AirPods Pro 3 review: top-tier ANC, middling sound score

If your phone runs Android, you can close this tab. Features are limited there and pairing is clunkier, and I wouldn't spend $249 on half a product. The rest of this page is for iPhone owners.

My 8.6 is an opinion. It rests on SoundGuys' lab results, Tom's Guide's long-term report and Apple's spec sheet, and I'll name which is which (checked Nov 1, 2026).

$249, or less if you can wait

As of November 1, 2026, $249 is the list price on Apple's store. Street price is where it gets vague. Tom's Guide has reported Amazon sales at $179 to $199, but I couldn't confirm the dates or find those prices live, so I'd read them as what to wait for. A saving of $50 to $70 is worth a few weeks' patience.

Three results from SoundGuys

Noise

This is the headline. SoundGuys measured an average 90% reduction in outside noise and scored noise cancelling at 9.0 out of 10, ahead of 99% of the earbuds it has tested. That's a rare result for something at 5.55 g per bud.

Battery

SoundGuys got 8 h 42 min with ANC on. AirPods Pro 2 managed 5 h 43 min in the same outlet's test, so the gain is about 3 hours. Apple's own figure is up to 8 hours, or 24 with the case, and Tom's Guide cites the same 8 against 6 before. In the case, 5 minutes buys an hour of playback, per SoundGuys.

There's a catch in the small print. SoundGuys still scored the battery only 7.2 out of 10.

Sound

Here's the part that annoys me. SoundGuys' MDAQS audio quality score came out at 4.5 out of 5, and that only beats 31% of tested earbuds. It describes the tuning as strongly bass-emphasized. So the $249 buys you class-topping quiet and a below-average sound score. I'd accept that for commuting. I wouldn't accept it if you bought these for careful listening at home.

The shape is a coin flip

Apple changed the bud shape. Tom's Guide, three months in, says some wearers find it uncomfortable even with tips from XS to XL. No lab number will settle this for your ears, which is why I keep bringing up returns. Buy these from a store that takes them back.

What else the money buys

The health extras are more useful than I expected from earbuds. SoundGuys found the built-in heart rate sensor tracked brisk walks and light jogs close to an Apple Watch. Running it drops rated battery to 6.5 hours, per Apple. If you don't own a watch and only do light cardio, that could save you buying one.

Apple also lists these:

• A Hearing Aid feature, rated up to 10 hours
• Live Translation
• IP57 on both buds and case
• Case charging over USB-C or wireless
• A U2 UWB chip in the case

What I'd complain about

The Bluetooth is still 5.3, and SoundGuys confirms only SBC and AAC. No aptX. No LDAC. On an iPhone that matters less, though at this price the omission still bugs me.

SoundGuys' reviewer also saw audio occasionally pan to the right channel until the buds went back in the case. It's the kind of bug I'd want fixed for $249, and I can't tell you how often it hits. The glossy plastic case is scratch-prone too, per the same review. Put it in a pocket without keys.

Other options at this money

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 lists at $249, per SoundGuys, and also senses heart rate. Their hooks hold them in place. I'd pick them if you run hard and these buds slip. I don't have matching lab numbers for them, so I can't tell you what you'd give up on noise.

AirPods 4 with ANC are the cheaper Apple option. I couldn't confirm their price this time, so I won't quote one.

Who should skip

Besides Android owners, anyone who wants a high-bitrate codec should look elsewhere. So should anyone happy with a working pair of Pro 2, unless that extra 3 hours in SoundGuys' test matters to you. For everyone else on an iPhone, I'd watch for that $199 sale price and buy at $249 only if your current pair has already died.