Apple AirPods Pro 3 / Google Pixel Buds 2a

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

Google Pixel Buds 2a: Pixel Buds 2a in-ear earbuds with a USB-C charging case; the Fog, Berry, Iris and Hazel colours share the same hardware. The Pixel Buds A-Series and Pixel Buds Pro 2 are separate models.

Specification	Apple AirPods Pro 3	Google Pixel Buds 2a
Release year	2025	2025
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	—
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	USB-C charging; no wireless charging listed Google
Durability	IP57 (IEC 60529); earbuds and charging case Not for water sports. Resistance may decrease over time; do not charge when wet. Apple	Earbuds IP54, case IPX4 IP54 protects against dust and splashing water; the earbuds are not designed to be submerged. Google
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 23.1 × 16.0 × 17.8 mm, 4.7 g; case 50.0 × 24.5 × 57.2 mm, 47.6 g with earbuds Google
Type	—	In-ear true wireless; wing-tip stabiliser, four ear-tip sizes (XS, S, M, L) Google
Processor	—	Google Tensor A1 in each earbud Google
Driver	—	11 mm dynamic driver Google
Noise cancelling	—	Active noise cancellation (Silent Seal 1.5); transparency mode; active in-ear pressure relief Pressure relief adjusts pressure in the ear canal to reduce the blocked feeling of a sealed in-ear design. Google
Connectivity	—	Bluetooth 5.4; pairs with Bluetooth 4.0+ devices Full features need an Android 6.0+ phone and a Google account; on iPhone basic listening works but app settings are unavailable. Google
Calls	—	Two microphones per earbud; Bluetooth super wideband; Clear Calling; wind-blocking mesh Super wideband carries a wider audio range on calls with compatible Pixel phones. Google
Battery	—	ANC on: 7 hours (20 hours with case); ANC off: 10 hours (27 hours with case); 5 minutes of charging gives 1 hour Google
Sensors	—	Capacitive touch controls; IR proximity sensor for in-ear detection; Hall sensor in the case Google
Updates	—	Automatic security updates for at least three years from first availability on the US Google Store Google
Colours	—	Fog, Berry, Iris, Hazel Google