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4 Unexpected Reasons to Upgrade to Apple’s New Flagship AirPods

Apple’s new elite wireless earbuds have improved sound quality and twice as good ANC. But they have a few other cool secrets, too.

White wireless earbuds with an open charging case placed on a wooden surface, partially illuminated by sunlight.Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol
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By Tucker Bowe

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The AirPods Pro 3 are here.

That’s right, Apple has a new flagship pair of wireless noise-canceling earbuds for the first time in years. And, having worn them for the last several days — including one plane ride and for one lawn mowing — I can tell you that they’re pretty damn impressive.

These third-generation earbuds look largely the same as their 2022-released predecessors — at least, from a distance — and have many of the same capabilities, including the same listening modes, support for Live Translation (if paired with a newer iPhone), and being able to function as clinical-grade hearing aides.

White wireless earbud inserted in a person's ear, showing the black speaker grille and smooth plastic surface.
The AirPods Pro 3 look similar to their predecessors, but they have an updated design, new foam-infused eartips, improved sound, and vastly improved ANC.
Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

However, Apple has given the AirPods Pro quite the upgrade. They sport an updated earbud design, feature new foam-infused eartips and boast improved sound quality. Plus, Apple claims the active noise cancellation is twice as powerful.

And while their sound quality and active noise-canceling are definitely the standouts, Apple has upgraded the AirPods Pro 3 in numerous small ways that — especially for those who haven’t bought new AirPods in several years — make these new wireless earbuds quite enticing.

Here are the lesser-known details you need to know.

A black iPhone with a dual-camera setup, a white AirPods Pro charging case, and a pair of white AirPods Pro earbuds are placed on a textured gray outdoor table. The background includes a brick pavement.
Compared to the 2023-released AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3 have been updated in numerous ways.
Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

The most sweatproof AirPods, ever

If you’re somebody who works out with AirPods Pro, you can rest assured that these third-gen models are even more durable than their predecessors.

That’s because the AirPods Pro 3 have an IP57 rating, which is a significant upgrade over the AirPods Pro 2’s IP54 rating and the highest rating of any AirPods to date.

The IP57 rating means that the earbuds — and the case, which also has an IP57 rating — can be briefly submerged in water, whereas previous AirPods could only withstand a splash.

Basically, they’re primed to handle a lot of sweat.

A hand holding a smartphone displaying a fitness tracking app. The screen shows a distance of 0.80 miles, an average pace of 24 minutes and 26 seconds per mile, a heart rate of 79 beats per minute, 55 active calories burned, and 86 total calories burned. The timer at the bottom reads 19 minutes and 45.71 seconds.
The AirPods Pro 3’s work seamlessly the heart rate sensor kicks into gear when doing a workout.
Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

The first AirPods with a heart-rate sensor

Maybe most interestingly, the AirPods Pro 3 are the first AirPods to feature an integrated heart-rate sensor — Beats has done this same thing with its latest Powerbeats Pro 2.

The heart rate sensor kicks into gear when doing a Workout in the Fitness app. And it allows you to keep track of your heart rate and calories burned without the need for an Apple Watch.

Admittedly, if you have an Apple Watch, the AirPods Pro 3’s heart rate sensor won’t add that much value — as the heart rate sensor in the Apple Watch does the exact same thing — but it’s a pretty neat feature for those who don’t current wear an Apple Watch.

A wooden table with a white AirPods Pro charging case and a smartphone displaying a green screen that reads "Tucker's AirPods Pro 3" and shows the AirPods are 0.8 feet nearby.
Precision Finding has an increased range.
Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

Easier to locate when lost

If you’re somebody who constantly misplaces your AirPods and uses the Find My app to locate them, the AirPods Pro 3 have a pretty neat quality of life upgrade. Specifically, they have better Precision Finding.

Precision Finding is the feature that, when you get close to your Apple gadget — be it your iPhone, AirTags, AirPods or Apple Watch — the Find My app will show a directional arrow pointing you to its exact location. It basically helps you better locate your misplaced device.

Close-up of a person's ear wearing a white wireless earbud with a black speaker grille. The earbud fits snugly in the ear canal, and the person's skin and hair are visible around the ear.
The AirPods Pro 3 fit mostly the same as the AirPods Pro 2.
Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

To date, Precision Finding has only activated when you get within roughly 30 feet of your misplaced device. However, the AirPods Pro 3’s charging case has been upgraded with Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip inside, which increases the range of Precision Finding by 1.5x.

So now Precision Finding kicks into gear when you’re even further out.

Two pairs of white wireless earbuds in open charging cases are placed side by side on a textured gray surface, with a partial view of a dark-colored smartphone on the right.
The AirPods Pro 2 (left) and the AirPods Pro 3 (right). Can you spot the differences?
Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

And a longer battery life (sort of)

As you’d expect, Apple gave the AirPods Pro 3 a nice battery increase over the AirPods Pro 2. However, while that’s true in one way, it also comes with a bit of a catch.

That’s because the battery life of each earbud is longer. With active noise-cancellation turned on, each of the AirPods Pro 3’s earbuds is rated as having an “up to 8-hour battery life.” This is a two-hour upgrade for each AirPods Pro 2.

White wireless earbuds with black speaker grilles, placed inside an open white charging case on a wooden surface.
The AirPods Pro 3 cost the same price as their predecessors.
Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

However, the overall battery life of the AirPods Pro 3 is actually less. With the charging case, the AirPods Pro 3 are rated for “up to 24 hours” with ANC turned on, while the AirPods Pro 2 have an “up to 30 hours” rating. That’s a pretty sizable hit.

The reason for this is that Apple had to redesign its charging case — it’s slightly taller than the AirPods Pro 2’s case — to accommodate the new stem design of the AirPods Pro 3.

The AirPods Pro 3 are up for preorder now, with availability beginning Friday, September 19th. They cost $249, which is the same price as before.

White wireless earbuds with silicone ear tips, placed inside an open white charging case with a small green indicator light on the front. The earbuds have black sensor areas and are marked with "L" and "R" for left and right.Apple

Apple AirPods Pro 3

Specs

Release date September 2025
Charging port USB-C
Noise cancellation Yes
Does Apple currently sell? Yes
About the Author: Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. With a passion for consumer tech and hi-fi, he tracks everything from headphones and turntables to smartphones and wearables. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.

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