Apple AirPods Pro 3 review: Sound too good to be true

AirPods are already some of the most popular wireless earbuds on the planet, and Apple’s latest update will undoubtedly have its rivals quaking in their boots. The new AirPods Pro 3 might look very familiar – in fact, from the outside you’d think nothing has changed – but don’t be fooled by appearances.

There’s plenty that has impressed me since I started using Apple’s very latest AirPods including a tweaked design that makes them more comfy to wear and much less likely to come tumbling out.

I’ve been using them for hours on end and even tried them on my daily run around the park. At no point has a bud flung out of my ear, and at times I’ve even forgotten I’m wearing them.

To help improve the overall comfort, Apple now includes five different foam-infused ear tips in the box. It’s worth spending some time trying them, as getting the right size makes a huge difference. It’s simple to switch them with a quick pull releasing the tip so you can pop a different size back on.

Once I’d stuffed them in my ears, launched Apple Music and got the playlists started, it was hard not to be wowed by the sound quality.

Thanks to an entirely new acoustic architecture, which provides more precise control of the airflow into the ear, the audio these things produce is pretty mighty.

Apple is promising over-ear headphone quality from a tiny earbud and I can honestly say that’s not too far from the truth.

Music sounds rich, clear and packed with bass. Thanks to clever Spatial Audio technology, there’s a real depth to what’s being played and watching a movie has felt like I’ve been sat in a posh cinema with full surround sound being blasted at me.

The whole experience is further enhanced thanks to improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which blocks out almost all annoying background audio.

The older AirPods Pro 2 already sounded good, but the Pro 3 is undoubtedly even better.

Along with sound and comfort, there’s another useful added bonus on the AirPods. They now feature an in-built heart-rate sensor, which means your walks, runs and workouts can be tracked more accurately in the Fitness app.

If you wear an Apple Watch, the AirPods and wearable will even work together to give the most accurate reading.

Heart-rate sensing was first launched on the new Powerbeats Pro 2 early this year, and it’s nice to see this upgrade now available on AirPods as well.

Another smart addition coming to the AirPods Pro 3 is Live Translation, which should do exactly what it says on the tin.

It’s powered by Apple Intelligence (so you’ll need a recent iPhone that works with that tech) and allows you to hear what’s being said when someone talks to you in a foreign language.

When you talk back, the buds even translate what you’re saying on the iPhone screen.

Since taking delivery of the AirPods Pro 3, I have not been to a non-English-speaking country, so it’s hard to tell how they will work in a real-world environment.

However, I have taken part in a full demo that included a person speaking to me in Portuguese, and it worked without a hitch. As they spoke to me, a full translation was beamed into my ears so I could understand what was being said. It all happens seamlessly and is pretty impressive.

Other upgrades include better battery life, with buds now lasting 8 hours with ANC switched on. Once the power dies, they can be popped back into the charging case for an instant refill. For those times when you are desperate for power, a quick 5-minute charge provides around one hour of additional listening time.

This case also gets the new generation of Ultra Wideband chip. This offers improved precision via the Find My app, which can help you locate your AirPods Pro from 1.5 times farther away if, like me, you are always losing them.

These AirPods also get improved sweat resistance and water resistance, and they continue to offer useful features such as the Hearing Test and Hearing Assistance.

Simple touch controls work well, they connect easily to iPhones, and there are Conversation Awareness and Transparency modes for those times when you want to hear the world around you.

It’s all very impressive, and they are slightly cheaper this year – that means they’ll set you back £219 rather than £229.

My only gripes are that there’s no USB-C charging cable in the box which seems totally bizarre and, unlike Apple’s Beats brand, they don’t offer fast pairing with Android phones.

You can connect them to Galaxy and Pixels, but it’s a bit of a faff. Android owners will also find they miss out on some features, such as Live Translation.

Of course, you can also buy the AirPods Pro 2 for a much reduced price (under £200) and those are still excellent buds.

AIRPODS PRO 3 VERDICT

There’s simply no question that the AirPods Pro 3 are now leading the pack, they even beat the brilliant Technics EAH-AZ100 which has been a favourite of mine for some time.

They sound epic, last longer than before, have improved ANC and offer bonus extras such as Live Translation and heart-rate sensing.

They are also comfortable to wear, more robust thanks to IP57 water resistance and get that improved charging case.

I have a couple of small gripes. I have no idea why Apple doesn’t give you a charging cable, and they still aren’t the best option for Android users.

However, if your current AirPods are on their last legs and you want something way better than before, the AirPods Pro 3 are, without doubt, some of the best-sounding buds you can buy.