AirPods Pro 3: price, features, and everything you need to know about Apple's new flagship wireless earbuds

The AirPods Pro 3 are official. And thankfully, some of the rumours were wrong.

Before launch, we heard Apple wouldn't announce any major upgrades to sound quality or active noise cancellation (ANC). But Apple did just that, promising twice as effective ANC as the AirPods Pro 2, and much better bass response.

There are some new features to play with as well. For all the info, read on...

AirPods Pro 3: release date

Apple announced the AirPods Pro 3 at its 'Awe dropping' event on 9th September 2025. They're available to pre-order now, and will ship starting 19th September.

The AirPods Pro 3 launched three years after their predecessors, which also launched three years before the original AirPods Pro model. Who could've guessed?

AirPods Pro 3: price 

Some very welcome news for UK buyers! The AirPods Pro 3 cost just £219 in the UK – that's £30 cheaper than their predecessors' launch price, and still £10 cheaper than the AirPods Pro 2 following their price cut (which happened when Apple switched from a Lightning port to USB-C).

It's less good news for US and Australian buyers, as the price remains at $249 and has gone up to AU$429 (from AU$399).

The AirPods Pro 3 are pricier than the standard version of the AirPods 4 (without ANC), which cost £129 / $129 / AU$219, and the ANC model, which are £179 / $179 / £179 / AU$299.

• Check out the best AirPods deals

AirPods Pro 3: design

While the AirPods Pro 2 distinguished themselves a lot from their predecessors in terms of internal hardware and sonic performance, externally they were almost identical. As we stated in our AirPods Pro 2 review, "place the two generations of AirPods Pro side by side and they’re effectively indistinguishable".

The AirPods Pro 3 stick with the same design, though it has been tweaked slightly.

Apple analysed more than 10,000 3D ear scans in order to create an optimised fit. Each AirPods is slightly smaller than their predecessors, and the design is shaped to match the geometry of the ear.

You get five sizes of eartips – one more than their predecessor – including a new XXS size. Apple claims they're the "most stable and best fitting AirPods ever.”

AirPods Pro 3: features

Like their predecessors, the AirPods Pro 3 are not short of features. Apple has promised big gains in sound quality and active noise cancellation – but more on those later. First, what's new?

Live Translation is one of the flagship features. This can translate live speech in real time, lowering the volume of the speaker and boosting the translation so you can focus on what's being said.

Apple has added heart rate tracking, too, thanks to small sensors inside the earbuds. Or, as Apple puts it, "a custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that shines invisible infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow."

Use it with your iPhone, and you can choose from 50 different workout types, and use Workout Buddy to get personalised insights and feedback on your workouts during your session. Cue lots of motivational speak.

The AirPods Pro 3 are rated IP57 for sweat- and water-resistance (a first for AirPods), so you can run in a downpour and not worry about breaking your new 'buds.

The battery life has been increased. You now get eight hours of use from a single charge, with ANC activated. That's an increase on the AirPods Pro 2's six hours. And if you're using them as a hearing aid, you'll get 10 hours of use from a single charge with Transparency enabled.

AirPods Pro 3: ANC

Apple has made some bold claims concerning the active noise cancellation. It claims they offer the “world's best active noise cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones."

That's due to "ultra-low noise microphones and advanced computational audio combined with new foam-infused ear tips for greater passive noise isolation."

Apple says these help to deliver up to twice as much ANC as the AirPods Pro 2, and four times as much as the original AirPods Pro. And all while extending the battery life. Impressive.

AirPods Pro 3: sound

Apple also claims the new earbuds sound much better than their predecessors.

That's thanks to a new multiport acoustic architecture that controls the airflow that carries sound into the ear. Next-gen Adaptive EQ helps to transform bass, Apple claims, widening the soundstage so you can hear every instrument in a track. It also claims to bring "vivid vocal clarity to higher frequencies".

The Transparency mode is now more personalised so that the wearer's voice, and those speaking to them, sound more natural than ever.

AirPods Pro 3: early verdict

These improvements look impressive on paper, but it's how they perform in the real world that will make or break the AirPods Pro 3.

Their predecessors already excelled in terms of sound quality and ANC, hence their five-star rating. But Apple will still have its work cut out to compete with the best wireless earbuds around.

We'll only know if it's succeeded once we've reviewed the AirPods Pro 3. Stay tuned...

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