Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. With their debut, the official AirPods lineup now looks a little different: the fourth-gen AirPods and their ANC counterpart remain the entry-level models, but now the AirPods Pro 3 are Apple’s most premium earbuds. The AirPods Max, meanwhile, continues to be the company’s only set of over-ears. Priced at $249, the new AirPods Pro 3 push into fitness territory with a built-in heart rate sensor to track calories burned and over 50 types of workouts via the iPhone’s Fitness app. They also introduce Workout Buddy, a new fitness experience that delivers personalized insights based on your workout history and achievements. Beyond fitness, Apple has introduced a real-time live translation feature. On the audio front, Apple claims the buds offer improved sound and twice the active noise cancellation (ANC) than their predecessor, thanks to new foam-infused ear tips that should block out noise more effectively (though we’ve yet to put them to the test). The redesigned ear tips themselves are now smaller for improved fit and stability, offer a new fifth XXS size, and boast an upgraded IP57 sweat and water resistance. They’re all exciting upgrades, especially if you prioritize fitness or simply want the most versatile Apple earbuds. But if you don’t need every new feature, the rest of the lineup still includes excellent — and far more affordable — options. And even though Apple no longer sells the second-gen AirPods Pro directly, you can also still find them at third-party retailers like Amazon for less. If you’re struggling to decide whether the new AirPods Pro 3 are worth grabbing, we’re here to help. We’ve put together a detailed breakdown of the specs and features below, so you can quickly see which pair of AirPods make the most sense for your lifestyle and budget. Specification AirPods 4 AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation AirPods Pro 2 AirPods Pro 3 AirPods Max Price $129 $179 Discontinued, but often on sale for $199 $249 $549 Active noise canceling / reduction No Yes Yes Yes (up to 2x better than AirPods Pro 2) Yes Transparency mode No Yes Yes Yes Yes Connectivity Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.0 Earbud size (mm) 30.2 x 18.3 x 18.1 30.2 x 18.3 x 18.1 30.9 x 21.8 x 24 30.9 x 19.2 x 27 187.3 x 168.6 x 83.4 Case size (mm) 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2 45.2 x 60.6 x 21.7 47.2 x 62.2 x 21.8 134.5 Earbud weight (grams) 4.3 4.3 5.3 5.55 384.8 Case weight (grams) 32.3 34.7 50.8 43.99 134.5 Battery (earbud) Up to 5 hours Up 4 hours Up to 6 hours Up to 8 hours (up to 10 on a single charge in Transparency using the Hearing Aid feature) Up to 20 hours Battery (case) Up to 30 hours Up to 20 hours Up to 30 hours Up to 24 hours N/A Water resistance earbuds IP54 IP54 IP54 IP57 No Water resistance charging case IP54 IP54 IP54 IP57 No Charging case includes speaker for Find My No Yes Yes Yes No Wired charging Yes via USB-C Yes via USB-C Yes via USB-C Yes via USB-C Yes via USB-C Wireless charging No Yes via Qi-certified or MagSafe chargers Yes via Qi-certified or MagSafe chargers Yes via Qi-certified or MagSafe chargers No Lossless audio Yes with Apple Vision Pro or wired via USB-C to a compatible Apple device Yes with Apple Vision Pro or wired via USB-C to a compatible Apple device Yes with Apple Vision Pro or wired via USB-C to a compatible Apple device Yes with Apple Vision Pro or wired via USB-C to a compatible Apple device Yes with Apple Vision Pro or wired via USB-C to a compatible Apple device Custom chips Apple H2 Apple H2 Apple H2, U1 in case Apple H2, U2 in case Apple H1 Heart rate sensing during workouts No No No Yes No Live Translation No Yes Yes Yes No Doubles as hearing aids No No Yes Yes No Swappable ear tips No No Yes (four sizes: XS, S, M, L) Yes (five sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L) No Can be used as a camera remote when iOS 26 rolls out Yes Yes Yes Yes No Studio-quality recording (with iOS 26) Yes Yes Yes Yes No Availability Available now Available now Available now Available September 19th Available now