same rounded-square design in glossy white, with USB-C charging, MagSafe support, Qi wireless charging, and even compatibility with Apple Watch chargers. The built-in speaker for Find My alerts and the lanyard loop from the second generation remain, and there’s also a new U2 (not the band) Ultra Wideband chip that extends the range of precision finding in the Find My app by 1.5 times for those prone to misplacing their units, though you’ll need an iPhone 17 series device to take advantage of this. Durability has also been improved, with the AirPods Pro 3 now offering an IP57 rating for dust, sweat, and water resistance, up from IP54 on the previous model. This means the earbuds can withstand temporary immersion in water of up to one meter of water, though it’s more likely that they can withstand the sweatiest workouts with a downpour to boot.
If you don’t own the AirPods Pro 2, the improvements in noise cancellation, sound quality, and battery life, together with the addition of health tracking and live translation, make this a must-have. For AirPods Pro 2 owners, it’s the appeal of fitness tracking without an Apple Watch and the need for a virtual fitness buddy. At S$369, the AirPods Pro 3 command a premium, but Apple continues to pack in significantly more features without raising prices, and this represents their most ambitious earbuds that redefine expectations, combining best-in-class noise cancellation and audio quality with groundbreaking health tracking and real-time translation features.
GEEK REVIEW SCORE
Summary
The AirPods Pro are no longer just earphones, but more of a health device with fitness tracking, hearing aid management, and a communication tool neatly wrapped in that familiar glossy white package. And that makes them one of the most versatile pieces of tech you can slip into your pocket.
Overall
9/10
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Aesthetics - 9/10
9/10
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Build Quality - 9/10
9/10
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Performance - 9/10
9/10
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Value - 8.5/10
8.5/10
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Geek Satisfaction - 9.5/10
9.5/10
Hsals needs more space in his house, and more money in his bank account to pay for all the toys, collectibles and other geek related items that companies are churning out. Free-time? Girlfriend? Who’s got time for those?
Debbi Koh
