Price: The One Thing That Hasn't Changed
Let's start easy. The AirPods Pro 2 launched at $249. The AirPods Pro 3 are $249. No changes here. While both carry the same retail price, the Pro 2s are often discounted far below their original cost. With holiday sales taking off, now is a good time to snap them up if you want to save some money.
Winner: Tie
Sound Quality: More Accurate Audio
The AirPods Pro 3 sound even better than the already excellent Pro 2, thanks to a new multiport acoustic design and refined Adaptive EQ that actively adjusts the audio profile to what you're listening to. These tweaks result in a deeper bass response, cleaner highs, and a wider soundstage to our ears. Moreover, Apple re-tuned its audio signature for a slightly more natural sound while leaving plenty of room to adjust it through its multitude of EQ presets.
Winner: AirPods Pro 3
Noise Cancellation: Foam for the Win
The AirPods Pro 3 have an upgraded active noise cancellation (ANC) system with new ultra-low-noise microphones, which Apple says can block out twice as much outside noise as the Pro 2. The eartips also add a thin layer of foam to their silicone shells compared with the Pro 2's completely silicone tips, which can improve the seal against your ear canal and further block out noise passively. These changes add up to noise-cancelling performance that rivals the best, matching the latest Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds in blocking out your surroundings.
Winner: AirPods Pro 3
Fitness and Health: Your New Workout Buddy
This is the biggest and wildest upgrade to the AirPods Pro 3. They now have built-in heart rate sensing, so you can track how much you're pushing yourself in workouts even without an Apple Watch or a fitness tracker. It isn't as in-depth as the Apple Watch's heart rate monitoring, and the AirPods Pro 3 lack blood oxygen monitoring and an ECG. But for earphones, it's still a rare and useful feature that the AirPods Pro 2 lack.
Winner: AirPods Pro 3
Durability: Safe from Sweat
The AirPods Pro 2 are somewhat water-resistant with an IP54 rating, which means they're tested to handle splashes and can work in the rain. The AirPods Pro 3 are closer to waterproof with an IP57 rating, so you can dunk them or rinse them off in the sink and trust they'll be fine. They're not meant for swimming, and submerging them could be a problem, but they're still more suited to soaking than the previous AirPods. In both cases, the ratings apply to the earphones and the charging case, which isn't always true for water-resistant true wireless earphones; sometimes the earphones can handle water, but the case can't.
Winner: AirPods Pro 3
Battery Life: A Small But Meaningful Improvement
The AirPods Pro 3 can last up to eight hours on a charge with noise cancellation, up from six for the AirPods Pro 2. The new charging case can hold up to 24 hours total listening time with ANC, while the AirPods Pro 2's case can hold the same 24 hours under the same conditions.
Winner: AirPods Pro 3