Apple AirPods Pro 3 / Apple AirPods (3rd generation)

Apple AirPods Pro 3: MagSafe charging case (USB-C) with speaker

Apple AirPods (3rd generation): AirPods (3rd generation) launched in 2021 with the MagSafe Charging Case; from 2022 a version with the Lightning Charging Case was also sold. The earbuds are the same with either case. AirPods 4, AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro are separate models.

Specification	Apple AirPods Pro 3	Apple AirPods (3rd generation)
Release year	2025	2021
Announcement and sale	Announced 9 September 2025; in stores 19 September 2025 Apple	—
Chips	Apple H2 in the earbuds; second-generation Ultra Wideband (U2) chip in the charging case Apple	—
Audio hardware	Custom high-excursion Apple driver; custom high dynamic range amplifier Apple	—
Noise control	Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness Apple says ANC is up to 2x more effective than AirPods Pro 2. Adaptive Audio blends ANC and Transparency to suit the surroundings and needs iOS 18 or later. Apple	—
Spatial audio	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking Creating a personal profile requires an iPhone with a TrueDepth camera. Apple	—
Ear tips	Foam-infused silicone tips; five sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L XXS is new in this generation. Apple	—
Heart rate sensing	Optical heart rate sensor (PPG) in the earbuds; infrared pulsed 256 times per second Used during workouts in the Fitness app on iPhone and requires iOS 26. It is not a medical measuring device. Apple	—
Microphones and sensors	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone; skin-detect sensor, motion- and speech-detecting accelerometers The speech-detecting accelerometer senses the wearer talking through bone vibration; Voice Isolation suppresses background noise. Apple	—
Hearing features	Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, Hearing Protection The Hearing Aid feature is FDA-authorised for adults 18+ with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss; availability varies by country. Apple	—
Live Translation	Live Translation (beta) with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone on iOS 26 Apple notes the feature is not available in every region or language. Apple	—
Controls	Stem press and swipe: play/pause, calls, mode switching, volume; “Siri” voice command Press and hold switches listening modes; swiping up or down changes volume. Apple	Press the stem once to play/pause or answer a call; twice to skip forward or end a call; three times to skip back; press and hold for Siri There is no on-bud volume control. Apple
Battery (earbuds)	Up to 8 hours with ANC at 50% volume; 7.5 hours with Spatial Audio and head tracking; 6.5 hours in workouts with heart rate; 10 hours in Hearing Aid mode Apple measured these in July–August 2025 with pre-production units and software; results vary with settings and environment. Apple	—
Battery (with case)	Up to 24 hours total with ANC; 5 minutes in the case gives about 1 hour of listening Apple	—
Charging case	USB-C, MagSafe, Apple Watch charger or Qi-certified charger; speaker for Find My; lanyard loop A USB-C cable is not included in the box. Apple	MagSafe Charging Case (MagSafe, Qi and Lightning) or Lightning Charging Case The included cable is Lightning to USB-C; there is no adapter. Apple
Durability	IP57 (IEC 60529); earbuds and charging case Not for water sports. Resistance may decrease over time; do not charge when wet. Apple	—
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3 Per SoundGuys testing, codecs are SBC and AAC; there is no lossless wireless streaming. Apple	—
Compatibility	Latest iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS; basic Bluetooth headphones on other devices On non-Apple devices adaptive modes, hearing features and firmware updates are unavailable. Apple	—
Size and weight	Earbud (each) 30.9 × 19.2 × 27.0 mm, 5.55 g; case 47.2 × 62.2 × 21.8 mm, 43.99 g Apple	Earbud (each): 30.79 × 18.26 × 19.21 mm, 4.28 g; case: 46.40 × 54.40 × 21.38 mm, 37.91 g Apple
Design and fit	—	Open-fit in-ear design without silicone tips; short stem Because the earbud does not seal the canal, ambient sound is heard; fit depends on ear shape and there are no interchangeable tips. Apple
Audio technology	—	Custom high-excursion Apple driver; custom high dynamic range amplifier; Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ Adaptive EQ measures what is heard in the ear with the inward-facing microphone and adjusts the tuning to the fit in real time. Head tracking anchors sound to the Apple device’s screen. There is no active noise cancellation or transparency mode. Apple
Chip and connectivity	—	H1 headphone chip; Bluetooth 5.0 Automatic device switching, “Hey Siri” and one-tap pairing work with Apple devices. Apple
Sensors and microphones	—	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone, skin-detect sensor, motion and speech-detecting accelerometers, force sensor The skin-detect sensor pauses playback when an earbud is removed. Apple
Battery	—	Up to 6 hours of listening per charge (5 hours with Personalised Spatial Audio on); up to 30 hours with the case; 5 minutes in the case ≈ 1 hour of listening Apple
Sweat and water resistance	—	IPX4: earbuds and charging case IPX4 protects against splashes; it is not for submersion. Apple