Apple AirPods Pro 3 / Apple AirPods Max (Lightning, 2020)

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

Apple AirPods Max (Lightning, 2020): AirPods Max 1, the first version with a Lightning charging port (2020); Silver, Space Grey, Sky Blue, Pink and Green. The 2024 USB‑C version and AirPods Max 2 are separate models.

Specification	Apple AirPods Pro 3	Apple AirPods Max (Lightning, 2020)
Release year	2025	2020
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	Digital Crown (volume, play/pause, calls, track skip, Siri) and noise control button Turning the Digital Crown changes the volume; the noise control button switches between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. 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	—
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	Apple devices running the latest iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS or tvOS They work as Bluetooth headphones with Apple devices on older software and with non-Apple devices, but functionality is limited. 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	187.3 × 168.6 × 83.4 mm; 384.8 g with cushions; Smart Case 134.5 g Apple
Audio technology	—	Apple-designed dynamic driver; Active Noise Cancellation; Transparency mode; Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ A Personalised Spatial Audio profile is created with an iPhone that has a TrueDepth camera; the feature needs compatible content and apps. Apple
Chip	—	Apple H1 headphone chip in each ear cup Apple
Microphones	—	Nine microphones in total: eight for noise cancellation; three for voice pickup (two shared with noise cancellation) Apple
Sensors	—	Optical, position and case-detect sensors plus an accelerometer in each cup; gyroscope in the left cup The position and optical sensors detect when the headphones are put on or taken off to pause and resume playback. Apple
Battery	—	Up to 20 hours of listening with Active Noise Cancellation or Transparency on; up to 20 hours of movies with Spatial Audio on; 5 minutes of charge gives about 1.5 hours of listening Apple’s figures come from pre-production tests with an iPhone 12 Pro Max in November 2020. Apple
Charging and case	—	Charging via Lightning; the battery enters an ultra-low-power state in the Smart Case The box contains the headphones, the Smart Case and a Lightning to USB‑C cable. There is no separate power button; the Smart Case handles power saving. Apple
Connectivity	—	Bluetooth 5.0 Apple