Apple AirPods Pro vs AirPods 3rd Gen- Which one to buy?

With so many AirPods in the market within the last year, choosing the best is confusing. Especially with Apple AirPods Pro and AirPods 3rd Gen. With features quite similar and upgrades for a better experience. Both the AirPods have good features and new designs. So, if you want to compare and understand which one to buy, here is Apple AirPods Pro vs AirPods 3rd Gen.

Differences

• While without the silicon tip, the new AirPods 3 have a similar design to the Pro version.
• The 3rd generation’s casing design has undergone significant alteration.
• It is a significant improvement that the 3rd Gen now supports MagSafe wireless charging.
• The third-generation AirPods’ stem is much smaller than the AirPods Pro’s stem.
• A new Force touch sensor is also included in the 3rd Gen.
• Additionally, the 3rd Gen has a longer battery life than the 2nd Gen.Virtual surround sound is largely available on Airpods Pro 2.
• A few more controls for activating ANC and transparency mode are available on AirPods Pro.
• The isolation performance of Apple AirPods Pro is significantly better. Even if it didn’t have ANC, the silicone ear tips would still provide a significant amount of passive isolation.
• The charging case for the third-generation AirPods has a larger capacity than the AirPods Pro.
• Depending on the device you use, the microphone on the third-generation Apple AirPods might sound fantastic.
• The AirPods Pro is the obvious pick because of its noise cancellation.

Similarities

• Both items are well-made because they are solidly built, have touch controls that function well, and have powerful magnets in the casing to lock the charging connection.
• The AirPods Pro’s stemmed control architecture is also included in the third version of AirPods. The stem of each earbud has an indentation that can detect a number of taps and squeezes.
• The AirPods Pro and the standard AirPods have access to Apple’s Find My AirPods function (3rd generation).
• These earphones are primarily designed for Apple devices; hence the only Bluetooth codecs they both support are SBC and AAC.
• The third generation of Apple AirPods lacks ANC and doesn’t seal to the ear canal. Therefore, they don’t really block out much noise.
• For perspiration resistance, both true wireless earphones have an IPX4 rating.
• Using the iOS and iPadOS Settings apps, you can control every setting for both the AirPods (3rd generation) and AirPods Pro.

Design

For AirPods Pro vs AirPods 3rd Gen, AirPods 3rd Gen has taken many design ideas from the AirPods Pro, thus making it look quite similar. You will find a narrower earpiece than the standard AirPods in your AirPods 3rd gen. The earpiece of the basic AirPods is rounder than that of the AirPods Pro, but it isn’t quite as round. Both the AirPods Pro and the new AirPods are also sweat- and water-resistant. So, you can use it for your workouts without worrying about damaging it due to sweat. Even the case resembles both the AirPods Pro and standard AirPods cases in appearance. However, the case is not as wide as the one for the AirPods Pro. It is considerably shorter and wider than the entry-level AirPods case. The charging case now has a colored LED on the front telling you how much charge is left.

The third-generation AirPods case can be charged by plugging it in as well as wireless charging. You can use Apple’s MagSafe charger to charge it. Other than that, both the AirPods have shorter stems and a Force Touch sensor. This sensor lets you control audio playing and call Siri. The main that sets them apart is that the AirPods 3rd gen doesn’t have replaceable silicone tips and three different sizes to pick from like the AirPods Pro. With the AirPods 3, you’ll need to pray that they fit snugly from the start. The 3rd Gen AirPods weighs 0.15 ounces instead of 0.19 ounces of the AirPods Pro. This makes the 3rd gen AirPods lighter. You get thinner stems, force sensors, and earpieces that pour the sound straight into your ear.

Overview

The new AirPods 3 are significantly less expensive than the AirPods Pro. You will have to pay about $249 for AirPods pro. At the same time, you can get the AirPods 3 for $169. This is $80 less than the Pro version.

Size and Fit

This time, Apple has changed the standard true wireless earbuds’ design with the new AirPods. This was done to make them more comfortable to wear in more ears. The design also includes a redesigned speaker array and algorithms to reduce the amount of bass loss from the unsealed fit. Thus giving the third-generation AirPods a rounder appearance. No other unsealed design on the market can match the isolation and security of flexible silicone ear tips. The Apple AirPods Pro has the same controls as the standard AirPods 3rd Gen. Additionally, the AirPods Pro has active noise cancellation (ANC) to give you a better experience.

Controls

The third-generation Apple AirPods are the first AirPods to use Spatial Audio technology and iOS 15.1. With this feature, if your audio isn’t explicitly mixed for Dolby Atmos, your iOS device can attempt to spatialize it. This is an interesting new way to listen to music. The AirPods Pro introduced spatial audio. At the same time, the 3rd gen model is dependent on an iOS update. The AirPods Pro’s smaller stem design can also be seen in the AirPods 3rd gen. The stem of each earbud has a dip that can detect several taps and squeezes. You can customize the commands through the iOS settings app. With the default settings, you can pause or play music with a single tap and skip forward to the next song with two taps. You can go to the previous tap with three taps.

To connect to Siri, you will have to press and hold. With the “Hey Siri” command, you can change the volume, request directions, playback control, and more. There are differences in the controls for the AirPods Pro activating ANC and transparency mode. You can pause or play the music with one squeeze, and with two squeezes, you can connect to Siri or go to the next track. You can go to the previous song with three squeezes. You can enable or disable ANC or transparency mode if you hold it. Similar to the other model, with the “Hey Siri” command, you can change the volume, request directions, playback control, and more.

Features

Apple’s Find My AirPods feature is available on both the AirPods Pro and the 3rd generation AirPods. This will help you if you frequently lose your headphones. Active noise cancellation on the AirPods Pro is very effective. Loud office noises and even train sounds are all totally eliminated. Whereas AirPods 3 lack active noise-canceling. So, you will have to rely on the natural noise isolation offered by the earbuds. However, the AirPods 3 have features like dynamic head-tracking and full support for Apple spatial audio with Dolby Atmos. The AirPods 3 also include adaptive EQ that allows the headphones to adjust their sound in real-time according to how well they fit in the ear.

With Auto-pause, the buds know when they are in your ears. Moreover, Audio Sharing lets two pairs of AirPods play the audio from an Apple device concurrently. Although, the AirPods 3rd gen doesn’t have a fast processor. Conversation Raise employs the beam-forming microphones on the AirPods Pro to boost the volume of the other person talking.

Software

To customize the settings of both the AirPods in the iOS and iPadOS Settings applications. If you are an Android user, you won’t be able to access features like firmware updates, hands-free Siri, and Spatial Audio. The AirPods 3rd gen and the AirPods Pro offer essentially the same experience with an iOS device. When you connect your buds, you can name them from your device using Bluetooth settings. If you want to wear one AirPods earbud while making calls, you can also choose which one is the default microphone. You can also adjust the noise cancellation settings on the AirPods Pro to change between transparency mode or ANC.

Connection

The Apple AirPods Pro and Apple AirPods are easy to connect to iOS. You will see a pop-up notification when you open the case close to your phone. These earphones are primarily designed for Apple devices. Thus, the only Bluetooth codecs they both support are SBC and AAC. Both the AirPods are Bluetooth 5.0 compatible. However, Android users won’t get the most features to enjoy the experience. You can only connect by holding the pairing button on the case’s back while pairing in the Bluetooth menu of your smartphone. Although you can use the AAC codec, SBC will work better with Android devices.

Noise Cancellation

The Active Noise Cancellation of the Apple AirPods Pro is significantly good. Even without ANC, the silicone ear tips still provide significant passive isolation. The Apple AirPods 3rd gen doesn’t effectively filter out much noise. This is because they don’t seal to the ear canal and lack the noise cancellation feature. However, the new set of speakers reduces audio loss in an unsealed environment. So if you are more into active noise cancellation and transparency mode, you’ll have to go for the AirPods pro. However, you can see the spatial audio and adaptive EQ capabilities of the AirPods Pro in the new AirPods. This enhances the immersive quality of audio and simulates the atmosphere. With iOS 14, Apple added the feature to the AirPods Pro. Now you will find this in all the latest AirPods.

Sound Quality

The AirPods Pro produces excellent audio across the majority of the frequency spectrum. In contrast, the Apple AirPods 3rd generation bass range output is modest due to the unsealed ears that leak some bass. The major difference between AirPods Pro vs. AirPods 3rd Gen is the ANC. You will feel the sound almost comparable for both the AirPods until the outdoor noises hit. Turning up the volume is the only option when your earbuds don’t seal the ear. However, the high volume can cause noise-induced hearing loss. The AirPods 3rd gen has improved the sound quality with the “low distortion” motor. It is calibrated to achieve an easy balance that doesn’t overly favor any particular frequency spectrum. Despite the upgrades, the AirPods Pro continues to provide the best audio quality.

Phone Calls

AirPods 3rd generation microphone could sound great, but it depends on what device you use it with. If you’re connecting to an Apple device, you will get the best mic audio. Even with the AirPods Pro, you get good audio, but the latest 3rd gen model is a clear step up.

Battery Life

The battery life of the AirPods 3rd generation is longer than the AirPods Pro. It has a battery life of 6 hours and 20 minutes. However, the AirPods Pro only last 5 hours in similar conditions. Compared to the AirPods Pro, the charging case for the third generation of AirPods has a larger capacity. It has enough power to support four more charge cycles in addition to the full charge of the earphones. Thus giving you a total listening period of more than 30 hours. However, the charging case for AirPods Pro will give you around 24 hours. With AirPods 3rd gen, you even get up to 4 hours of speaking time.

In contrast, the AirPods Pro lasts up to 4.5 hours on a single charge and 5 hours if active noise reduction and transparency modes are switched off. They provide 3.5 hours of speaking time. Apple’s H1 chip is present in both the third-generation AirPods and AirPods Pro. So you will get similar results for actions like calling Siri and swiftly connecting to Apple devices. A Lightning connection is used to charge the third-generation AirPods case. However, the AirPods Pro also supports MagSafe in addition to Lightning.

Conclusion

Deciding between AirPods Pro vs. AirPods 3rd Gen completely depends on what suits your needs. So, if you are looking for AirPods with a stable fit and crystal-clear audio, go for AirPods Pro. So, if you want to get ANC and transparency mode, you will have to pay $80 more. Both true wireless earbuds are IPX4 rated for perspiration protection. So you can use either of them while working out. However, for intense workouts, there are chances that the AirPods 3rd gen can fall from your ears. This is because the rigid design doesn’t give any room for adjustment if it doesn’t fit.

Whereas for AirPods Pro, you get three options. Active noise cancellation is only available in the AirPods Pro is the biggest difference between the AirPods 3 and the AirPods Pro. If you don’t care about active noise cancellation, the AirPods 3 are a terrific option. The reasonably priced AirPods 3 surpasses the AirPods Pro because of the longer battery life and support for spatial audio.

Which one do you prefer, the AirPods Pro or the AirPods 3rd gen? Tell us in the comments section below.

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