AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: What’s changed?

AirPods Pro 3 have officially replaced the AirPods Pro 2 after three years, and the older pair is officially discontinued. If you’ve never owned the older model, you can either you can grab a discounted pair before they vanish from shelves or skip straight to the shiny new Pro 3. That’s one choice. Another question we’ll answer is whether existing AirPods Pro 2 owners should upgrade.

AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Design

At first glance, the AirPods Pro 3 look just like the Pro 2. But under the hood – or rather, in the ear – they’ve had a quiet glow-up. Apple says it scanned 10,000 ears to redesign the fit. The result is a slightly smaller body, better ear tip alignment for a comfier centre of gravity, and a foam-infused tip that seals better and stays put longer.

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You also now get five sizes, not four, including an XXS option that’ll please anyone who found earlier versions a little too chunky. And for the workout crowd, there’s a new IP57 rating for significant protection against, compared to the basic IPX4 resistance on the Pro 2.

AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Features

The Pro 2 already nailed the basics with spatial audio, transparency mode, adaptive ANC, and hearing assistance. But the Pro 3 break new ground.

They come with built-in heart rate tracking, which uses a custom infrared sensor that pulses light 256 times a second. Paired with your iPhone’s Apple Fitness+ app, they can monitor workouts across 50+ categories with no Apple Watch required.

Then there’s a new Live Translation feature (still in beta) that pipes real-time translated speech directly into your ears. Indian languages aren’t on the list just yet, but English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish are live, with Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Italian coming soon. That said, this feature is expected to make it to the Pro 2 as well.

AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Performance

Apple is promising 2x stronger ANC on the Pro 3 compared to the Pro 2, and that’s on top of 4x over the original Pro. New ultra-low noise microphones and a tighter ear seal help block out more of the outside world.

Sound quality is another leap forward – at least on paper. Apple’s “multiport acoustic architecture” improves airflow and enhances bass, mids, and clarity. At the same time, the battery life jumps from six hours (with ANC) on the Pro 2 to eight hours on the Pro 3, which is a solid 33 per cent bump. Switch ANC off and you’re looking at up to ten hours. Even with heart rate tracking on, you’ll still get over six hours of playback.

The bottom line

If you find a great deal on AirPods Pro 2 – Rs 15,000-ish or lower – it’s still a fantastic buy. But if you want better ANC, that awesome fitness feature, and longer battery life, the AirPods Pro 3 make a more compelling case for Rs 25,900.