I've had my AirPods Pro 3 since the beginning — I suppose, in some way, I'm an early adopter. I even penned my thoughts about how they matched up with my "audiophile" sensibilities, and found that they fared well.
I liked the way that they fit in my ears, and I enjoyed the sound re-engineered sound profile. The improved ANC proved to be a massive boon, closing the gap on the Bose and Sony-flavored in-ear competition.
I've now had some time to get comfortable with the buds. I've learned their foibles and become more intimately aware of bugbears and issues. I still like them — but am I still enamored?
What I still like
There is plenty that has made sure I still enjoy using my AirPods Pro 3. For one, the improved ANC really is a noticeable step up from my old pair of AirPods Pro 2. I've taken both on the same train journeys to see how they fare against noisy carriages, and the results weren't surprising.
The AirPods Pro 2 are still a good noise canceler, but extended time with the Pro 3 has highlighted the formers ANC weaknesses. There's better blocking of loud sounds with the Pro 3, sudden noises that want to pull you out of your ANC induced stupor.
They also do a better job of blocking noise while listening to podcasts and audiobooks, something the AirPods Pro 2 aren't all that proficient at. My three months has only enhanced my appreciation of the AirPods Pro 3 and their noise control.
I can't forget the improved battery life. The increase over the old model is always appreciated, and it has changed over the last few months. They just... last longer. And that's good, because I can listen to more death metal. Good stuff. No notes. We may proceed.
What's changed
Initially, I quite liked the new fit of the AirPods Pro 3. It seemed to be more secure and aided the seal for the noise canceling. Using them for three months has brought some irritating issues to light, unfortunately.
That snugger fit does make them terribly uncomfortable after a time. While most earbuds that reach further into your ear generally feature slimmer tips to avoid stretching your inner ear, the AirPods Pro 3 have much wider apertures.
They press more on the inside of my ear, and get pretty sore after a few hours of wear. The new bud shape has caused issues too. They press on my concha too hard, the problem becoming more obvious the longer they sit in my ear.
The result is an initially comfortable fit that gets treacherously close to "get these accursed things out of my ears" territory after a few hours of listening. It's not terrible, and it's more secure than the AirPods Pro 2, but there are more comfortable buds.
My opinion on their sound profile has shifted as well. I was, at first, impressed with the new signature thanks to a warmer overall sound that I thought would make for an easier listen for a wider range of listeners.
While that may be true, I've found the sudden lack of proper detail a problem. The bass is good; it's dynamic, moving, and shifting with the best of them. But the attention to the "people pleasing" bits of the music has left the top end with some hard work to do.
Hard work that it seems too lazy to engage with. Extended listening sessions have only found me wanting for a return to the more "analytical" sound of the AirPods Pro 2, which revealed more detail and gave a more engaging listening experience.
The best way to listen to the AirPods Pro 3 is in the background — but I've never wanted to sit down and use them to actually get into my tunes. And that feels like a shame that's only become more of a bugbear over the last three months.
What's bad
Live translations sounded like something that could have been great. It still could be, in fact, allowing me to communicate with people who don't speak the same language. But it would appearwe're a long way off, given that Live Translation in the AirPods Pro 3 (and by extension the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4) simply doesn't work.
I've spoken to a friend who speaks Spanish to try it out a few times, and each time, it's gotten stuff wrong. "I would like to find the football stadium" became "I really like the football stadium." "Where's the best place to find a glass of wine?" became "There's some nice wine over there".
I'm not familiar enough with Spanish to understand why Live translation changed the meaning of my friend's words, and neither did he. Some were real headscratchers, pulling bizarre grammar out of nowhere.
Perhaps we were using it wrong. But the fact remains. I would've been stuck in Spain had anyone tried to communicate with me.
Perhaps with improvements to Apple Intelligence Live Translation will become what Apple wants it to be. But it feels like it's a long way off.
What was once a boon is starting to become increasingly grating with AirPods. Yes, their connection to Apple devices is magical, but it's also becoming a key weakness. Not everyone owns a MacBook to go with their iPhone, and iPads are becoming so expensive that some AirPods users can't afford to buy one.
There will be a subset of users who struggle to get their AirPods to connect to multiple things, and it doesn't help that the AirPods Pro 3 has a completely innocuous touch panel on the front of the case.
The Apple walled garden, which once felt so safe and secure, is starting to feel like a green prison. Stay within the garden, and everything will work; leave it for only a second, and things will go wrong. The last few months with the AirPods Pro 3 have only exacerbated the problem in my eyes.
I want to use my AirPods with more things, and I want the extra features to work. Spatial Audio, the heart rate sensor, personalized sound. But they don't, and that's a shame. This is not unique to Apple, to be clear, but it is most obvious when you look at just how locked down the AirPods are.
Will they be staying in my pocket?
No. As much as I have enjoyed my time with the AirPods Pro 3, my 3-month experience has shown me that there are now better options for Apple users. They are, objectively, a better pair of buds than the AirPods Pro 2 with more battery and improved noise canceling.
But I just don't like them as much. The sound no longer scratches the crucial "can't wait to put them in my ears" itch, and the fit has revealed its weaknesses over extended wear.
I still like the AirPods Pro 3, but I'm falling out of love with Apple's buds. I'm coming to appreciate things that work with more devices, that put more stock into excellent sound, rather than extras like Live Translation and a heart rate monitor.
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