Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
Apple’s newest AirPods Pro 3 arrive with sleek design upgrades and plenty of hype. What caught my attention, though, was a pair of earbuds creeping into fitness tracking territory. This isn’t the first attempt. We’ve seen brands shove heart rate sensors into shoppers’ ears before, and by all means, shoot your shot. Sure, I’d be fairly weirded out if someone took my pulse in my earlobe, but earbuds with built-in sensors sound futuristic, and frankly, convenient. Unfortunately, they’re not about to dethrone your smartwatch for dedicated workout tracking.
Would you want heart rate tracking in your earbuds? 2 votes Yes, if it is accurate. 50 % No, I prefer my wrist-based tracker. 50 % No, I don't need heart rate tracking. 0 % Other (tell us in the comments below!) 0 %
On paper, it seems like an easy win: music in your ears, heart rate data in your fitness app. In practice, ear-based tracking is notoriously fickle. A little sweat, a loose fit, or the simple act of dropping into downward dog can turn your readings into gibberish. Relying on an earbud to collect your data is like asking a toddler to take your photo; you’ll get something, but it will probably be blurry, crooked, or missing half your head. In this case, you’ll likely have missing stats, shaky data, and dropouts. Chest straps remain the gold standard for accuracy, and for most of us, a smartwatch is the sweet spot between convenience and reliability. After all, it’s already on your wrist and adequately strapped down.
Apple
Of course, Apple isn’t pitching heart rate tracking in a vacuum. The brand’s new buds use an infrared light–based sensor paired with a new on-device AI model to estimate calories burned and log more than 50 workout types. They also unlock Workout Buddy, an Apple Intelligence–powered coach designed to dish out personalized encouragement based on your fitness history. And if you’re a Fitness+ subscriber, the integration goes even further, surfacing real-time metrics like heart rate, calories, Move rings, and Burn Bar rankings onscreen during workouts.
Apple is touting its latest earbuds as an alternative workout tracker, including new tools and useful integration.
For casual exercisers, that kind of seamless integration sounds great. Who doesn’t want to pop in earbuds and have their music, metrics, and motivation all in one? The caveat is that all of these perks hinge on the accuracy of the underlying heart rate data. If the numbers are off, or worse, if the earbud drops out halfway through, then the whole experience collapses.
Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
That concern isn’t just hypothetical. Apple itself confirms that the AirPods Pro 3 use the same optical PPG sensor as the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, Apple’s first attempt at ear-based heart rate tracking. In his exhaustive review, DC Rainmaker found the Powerbeats Pro 2 to be unreliable at best and flat-out unusable at worst. The buds struggled with frequent dropouts, quirky pairing issues, and wildly inconsistent results whenever workouts got intense. Interval runs, cycling sessions, and even certain strength moves caused readings to flop. Interestingly, another trusted reviewer, Quantified Scientist, had much better results during his testing period. This inconsistency between reviewers is concerning enough that I wouldn’t be comfortable recommending them to serious athletes who need detailed performance data.
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