Review: Apple AirPods Pro 3
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 represents a significant leap from the Pro 2 — the new H2 chip delivers ANC effectiveness that RTINGS.com measured at 90% average noise reduction across all frequencies, topping every earbud we’ve tested. Alongside noise cancellation improvements, Apple has expanded the Pro 3 into a health platform with real-time heart rate monitoring and clinical-grade hearing health features.
Noise Cancellation
90% average noise reduction is not a marketing claim — it’s what independent audio labs measure in controlled test environments. In practical terms: airplane engine noise becomes nearly inaudible, office chatter drops to an unintelligible murmur, and public transport noise is reduced to a comfortable background hum. The adaptive algorithm adjusts 48,000 times per second based on detected sound conditions.
Adaptive Transparency mode — which lets in chosen frequencies while blocking harmful noise — is the best implementation in the earbud category. It sounds genuinely natural, unlike the processed quality of competing transparency modes.
Health Features
The Pro 3 introduces a clinical-grade hearing health platform: real-time heart rate monitoring via photoplethysmography in the ear canal, FDA-registered hearing aid functionality (adjustable sound enhancement for mild-to-moderate hearing loss), and live translation in 40 languages via the Translate app on iPhone. These features are genuine differentiators — not gimmicks.
Battery & Ecosystem
7 hours with ANC enabled, 28 hours total from the MagSafe case. The automatic Apple device switching is the benchmark for the industry — switching from iPhone to MacBook to iPad happens in 1–2 seconds with no manual intervention.
Verdict
AirPods Pro 3 is the recommendation for any iPhone user. The health features alone justify the upgrade from the Pro 2 for many users. Android users should look at Sony WF-1000XM6 instead.