For years, the AirPods Pro 2 have been some of the best wireless earbuds you can buy, boasting excellent sound quality, rock-solid ANC, and seamless integration with Apple’s ecosystem. But perhaps now you’re wondering whether to upgrade to the AirPods Pro 3.
The AirPods Pro 3 buds launched in September 2025 and deliver a leap forward in noise cancellation and bring on board a sleeker design and a host of new smart features like real-time language translation and heart rate tracking. For anyone whose current earbuds are on the way out, the decision is a no-brainer. Are those additions enough to warrant an upgrade? I’ve been wearing both pairs since they first launched to help you decide whether they’re worth the investment. I’ve compared the specs, features, sound quality and more.
Apple AirPods Pro 3
Apple’s newest AirPods Pro 3 have a more comfortable fit and new foam tips that sit better in the ear and help with noise isolation. You get clearer vocals, richer bass and a wider soundstage. The ANC is twice as effective as before. They’re also more fitness-friendly, with heart-rate tracking and workout integration. Battery life lasts longer, too. At £219, they even undercut the older model on price.
Buy now £219, Amazon.co.uk
Apple AirPods Pro 2, refurbished
Released in 2022, the AirPods Pro 2 are an excellent pair of wireless earbuds. They offer lively sound, strong ANC and all the latest software features like adaptive audio and live translation with iOS 26. The main thing is – they lack the fitness tracking features and battery improvements of the AirPods Pro 3, as well as the more secure fit.
Buy now £144, Backmarket.co.uk
AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Design and fit
If you’re expecting a radical departure from the white-stemmed look of the AirPods Pro 2, you’ll be disappointed. The AirPods Pro 3 still look like AirPods, but there are some subtle improvements that you won’t spot without taking a closer look.
If you’ve struggled with the fit in the past, Apple has slightly refined the shape so the buds sit more securely and feel more comfortable over longer listening sessions. Inside, the components have been re-engineered to make each earbud fractionally smaller and lighter, shifting the weight so they rest more naturally in the ear. They definitely feel more secure than the AirPods Pro 2, though I wouldn’t say they’re immediately more comfortable.
Previous AirPods Pro models used silicone tips. The AirPods Pro 3 now feature foam-infused ear tips. Apple says these expand slightly to create a tighter seal, which boost both comfort and passive noise isolation. You get five tip sizes in the box, too, adding a new XXS option to cater for smaller ears.
Because the eartips are firmer than the ones on the AirPods Pro 2, they take a little getting used to, but after a day or two, they’ll fit like a glove – just like the regular pair. I know some people had issues with the fit of the second-generation AirPods Pro, but the AirPods Pro 3 seem to fix these niggles.
As for the MagSafe charging case, it’s a little bit taller and wider than the AirPods Pro 2 but it’s not a noticeable change and I can still fit it easily into my pocket. It’s also slightly lighter at 44g versus the AirPods Pro 2’s 51g. Apple has also removed the physical pairing button on the back, just as it did with the AirPods 4, replacing it with a touch-sensitive pairing area on the front.
Because of this extra depth, Apple’s managed to fit in a louder speaker for Find My tracking, and the case and buds are IP57 rated, meaning they’re dust-, sweat- and water-resistant.
Overall, if you found the AirPods Pro 2 a little loose or uncomfortable, the AirPods Pro 3 fit more securely and more comfortably thanks to their smaller, lighter design and new foam-infused tips. The case is easier to track down, too, thanks to the longer range and louder speaker. Both the buds and the case are more water- and sweat-resistant than the AirPods Pro 2.
AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Sound
While I loved the sound of my AirPods Pro 2, they’re not the most exciting-sounding earbuds you can buy. The tuning is well-balanced but they aren’t exactly, well... exciting, especially in the low-end.
The AirPods Pro 3 feature a redesigned acoustic architecture, updated Adaptive EQ and Apple’s H2 chip handling more advanced audio processing. It’s not a revelation in sound quality, but it’s definitely improved. There’s a bit more depth, with clearer vocals, a richer bass response and a slightly wider sense of space, which makes music feel more open and engaging. Instrument separation is much better as well, so tracks don’t feel quite as congested, particularly on busier mixes.
That said, the difference isn’t night and day. It’s a gentle tweak. The overall sound signature is still very recognisably Apple. If you’re happy with how the AirPods Pro 2 sound, you’re not missing out on anything by not upgrading. The AIrPods Pro 3 just sound a tad more polished.
AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Active noise cancellation
I was surprised by the claims from Apple on this one. Could it really improve the ANC on the AirPods Pro 2? The AirPods Pro 2 already had the best active noise cancellation I’ve tried on any pair of earbuds. They cut out the roar of the railway next to my house, as well as background chatter in a café, really effectively. The only times they ever struggled were with those sharper sounds.
Apple says the AirPods Pro 3’s active noise cancellation is twice as effective. The AirPods Pro 3 use upgraded ultra-low-noise microphones and improved audio processing to silence the world around you. The idea is that constant background sounds, like traffic, office chatter and the like or pushed even further into the background.
Shockingly, I found this to be the case. The sounds the AirPods Pro 2 struggled with were no match for the AirPods Pro 3. Sudden sharp sounds like sirens and screeching tires barely touched my ears and it better silenced voices in noisy cafes. The fit also helps here. Because it forms a better seal around the ear, there’s better passive noise cancellation generally.
Transparency mode has been upgraded, too. On the AirPods Pro 2, your own voice could occasionally sound tinny, but I always sound a lot more natural when talking and wearing the AirPods Pro 3. While the ANC on the AirPods Pro 2 are superb, Apple takes it to another level on the Pro 3s.
AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Features
This is where I think the AirPods Pro 3 shine, but only in a very specific way. They’re more fitness-focused than ever. Thanks to a new built-in heart-rate sensor, the buds can track your pulse and calories burned during a workout, feeding live stats straight into the Fitness app. If you use Fitness+, you’ll even see those metrics onscreen while you exercise.
Apple says you can track up to 50 different workout types this way, from cycling and HIIT to yoga. There’s also a new “Workout Buddy” feature powered by Apple Intelligence, which gives you real-time encouragement and nudges based on your data. It’s a clever new trick that only the Pro 3 can pull off – the AirPods Pro 2 simply don’t have the hardware.
What’s nice about the AirPods Pro 2 is that the feature set is broadly the same as the AirPods Pro 2. Just like the AirPods Pro 3, the older model boast live translation.
There are four reasons why you might want to upgrade: if you want better sound, a more secure fit, stronger noise cancellation and fitness features. Vocals come across clearer, bass is richer, and there’s a wider soundstage. ANC is twice as strong as well.
You pop in your AirPods, speak in your own language, and your iPhone shows a live transcript in the other person’s language on-screen. If they reply, their words are translated back into yours, and you hear them through your AirPods. If both of you are wearing a pair of AirPods with the feature enabled, each person can speak in their own language and hear the translation instantly in their ears. Cool, yes, but not something worth upgrading to the AirPods Pro 3.
In fact, all of the other headline features are available on the AirPods Pro 2 as well. Adaptive audio, which blends ANC and transparency modes to match your environment, and conversation awareness, which lowers your music when you start talking, both landed in 2024.
Siri interactions, personalised spatial audio, audio sharing and hearing health tools are all the same across the two models. Both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 have the same H2 chip, so you’ll get the same features on both sets of buds.
So, beyond fitness tracking, the feature set is identical. If you don’t care about seeing your heart rate in the middle of a workout, the AirPods Pro 2 will still give you every other feature, including live translation.
AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Battery
Battery life has seen improvements on the AirPods Pro 3. You get around six hours with noise cancellation turned on with the AirPods Pro 2, but you now get up to eight hours with ANC, or 10 hours if you’re using transparency mode with the AirPods Pro 3 – that’s 67 per cent longer, which is great for those who need transparency on all the time. Even with heart-rate tracking switched on during a workout, you’re still looking at around six and a half hours.
Interestingly, the AirPods Pro 3 case doesn’t hold as much juice as the AirPods Pro 2, however. While the AirPods Pro 3 will last longer in your ears, the case won’t provide as much of a top-up. The AirPods Pro 2 case provides up to 30 extra hours, but the AirPods Pro 3’s case only provides an extra 24 hours.
AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Price
Here’s where it gets really interesting. The AirPods Pro 3 cost just £219 in the UK. That’s less than the AirPods Pro 2 at launch.
When the AirPods Pro 2 were released in the UK in 2022, they cost £249. Apple then re-launched the AirPods Pro 2 in 2023 with a USB-C charging case and cut the price down to £229. Even then, the AirPods Pro 3 was still able to undercut that price by £10, and you can find it on sale for even cheaper right now.
That said, you can’t buy a brand-new pair of AirPods Pro 2 anymore. Apple discontinued them shortly after the launch of the AirPods Pro 3. You can still buy a refurbished pair, however, and that’s significantly cheaper than buying a brand new pair of AirPods Pro 3 – even when they’re on sale.
AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Is it worth the upgrade?
If you already own a pair of AirPods Pro 2 and they’re still holding their charge, you probably don’t need to rush out to upgrade. Most of the features, such as live translation, aren’t exclusive to the Pro 3 – you already have that feature on the Pro 2s.
There are four reasons why you might want to upgrade, though. If you want better sound, a more secure fit, stronger noise cancellation and fitness features. Vocals come across clearer, bass is richer, and there’s a wider soundstage. ANC is twice as strong as well.
The fitness features are the biggest selling point and are personally the main reason why I’d choose to upgrade. There’s a new built-in heart-rate sensor for tracking calories, workouts and a better fit for exercise. Battery life has also been improved, so you get eight hours instead of six, though the case itself holds less charge. But the best part might be the price – they’re cheaper than the older AirPods Pro 2, despite the upgraded tech.
Why you can trust IndyBest
Alex Lee is a seasoned technology critic with years of extensive experience covering Apple news and reviews, from accessories like the brand’s Airtags to the best refurbished iPhone deals. His deep understanding of Apple’s design, hardware, and ecosystem makes him uniquely qualified to compare the specs of the new AirPods with the previous generation.
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