Apple’s third-generation AirPods Pro are no longer just earbuds; they’re a health and language toolset tucked in your ears. The new model keeps the $249 price but adds on-ear heart rate monitoring, an AI-powered live translation mode, stronger noise cancellation, and a redesigned fit aimed at workouts without sacrificing comfort.
It’s a notable pivot. Earbuds have flirted with fitness before, but Apple is trying to mainstream it by combining health metrics, real-time language assistance, and upgraded audio hardware in one package that leans into the company’s broader intelligence features.
Heart-rate sensing moves into the ear
The headline health upgrade is an in-ear optical sensor that tracks heart rate during everyday listening or workouts. The ear is a promising site for photoplethysmography because of consistent blood flow and reduced movement compared with the wrist, which can improve readings during high-intensity intervals. In practice, this could make quick heart-rate checks as simple as popping in your buds before a run.
Apple says AirPods Pro 3 can log heart rate, estimate calories, and recognize up to 50 workout types, with data viewable on iPhone. There’s also Workout Buddy, an Apple Intelligence feature that offers real-time audio coaching. While wrist wearables remain better for continuous monitoring and multi-sensor metrics, ear-based heart rate fills a convenient gap for people who don’t want to strap on a watch for every session.
AI live translations, right in your ears
Live Translation arrives via Apple’s new intelligence system, turning conversations into near-real-time interpretations. Tap the earbuds to start a translated exchange: AirPods lower ambient sound so you hear the interpretation in your own language, and you can reply by speaking while your iPhone shows the translated text or reads it aloud. If two people are wearing AirPods Pro 3, each hears the other in their chosen language.
Apple says the feature launches in beta with English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, with Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese planned to follow. Expect a brief delay while speech is processed, and remember that idioms and accents can still trip up machine translation. Even with caveats, ear-to-ear interpreting is a major step beyond phone-on-a-table conversation modes that competitors have offered.
Sharper ANC, longer listening
Apple has reworked the acoustic system with a multiport design that aims to expand the soundstage and tighten bass while clarifying vocals. The company also claims up to 2x better active noise cancellation than AirPods Pro 2 and 4x over the original Pro. In noisy spaces like subways or gyms, that can be the difference between focused listening and fatigue.
Battery life gets a bump to up to eight hours on a charge, or up to 10 hours for hearing-aid users in Transparency mode. Apple also notes that stronger ANC can improve the accuracy of hearing tests performed in-app and says its Hearing Protection feature is now certified for the EU and UK. That push aligns with public health priorities; global health agencies have warned about rising noise-induced hearing risk in urban environments.
Redesigned fit for movement and comfort
After analyzing thousands of ear shapes, Apple has shrunk and reshaped the earbuds to better mirror the ear canal, with up to five silicone tip sizes. The goal is simple: stay put during sweaty workouts without creating pressure hotspots during long calls or flights. A stable seal doesn’t just aid comfort; it’s crucial for both accurate ANC and reliable in-ear heart-rate readings.
For runners, cyclists, and class-goers, the combination of secure fit, heart-rate checks, and voice coaching could reduce friction. You can leave your watch behind on easy days, track effort through your ears, and have an AI voice nudge you when it’s time to push or recover.
Price holds steady as the feature list grows
Keeping the price at $249 is strategic. Apple remains the most influential brand in wearables, and industry trackers consistently rank it at the top for shipments and revenue. By bundling health, translation, and audio upgrades without a premium, Apple pressures rivals that have split features across products—translation modes in phones or select earbuds, fitness sensors in niche models, and premium ANC in flagship headphones.
Competitively, Samsung and Google have offered phone-assisted translation, and fitness-focused earbuds from smaller brands have experimented with heart-rate sensors. AirPods Pro 3 differentiate by stitching these capabilities into a single, ecosystem-aware experience—one that feels less like a demo and more like a daily habit.
The takeaway: AirPods Pro 3 are no longer defined solely by their sound. They’re Apple’s bid to make the ear a prime computing surface—one that listens, interprets, and measures—while remaining, first and foremost, a pair of excellent noise-canceling earbuds.