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

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AirPods Pro (1st generation) compared with AirPods Pro 3

	AppleAirPods Pro (1st generation)	AppleAirPods Pro 3
Overview
Released
Released	October 2019	September 2025
Sound
Type
Type	In-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC and AAC
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	No	No
Chip
Chip	H1	H2
Drivers
Drivers	Custom high-excursion Apple driver and high dynamic range amplifier	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	Outward- and inward-facing microphones; noise cancellation adjusts 200 times per second; pressure-equalising vents	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	Adaptive EQ; Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking added after launch; Audio Sharing; AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs (What Hi-Fi?)	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	Conversation Boost, Live Listen, headphone levels and Headphone Accommodations	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 4.5 hours	Up to 8 hours
With the case
With the case	–	Up to 24 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	Yes
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 5 hours with ANC and Transparency off; more than 24 hours of listening with case recharges (Apple's claim)	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	Original Wireless Charging Case supports Qi and Lightning; MagSafe Charging Case added in 2021 also supports MagSafe	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	Around 1 hour of listening after 5 minutes in the case	5 minutes in the case gives around 1 hour of listening
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	5.4 g (better)	5.55 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IPX4	IP57
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.0	5.3
Controls
Controls	Force sensor for playback, calls and switching ANC/Transparency; “Hey Siri”; no stem volume adjustment	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 and inward-facing microphones; dual optical sensors, motion- and speech-detecting accelerometers	Dual beamforming microphones and an inward-facing microphone; speech-detecting accelerometer
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Silicone tips in S, M and L; Ear Tip Fit Test	Foam-infused silicone ear tips in five sizes (XXS, XS, S, M, L)
Case weight
Case weight	45.6 g	43.99 g
Dimensions
Dimensions	Each earbud 30.9 × 21.8 × 24.0 mm; original case 45.2 × 60.6 × 21.7 mm (height × width × depth)	–
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IPX4 earbuds; Wireless Charging Case and MagSafe Charging Case are not sweat or water resistant	IP57 (IEC 60529) for the AirPods Pro and charging case
Works with
Works with	Apple devices with current iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS or tvOS; Bluetooth audio with older Apple software and non-Apple devices, with limited features	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 Pro, charging case, three sizes of silicone tips, Lightning to USB-C cable, 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