The day Apple put heart-rate sensing inside AirPods Pro 3, my Apple Watch became expendable. For people who wear a Watch mainly to close rings and log workouts, earbuds that capture reliable pulse data while delivering music and noise cancellation are more than a convenience—they’re a reshaping of what “fitness wearable” means.
In-ear sensors change the calculus
Apple’s new in-ear optical sensor measures heart rate from the ear canal, a site with strong blood perfusion and less arm-swing motion than the wrist. Biomedical studies published in IEEE journals have repeatedly shown ear-based photoplethysmography to be less susceptible to motion artifacts than wrist readings during vigorous exercise, improving beat-to-beat stability and recovery tracking. Apple says its sensor samples up to 256 times per second—meaning more data points to smooth out spikes when you’re sprinting or lifting.
For context, Beats’ recent Powerbeats Pro 2 samples at 100 times per second. On paper, Apple’s higher sampling rate should translate to more robust heart-rate traces and potentially better heart-rate variability snapshots during steady segments. The ear advantage won’t turn earbuds into medical devices, but it should make gym metrics more trustworthy than a wrist strap that’s bouncing under a hoodie.
Closing rings—no Watch required
With the latest Fitness app updates in iOS, you can start a workout on the iPhone and let AirPods Pro 3 feed heart rate, active time, and calorie estimates directly into your Move ring. You still earn badges and Streaks, and your sessions land in the Health app alongside past workouts. Apple’s new Workout Buddy coaching adds context based on your history, nudging pace or intensity with audio prompts through the buds rather than haptics on your wrist.
That workflow is a relief for free-tier Fitness users who don’t want another screen. Previously, getting reliable in-session heart-rate metrics in Apple’s ecosystem meant wearing a Watch or juggling a third-party chest strap and app. Now the simplest setup—phone plus AirPods—covers the basics without paywalls or extra gear.
Less gear, less friction
My gym carry used to be phone, Watch, and AirPods. One needed charging every night, one every few days, and one always seemed to be dead when I laced up. AirPods Pro 3 collapse those needs into a single device I was already bringing for music and calls. Unlike some fitness earbuds that disable audio when reading sensors, AirPods keep noise cancellation and transparency mode running while tracking heart rate—exactly what you want on a noisy weight floor or during outdoor intervals.
This reduction in friction matters. Behavioral scientists often note that small setup costs kill habit formation. If starting a run means fewer taps, fewer batteries to manage, and no extra strap to adjust, you simply do it more often.
Accuracy and safety trade-offs
There are boundaries to what earbuds can replace. An Apple Watch still excels at 24/7 passive sensing—irregular rhythm notifications, daytime HRV baselines, SpO2 spot checks, and detailed sleep staging. If you value those continual background reads, a wrist wearable remains the right tool.
Safety is another consideration. Fall Detection and on-wrist Crash Detection are unique Watch advantages. iPhone can provide Crash Detection, but only if it’s on you. And while ear-based PPG is promising, it can be sensitive to fit; swap ear tips until you get a seal that doesn’t shift when you sweat. Battery life also bears watching: high sampling plus active noise cancellation will draw power faster on long workouts.
Who should still keep the Watch
Endurance athletes chasing structured training load, triathletes who race with wrist-based splits, and anyone relying on wrist notifications or cellular calls away from the phone will still prefer a Watch. If you care about ECG readings, time-in-zone alerts without carrying a phone, or daylong stress trends, the Watch’s sensors and on-wrist UX remain stronger.
But if your fitness life is mostly gym sessions, runs with your phone, and a desire to close rings without another screen buzzing at you, AirPods Pro 3 hit the sweet spot: enough physiology to log effort, plus the audio features you already wanted.
A strategic shift for Apple’s wearables
Apple has been seeding this direction for years. AirPods Pro 2 introduced advanced hearing features that nudged the line between convenience and health. Folding heart sensing into AirPods Pro 3 extends that arc—prioritizing wellness and coaching over spec-sheet codec battles. It also aligns with market dynamics: Counterpoint Research has consistently placed Apple at or near the top of global true wireless shipments, while IDC reports Apple’s Watch leads the premium smartwatch segment by revenue. Leaning into earbuds as a health platform taps the larger installed base.
There’s a user-experience play, too. Health data captured in one place, coached in your ear, and summarized on the iPhone reduces the fragmentation that plagues multi-device setups. And for a subset of users—myself included—it removes the last reason to wear a Watch at all.
The bottom line: in-ear heart rate makes AirPods Pro 3 the most practical fitness tracker for people who value simplicity. If the readings stay steady under sweat and sprint, my Watch will stay on the charger—maybe for good.