Apple launched the AirPods Pro 3 last month to critical praise. I’ve been using the AirPods Pro 3 since upgrading on day one, and my experience has been a bit more complicated so far.
Incredible audio quality and ANC are two very important highlights
My impressions of AirPods Pro 3 after a month are not at all what I expected.
When Apple launched the new iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods products last month, these seemed like the most non-controversial and obvious upgrade of the lot.
My colleague Chance’s review of the AirPods Pro 3 summed up the initial feelings well: “The best ones get even better.” »
I love my AirPods Pro 2, and on paper at least, Apple’s new model is superior. In a way, this turned out to be true.
The improved audio quality and active noise cancellation were big highlights for me. I can definitely say that both features are improved over my AirPods Pro 2.
And that’s important, because audio quality and ANC are easily the two AirPods features I care about most.
But unlike the AirPods Pro 2, which were better in every way than their predecessor, the AirPods Pro 3 story was more complicated for me.
This is mainly due to problems in two areas:
- Fit and comfort
- Battery life
AirPods Pro 3: an upgrade and a downgrade at the same time
The AirPods Pro 3 have a new design that Apple says makes them “even better.” And I have no doubt that this is true for many users.
For me, the fit is easily worse than the AirPods Pro 2 and is a significant downgrade overall.
Despite trying all the ear tips, the AirPods Pro 3 have been quite uncomfortable so far. Most of the time I can ignore this discomfort, but when I pay attention to how my ears feel, it’s not great.
I currently use “M” tips because it’s the only size that passes Apple’s acoustic seal test without hurting my ears. “L” passes the test but also causes pain. And all the smaller sizes, while slightly more comfortable than “M”, don’t get a good enough sound seal.
Therein lies the enigma.
Apple advises you to use the tips that work best for you. But also, one of the AirPods Pro 3’s best features – improved noise cancellation – depends on a good seal.
So I might downsize the tips for comfort and lose some noise-canceling benefits, or settle for a slight level of discomfort. So far I’ve chosen the latter.
Another signature upgrade of the AirPods Pro 3 – extended battery life – was largely offset by the charging case’s reduced overall battery capacity.
The AirPods Pro 3 offer 8 hours of battery on a single charge compared to 6 hours on the AirPods Pro 2. But the overall battery with the case is only 24 hours compared to 30 hours on the latest model.
It’s nice to get more juice out of a single charge, but if I could trade that benefit for the battery from the old charging case, I absolutely would.
Instead, my AirPods Pro 3 charging case has become another device I charge every night. Not because I have to, but because if I don’t I get low battery indicators much more frequently than I would like.
AirPods Pro 3 after a month: recap
In summary, I’m much more mixed on the AirPods Pro 3 than I expected. In some ways, that’s understandable, since the AirPods Pro 2 were one of my favorite Apple products of all time and a tough act to follow.
I love the improved audio quality and the active noise cancellation has become very impressive. Other features like the heart rate sensor haven’t done much for me so far, but they’re nice to have. Overall, I don’t regret choosing to upgrade.
I would still wholeheartedly recommend the AirPods Pro 3 to others. They may not be as perfect as I thought the AirPods Pro 2 would be, but they’re still great. And if you don’t have fit issues, you’ll probably love them even more.
However, with the fit issue, the AirPods Pro 3 haven’t been the upgrade I was hoping for.
Have you upgraded to AirPods Pro 3, and if so, how did it go? Let us know in the comments.
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