Apple AirPods (1st generation) vs Apple AirPods Pro 3

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AirPods (1st generation) compared with AirPods Pro 3

	AppleAirPods (1st generation)	AppleAirPods Pro 3
Overview
Released
Released	December 2016	September 2025
Sound
Type
Type	Open-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	No	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	No	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	No	Yes
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	AAC	SBC and AAC
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	No	No
Chip
Chip	W1	H2
Drivers
Drivers	–	Custom high-excursion Apple driver and custom high dynamic range amplifier
Chip
Chip	–	H2 in each AirPod; second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the MagSafe Charging Case
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	–	Active Noise Cancellation with Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode, Conversation Awareness and Loud Sound Reduction; foam-infused ear tips for passive isolation
Audio features
Audio features	Automatic playback and pausing using dual optical sensors and a motion accelerometer; one or both earbuds can be used; AAC Bluetooth audio	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Personalised Volume; Voice Isolation; studio-quality audio recording; Live Translation; lossless audio when paired with Apple Vision Pro
Hearing health
Hearing health	–	Hearing Test, Hearing Aid (with automatic Conversation Boost) and Hearing Protection
Health sensors
Health sensors	–	Heart rate sensor for workouts
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 5 hours	Up to 8 hours
With the case
With the case	–	Up to 24 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	No	Yes
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	More than 24 hours of listening including case recharges, according to Apple	Up to 7.5 hours with Spatial Audio and head tracking on; 6.5 hours with heart rate sensing during workouts; 10 hours in Transparency using the Hearing Aid feature
Charging case
Charging case	Lightning connector; original charging case measures 44.3 x 21.3 x 53.5 mm; a compatible Wireless Charging Case was sold separately from March 2019	MagSafe Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker for Find My and lanyard loop; charges with MagSafe, Apple Watch or Qi-certified chargers or a USB-C cable
Fast charging
Fast charging	15 minutes in the case provides up to 3 hours of listening	5 minutes in the case gives around 1 hour of listening
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	4 g (better)	5.55 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	–	IP57
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	–	5.3
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	No	–
Controls
Controls	Double-tap for Siri at launch; automatic pause when an earbud is removed	Force sensor with volume swipe on the stems (press to play, pause, answer calls and skip; press and hold to switch listening modes; swipe up or down for volume); camera remote; “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”; Siri Interactions
Microphones
Microphones	Dual beamforming microphones and speech-detecting accelerometer in each earbud	Dual beamforming microphones and an inward-facing microphone; speech-detecting accelerometer
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Fixed open-ear shape without interchangeable tips; each earbud measures 16.5 x 18.0 x 40.5 mm	Foam-infused silicone ear tips in five sizes (XXS, XS, S, M, L)
Case weight
Case weight	38 g	43.99 g
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	–	IP57 (IEC 60529) for the AirPods Pro and charging case
Works with
Works with	Apple integration requires iOS 10, watchOS 3 or macOS Sierra and an iCloud account; other Bluetooth devices support standard audio with fewer features; Live Listen added with iOS 12	Full features with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro on the latest software; works as Bluetooth headphones with other devices, with limited features
Colours
Colours	White	White
In the box
In the box	AirPods, Charging Case, Lightning to USB cable and documentation	AirPods Pro 3, MagSafe Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker and lanyard loop, silicone ear tips (XXS, XS, S, M, L), documentation; USB-C cable sold separately