With the arrival of the AirPods 3, many users who were willing to buy AirPods are struck by the question of whether to go for the third generation of AirPods or, on the other hand, acquire the Pro model. That is exactly what we are going to discuss. In this post, all the differences between the two models and for which users each one is intended. So if you have any doubt, keep reading that we will solve it for you.
Comparison chart
A good way to start this comparison is by putting on the table the main differences that exist between the two headphones. Obviously, in this post we will go into detail on each one of them so that you have the best possible information, but first, you can check the differences in the following table.
| Characteristics | AirPods 3 | AirPods Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancellation | No | Yes |
| Ambient sound mode | No | Yes |
| Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Adaptive equalization | Yes | Yes |
| High dynamic range custom amplifier | Yes | Yes |
| Sweat and water resistance | Yes | Yes |
| Chip | H1 | H1 |
| Connections | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Hey siri | Yes | Yes |
| Autonomy | – 6 hours of audio playback on a single charge. – Up to 30 hours of audio playback with the charging case. |
– Up to 4.5 hours of audio playback on one charge. – More than 24 hours of audio playback with the charging case. |
| Automatic device change. | Yes | Yes |
| MagSafe charging case | Yes | Yes |
| Sensors | – Skin sensor. – Accelerometer with motion detection. – Accelerometer with voice detection. – Pressure sensor. |
– Two optical sensors. – Accelerometer with motion detection. – Accelerometer with voice detection. – Pressure sensor. |
| Microphones | Two microphones with beamforming technology Inward facing microphone |
Two microphones with beamforming technology Inward facing microphone |
| Headphone dimensions and weight | – Height: 3.08 cm – Width: 1.83 cm – Thickness: 1.93 cm – Weight: 4.28 g |
– Height: 3.09 cm – Width: 2.18 cm – Thickness: 2.4 cm – Weight: 5.4 g |
| Case dimensions and weight | – Height: 4.64 cm – Width: 5.44 cm – Thickness: 2.14 cm – Weight: 37.91 g |
– Height: 4.52 cm – Width: 6.06 cm – Thickness: 2.17 cm – Weight: 45.6 g |
| Price at Apple | 199 euros | 279 euros |
Once you know all the differences in terms of technical specifications, before going fully into talking about each of them and how they can affect the user experience, we want to highlight which are the ones that, in our opinion, you can notice the most. or more you have to take into account when choosing one device or another.
- The main and most important is noise cancellation. In this regard, if you are a user who is considering the purchase of some of the two devices, you have to be very clear if you are really going to need headphones in your day-to-day life that isolate you from the noise that may be around you.
- Comfort is another fundamental point when using headphones, and in this case, although both are really comfortable, the fact that the AirPods Pro have the famous rubber band means that many users cannot use them.
- The hours of autonomy will also have to be taken into account. It is true that both offer a really fantastic battery life, but as you have seen the AirPods 3 have a greater autonomy, something that you will have to seriously assess.
Headphone design
The first thing we have to talk about is the first feeling that users have when seeing them , that is, the design of both headphones. In this section, two points must be taken into account, on the one hand the aesthetics of the headset itself and, on the other hand, the type of headset it is and which is also implicit in the design itself.
Aesthetics matter
Aesthetics is an aspect that, although for many people it is indifferent, it is really the first thing that the device itself is capable of transmitting , and for that reason it is of vital importance that the first user feels that they have a beautiful and good quality device in her hands. In this regard, both products are capable of transmitting that neat and quality appearance that can never be lacking in an Apple brand product.
The differences that you can find between the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro in terms of design are really few, since what Apple has done with the third generation AirPods is to continue with the design line that already began with the AirPods Pro. The main one The difference is caused by the presence of ear pads in the AirPods Pro, these being in-ear headphones, something that is obviously not present in the third generation of AirPods. In the rest of the aesthetic aspects we can only highlight the presence, in black, of a microphone on top of the AirPods 3, something that the AirPods Pro do not have.
They are comfortable?
The AirPods caused a huge impact as soon as they were presented and as soon as users began to use them in their day to day life. One of the reasons was how extremely comfortable these headphones are, however, this comfort was questioned with the arrival of the AirPods Pro, since many users were not or are not comfortable with headphones that are in-ear , that is, those that have a rubber band to be fixed inside the ear.
The AirPods 3 in that sense, being an evolution of the second generation AirPods, continue with the line that the first generation has already marked, that is, headphones that, since they are not in-ear, are capable of satisfying the expectations of comfort. of practically all users . Really, the feeling you have when you put on these headphones is practically not noticing that they are in your ears.
Therefore, if I personally had to opt for one of the two at the level of comfort, despite the fact that for me the AirPods Pro are really comfortable , in this section the third generation AirPods are practically unmatched, since as we have commented previously, the time may come when you forget you are wearing them.
Sound quality
When it comes to talking about headphones, a point that is essential as it could not be otherwise is the sound quality they offer . The move that Apple has made with the third-generation AirPods is to bring the sound experience that AirPods Pro users had to those users who, being these in-ear headphones, could not enjoy them for reasons of comfort.
In this way, the third-generation AirPods have inherited all the benefits in terms of sound that the AirPods Pro already had, such as spatial audio , which offers a tremendous immersive experience. Another function that inherits from the AirPods Pro is the adaptive equalization , making the headset capable of modifying the sound it emits based on the anatomy of your ear. Therefore, we can say that the sound experience is really the same with the AirPods Pro as with the third generation AirPods.
Do you want noise cancellation?
We reached the point of comparison where you will find more differences between the two headphones, in fact, it is surely the point that makes some users opt for the AirPods 3 and others for the AirPods Pro. It is noise cancellation. In this sense, we do not have to give much thought to the comparison, since on the one hand the AirPods Pro have active noise cancellation and on the other, the AirPods 3 do not .
The presence of the ear pads and, therefore, of being an in-ear headphones by the AirPods Pro means that Apple can offer a really fantastic noise cancellation , something that is not present in the third generation AirPods and that without a doubt it is completely differential. Today there are many users who cannot live without noise canceling headphones because they are usually used outside the house. On the other hand, many others only use headphones at home and therefore, noise cancellation is not such a differential point. Therefore, depending on your needs, AirPods Pro or AirPods 3 will suit you better.
Personally, the AirPods Pro for me are essential for this very reason. The active noise cancellation they offer makes it possible to use them to carry out practically any task and being able to choose between using noise cancellation on some occasions and ambient mode in those moments when I do not need that isolation.
Other important aspects
Among all the features that both the AirPods 3 and the AirPods Pro have, the design, sound and noise cancellation are perhaps the most important, but you also have to take other aspects into account when purchasing one of these two headphones. . For this reason, below we are going to talk about how they integrate with the rest of the Apple ecosystem, how you are going to have to charge them and, of course, how the microphone performs.
Integration into the Apple ecosystem
One of the aspects that must always be highlighted in all Apple devices is the perfect synchronization and integration that they have with each other. Obviously the AirPods, both the third generation and the Pro were not going to be an exception in this regard and the comfort when using them with any Apple device is really a joy.
In fact, another point that many users highlight is how comfortable it is to be able to change devices when using the AirPods with the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, iPod or Apple TV. Therefore, at this point you will not find differences that make you opt for some headphones or others.
Autonomy and charging of AirPods
Being wireless headphones you will have to be aware of the battery that both devices offer you and, of course, charge them. We start with autonomy. In this case, the third generation AirPods do outperform the AirPods Pro , offering up to 6 hours of audio playback on a single charge for the 4.5 hours offered by the AirPods Pro. If you add to this what you can get With the charging case, playback hours go up to 30 in the case of the AirPods 3 and 24 in the AirPods Pro .
As you have seen, there are differences in terms of the autonomy of the headphones, something that does not happen with the way of charging them. Both the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro can be charged in three different ways, through the Lightning port, with wireless charging or through a MagSafe charger.
How is the microphone working?
On many occasions, the headphones are not only used to listen to music or watch some type of audiovisual content through the iPhone, iPad or any Apple device, but they are also used to talk on the phone or send some type of audio message, therefore, the microphone is also very important.
In this regard, both AirPods models have two microphones with beamforming technology and an inward-facing microphone to try to provide the best possible experience. However, it must be said that of course this is not the point by which these fantastic headphones stand out, really having a lot of room for improvement in subsequent generations or versions.
Use gestures to use AirPods
Something that must be taken into account when taking advantage of and getting the most out of AirPods, both third generation and Pro are the gestures that you can perform to control the playback of content on them without having to touch the device you have the headphones connected to. Once again we could say that there is practically a technical tie between the two headphones. Here are the gestures you can perform and what you can use them for.
- Press once to play audio, pause it, or answer a call.
- Press twice to go to the next song.
- Press three times to go back to the previous song.
- Press and hold to switch between active noise cancellation and ambient sound mode on AirPods Pro and to activate Siri on AirPods 3.
- Say “Hey Siri” to listen to a song, make a call, get directions, and more.
Headphone price
In a comparison of two technological products, a point that cannot be missed is the price, since this will make many people opt for one or the other. In this aspect, Apple has wanted to differentiate two types of headphones very well, on the one hand, the one that does not offer noise cancellation and that, therefore, will have a lower price than the one that does have this characteristic function.
For this reason, the third generation AirPods are available on the Apple website for a price of 199 euros , while the AirPods Pro amount to 279 euros . However, these prices can be modified if you look for these devices in other stores such as Amazon that usually have quite interesting offers and that here at ITIGIC we tell you practically daily.
This is our recommendation
To finish this comparison, we want to tell you what is the recommendation that, from the ITIGIC writing team, we want to make. From our point of view, the most complete headphones are undoubtedly the AirPods Pro , since they offer everything that the AirPods 3 have, adding a really differential function, noise cancellation. Therefore, for all users who want to have noise cancellation and do not mind paying that price difference, without a doubt the Pro are the headphones that they have to buy.
Now, if you are a person who always uses headphones at home and does not need to have noise cancellation or simply, you do not want to reach the price at which the AirPods Pro are, without a doubt the AirPods 3 are a fantastic alternative both for the quality of sound that they offer as for the comfort at the time of using them.
