The center of gravity for fitness tracking is shifting from the wrist to the ear. If AirPods Pro 3 deliver native, in‑ear heart rate sensing with tighter Health and Fitness app integration, they could take over the only job that still keeps my Apple Watch on my wrist: reliable workout tracking.
I’ve used the Watch for years, but mostly as a gym companion and sleep logger. The rest—notifications, apps, and complications—feel like clutter. The prospect of earbuds that handle music, noise cancellation, calls, and core fitness metrics is compelling enough that I’m ready to simplify.
In-ear heart rate: the missing piece
Wrist-based optical sensors are convenient, but they can struggle during high‑intensity intervals or when the band shifts on sweaty skin. Harvard Health Publishing has noted that optical wrist monitors may drift under motion, a pain point anyone who sprints or lifts understands.
The ear, by contrast, is a promising site for photoplethysmography (PPG). Peer‑reviewed studies in the Journal of Biomedical Optics have found that the ear canal provides a strong, motion‑resilient signal compared with the wrist, and academic teams have repeatedly demonstrated accurate heart rate and even oxygen saturation from earbud‑style sensors. In practice, that could mean steadier tracking during kettlebell swings, rowing, or interval runs—exactly when I want precise time‑in‑zone feedback.
Past attempts—from fitness earbuds by Jabra and others—proved the concept but stumbled on ecosystem friction and data silos. If AirPods Pro 3 capture heart rate and write it directly into Apple Health while the Fitness app turns those readings into meaningful calories, zones, and trends, the experience becomes seamless rather than experimental.
Fewer devices, less friction
Habit formation thrives when there’s less to remember. One device to charge, clean, and pack beats two. I already put in earbuds for every session; if those earbuds also log heart rate, time, and exertion, I’m no longer juggling a watch strap and yet another overnight charger.
There’s also redundancy to consider. My iPhone covers key safety features like emergency SOS and crash detection, and it can already populate the Move ring via the Fitness app. For many gym‑first routines—where the phone sits in a locker or on a treadmill shelf—AirPods plus iPhone is enough to capture the workout I care about without the wristwear overhead.
Audio-first coaching that actually helps
Coaching works best when it’s immediate and unobtrusive. Earbuds have a built‑in advantage: they can deliver real‑time cues on pace, heart rate zones, and intervals without forcing me to glance at a tiny screen. Research from the University of California, Irvine has shown how frequent visual interruptions elevate stress and degrade focus; audio prompts let me keep my eyes forward and my form consistent.
Add smarter on‑device guidance—using historical performance to nudge recovery, intensity, or reps—and earbuds become a coach, not just a sensor. That kind of small, context‑aware feedback is the difference between logging a workout and improving from one.
Where the Watch still wins
None of this makes the Apple Watch obsolete. It’s still the better tool for continuous, background health monitoring: irregular rhythm notifications, ECG readings cleared by the FDA, blood oxygen on select models, fall detection, and long‑run GPS without a phone. The Stanford Apple Heart Study underscored the watch’s potential for screening atrial fibrillation—ambitions earbuds aren’t likely to match in scope anytime soon.
Battery dynamics also matter. Earbuds typically top out around a few hours of continuous use with noise cancellation. That’s fine for a strength session or a 10K, but an all‑day hike or marathon still favors a watch paired with a chest strap for rock‑solid heart rate.
The bigger wearable shift
Analysts at IDC report that ear‑wear dominates overall wearable shipments, dwarfing smartwatches in unit volume. If health features migrate to the product most people already wear for hours each day, adoption follows. Apple has been steadily nudging AirPods toward wellbeing with features like Conversation Boost and hearing health notifications; bringing core fitness metrics into the ear is a logical next step.
For a large slice of users—those who mainly want calories, heart rate, and time in zone—the combination of AirPods Pro 3 and an iPhone could be all they need. It trims hardware without trimming results.
That’s where I land. For daily lifting, cycling, and brisk walks, the earbuds could let me leave the Watch on the nightstand without losing what matters. I’ll still reach for the Watch on long, phone‑free outings or when I want continuous health signals. But if AirPods Pro 3 deliver accurate in‑ear tracking and smarter coaching, the ear—not the wrist—becomes my default.