Apple AirPods Pro 3: Subtle Upgrades Focused on Durability and Battery Life
Key Points
- Live translation and heart‑rate monitoring are new headline features, but their real‑world impact is limited.
- Durability improves with an IP57 rating, offering better dust protection and water resistance.
- Battery life extends to eight hours with ANC and ten hours with Transparency mode.
- An upgraded chip enhances location tracking, reducing the chance of losing the earbuds.
- Pricing remains unchanged in the U.S. and is slightly lower in the U.K.
Apple's third‑generation AirPods Pro arrive with incremental but meaningful improvements. While the company highlighted new live‑translation and heart‑rate tracking features, reviewers note the real advances lie in a higher IP57 water‑and‑dust rating, a longer battery life of up to eight hours with active noise cancellation, and an upgraded chip that enhances location tracking. Pricing remains unchanged in the United States and slightly lower in the United Kingdom. The enhancements aim to address everyday durability and endurance concerns rather than introduce groundbreaking new functionalities.
Overview of the AirPods Pro 3 launch
Three years after the previous generation, Apple introduced the AirPods Pro 3. The launch emphasized a handful of headline features, but the price in the United States stayed the same while the United Kingdom saw a modest reduction.
New headline features
During the event Apple showcased live translation, which can capture spoken foreign language and render it in the user’s language, and a heart‑rate monitoring capability that integrates with the Fitness app. The reviewer considers these additions as incremental, noting that translation delays and accuracy issues limit practical use, and that heart‑rate tracking is less precise than dedicated fitness devices.
Core hardware upgrades
The most tangible improvements are technical rather than flashy. The AirPods Pro 3 now carry an IP57 rating, meaning they are protected against dust (level 5) and can be submerged in up to one meter of water for 30 minutes (level 7). This is a step up from the IPX4 rating of earlier models and the IP54 rating of the AirPods Pro 2.
Battery life also sees a notable increase. With active noise cancellation enabled, listening time rises from six hours in the previous generation to eight hours, and up to ten hours when Transparency mode is used. The reviewer emphasizes that longer battery life is a critical factor for everyday users.
An upgraded internal chip improves the earbuds’ location‑tracking capabilities, reducing the likelihood of losing the devices.
Reviewer perspective
The author argues that while Apple’s marketing spotlighted translation and health monitoring, the practical upgrades—durability, battery endurance, and better tracking—are what most users will notice day‑to‑day. The commentary suggests that Apple’s focus on incremental refinements aligns with consumer expectations for reliable, long‑lasting earbuds.