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Apple AirPods (3rd generation) vs Sony LinkBuds Open

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleAirPods (3rd generation)SonyLinkBuds Open
Overview
ReleasedOctober 2021October 2024
Sound
TypeOpen-earOpen-ear
Noise cancellingNoNo
Transparency modeNo–
Spatial audio with head trackingYesYes
Driver size–11 mm
Bluetooth codecsSBC and AACSBC, AAC and LC3
Lossless over USB-CNo–
ChipH1V2
DriversCustom high-excursion Apple driver and high dynamic range amplifier11 mm ring-shaped driver with a high-compliance diaphragm and high-power neodymium magnet
Chip–Integrated Processor V2
Noise cancelling detail–No noise cancelling; the open-ring design lets outside sound through; Adaptive Volume Control adjusts the volume to your surroundings; Speak-to-Chat
Audio featuresPersonalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Audio Sharing; AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs (SoundGuys)DSEE upscaling; 360 Reality Audio with head tracking; LE Audio (LC3); BGM effect; equaliser in the app
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)Up to 6 hoursUp to 8 hours
With the caseUp to 30 hoursUp to 22 hours
Wireless chargingYesNo
Battery life detailUp to 5 hours with Personalised Spatial Audio enabledUp to 8 hours with AAC, SBC or LC3; 8 hours from the earbuds plus 14 hours from the case, 22 hours in total; talk time up to 4.5 hours; standby up to 13 hours; the equaliser, DSEE, Speak-to-Chat and Adaptive Volume Control shorten battery life
Charging caseMagSafe case supports MagSafe and Qi wireless charging or Lightning; Lightning-only case introduced in 2022 has no wireless chargingUSB-C; about 2.5 hours to fully charge the case, 1.5 hours for the earbuds; 46.0 × 46.0 × 29.4 mm
Fast chargingAround 1 hour of listening after 5 minutes in the case3 minutes of charging gives about 1 hour of playback
Design
Weight (each earbud)4.28 g5.1 g
Water and sweat resistanceIPX4IPX4
Bluetooth5.05.3
Two devices at once–Yes
ControlsForce sensor for playback, calls and Siri; “Hey Siri”; no stem volume controlWide Area Tap on the earbud or the face in front of the ear (tap twice to play or pause; three times to skip or answer calls; five or more times for volume), reassignable in the app; head gestures to answer calls; voice control; Quick Access; IR sensors pause music when an earbud is taken out
MicrophonesDual beamforming and inward-facing microphones; skin-detecting sensor, motion- and speech-detecting accelerometersA microphone on each earbud, with Precise Voice Pickup Technology and AI noise reduction for calls
Fit and ear tipsOpen-ear design without silicone tipsOpen-ring design held in place by Fitting Supporters; either earbud can be used on its own
Case weight37.91 gAbout 30.6 g
DimensionsEach earbud 30.79 × 18.26 × 19.21 mm; case 46.40 × 54.40 × 21.38 mm (height × width × depth)–
Water resistance detailIPX4 for earbuds and case; resistance can diminish over timeIPX4 equivalent for the earbuds, excluding the sound outlet, ventilation holes and microphone holes; the charging case is not water resistant
Works withApple devices with current iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS or tvOS; Bluetooth audio with older Apple software and non-Apple devices, with limited featuresSony | Sound Connect app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; LE Audio with compatible devices; Auto Switch with the LinkBuds Speaker; Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa; Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair; Bluetooth 5.3 Class 1, about 10 m range
ColoursWhiteBlack, White, Violet (Olivia Rodrigo edition)
In the boxAirPods, Lightning or MagSafe charging case, Lightning to USB-C cable, documentationEarbuds, charging case, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C), documents

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