Apple AirPods Pro (3rd Gen) Review: Best ANC earbuds yet

AirPods Pro 3 series is top-notch TWS class of earphones. It delivers well on ANC capabilities, clear phone calls, and long battery life. And, with the addition of an innovative heart rate tracking feature, consumers have one more compelling reason to buy.

During the annual fall event last month in September, Apple unveiled the new iPhones, Watches, and AirPods Pro 3. Among them, the iPhone Air, a first of its kind, drew all the attention among the attendees.

However, AirPods Pro (3rd Gen) deserves a limelight for the big upgrades not just in terms of a more compact design, improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) capabilities, longer battery life, but also an innovative heart health tracker.

I have been using them for three weeks, here're my thoughts on the latest AirPods Pro True Wireless Stereo (TWS) buds.

Design and build quality

As noted earlier, the new AirPods Pro are a tad smaller than the previous iterations.

Though it is small, the new AirPods Pro will be able to fit more comfortably on more people with different ear sizes than before. Also, AirPods feature foam-infused ear tips that now come in five sizes — including a new XXS size.

Apple AriPods Pro 3.

The only qualm I have with the design aspect of the AirPods is the glossy snow white colour. After extensive use, it tends to lose its sheen and get stained. I wish to see a dark space grey variant in the near Future.

Earbuds come with a dual-tone black and white colourway, retaining the uniqueness of the original Apple AirPods. However, the snowy earbud tips are prone to getting stained sooner or later, due to the earwax buildup inside the canal.

Apple AirPods Pro 3.

If you are a neat freak, Apple has a dedicated support page on how to clean those tips and the case without damaging them. Users can pull the earbud tips from the AirPods Pro and wipe them with fresh, clean water and dry them completely, and only then, put them back on the buds.

On the bright side, the AirPods Pro are amazing in terms of audio delivery with ANC on (more on that later).

Each bud weighs 5.55g, and the case weighs 43.99 g, almost seven grams less than the predecessor.

Though the case and the buds are lightweight, they are made of sturdy materials to last for several years, unless they get run over by a car. Or if you are foolish enough to perform torture tests like some tech enthusiasts do on YouTube.

Apple AirPods Pro 3.

The AirPods Pro, which comes with an in-ear design, features an IP57 water splash resistance rating, a first for any AirPods to date. It can resist dust, sweat, and water splashes. This comes in handy when it rains (drizzling) or while in the gym doing heavy workouts.

The case supports a MagSafe wireless charger and can also be charged with a Type-C USB cable. The case also comes with a built-in lanyard loop to attach a strap or any accessories.

By the way, if you are buying the AirPods Pro on the official Apple online store or at the physical Apple Store outlet in Bengaluru (Apple Hebbal), Delhi (Apple Saket), Mumbai (Apple BKC) and Pune (Koregaon Park, KOPA Mall), you can put engravings on the AirPods for free. You can ask for a mix of emoji, names, initials and numbers. Customers also get multiple language options, including Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu and English.

Ecofriendly earphones

AirPods Pro 3 are made with 40 per cent recycled content, including 100 per cent recycled cobalt in the battery and 65 per cent recycled plastic in the charging case.

Performance and user interface

Setting up the AirPods with iPhone is really easy, just take them close to each other and the former will instantly detect it and flash on the screen with instructions.

Thanks to the deep integration among Apple's ecosystem of devices, it took barely three minutes to complete the pairing process.

Apple AirPods Pro 3.

AirPods Pro houses dual beamforming microphones and an Inward-facing microphone, and is powered by Apple H2 chipset.

The short stems of the AirPods Pro are really good. Users can easily control volume with swipe up and down gestures, skip/pause/go back to the previous track, answer calls, and hang up calls with pinch gestures. And, users can press and hold to switch between

Like the predecessor, it supports Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode, Adaptive EQ, personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, vent system for pressure equalisation.

It also comes with the Voice Isolation feature to block background noise during phone calls; Conversation Awareness, to lower the volume or pause media playing on the buds, while talking to a person.

With Personalised Volume, set at the beginning pairing with the iPhone, AirPods Pro can automatically adjust the volume on AirPods based on environmental conditions and the owner's volume preferences, which are set during the setup of the AirPods.

Heartrate tracker

AirPods Pro 3 is the first Apple hearable product to boast a heart rate tracker. Users can check the readings on the Apple Health app on the iPhone or iPad.

Studies have shown that the heart rate monitoring from the ear, while resting and during physical activities, is pretty accurate, on par with PPG-based sensors on smartwatches.

AirPods Pro houses a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that flashes invisible infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow.

Combined with sensor fusion from the AirPods Pro's accelerometers, gyroscope, GPS, and a new on-device AI model on iPhone, it will be able to track the heart rate and calories burned. Users can track 50 different workout types with the AirPods Pro and be able to close their Move ring and earn awards in the Fitness app without the Apple Watch.

AirPods Pro have a practical use for workouts at the gym, as there are risks of wrist brushing against the metal columns or hard objects and possibly damaging the display. For such exercises, users can remove their Apple Watches temporarily and let the AirPods Pro continue tracking their heart rate.

Given how good Apple watches have been in saving lives worldwide, I have no doubt the AirPods Pro's heart rate tracker is reliable, as they claim to be.

Though the AirPods Pro 3 is more compact than its predecessor, it delivers two hours more than its predecessor. It can last for eight hours with ANC on. And, with the case, it can go for 24 hours.

It supports fast charging. With just 5 minutes in the case, the AirPods Pro buds can deliver around one hour of listening time.

The AirPods Pro's MagSafe Charging Case (USB‑C) works with Apple Watch charger and Qi‑certified chargers.

Also, Apple has incorporated a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the MagSafe Charging Case. With the Find My app, users can track misplaced earphones faster to the precise location. And, thanks to loud loudspeaker, the case can be located quickly.

I spend around two and a half to three hours a day commuting to and from home and the office. I always put on the AirPods Pro to avoid the annoying horns on the busy roads of Bengaluru. Thanks to the amazing ANC, there is hardly a squeak of the horn slipping into the ear. Even the engine sounds of the bus and other vehicles on the road are greatly reduced, compared not just to the predecessor, but also other rival-branded earphones in its class.

I advise users not to listen to music at full volume on earphones while walking on a street, as there is a high chance of them getting knocked down by a vehicle.

It is the best TWS I have reviewed for more than a year. I usually keep the volume just over the 50 per cent mark, and yet, AirPods Pro ANC works like magic to control the noise very effectively.

In the three weeks I have used, I have been woken up by the fellow passengers twice, when I reached the final destination at the MG Road metro station bus stop (in case you are wondering, which bus, it is G9). I just used to slip into sleep mode listening to the music on the new AirPods Pro.

Be it any genre of music or podcasts, the audio delivery on AirPods Pro 3 is absolutely top-class. Even phone calls, too, I was able to clearly hear the person on the other side, and I was also able to pick up my voice clearly, even when surrounded by chatter on the street and annoying horns on the street.

The new AirPods 3 support Live Translation. Initially, it will be able to translate in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish in real-time. Later, it will support four more languages— Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese by the end of the year.

However, it is of limited use in India, as it supports any local language. Unless you visit foreign locations in Europe, this will come in handy to communicate with local guides.

Apple AirPods Pro 3.

Final thoughts

AirPods Pro 3 series are top-notch TWS earphones. It delivers well on ANC capabilities, clear phone calls, and long battery life. And, with the addition of an innovative heart rate tracking feature, it has more compelling reasons to buy, not just for owners with older AirPods, but also those with devices running on other platforms as well.

Apple AirPods Pro 3 costs Rs 25,900.

Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.