Apple's AirPods Pro 3 offer the first redesign of the popular earbuds and add dedicated fitness features, but how do they compare to the previous generations and should you upgrade?
The AirPods Pro were introduced in 2019 as a high-end version of AirPods, offering a new design, touch-sensitive controls, and active noise cancellation (ANC). The second-generation improved ANC and introduced the H2 chip, Precision Finding, and much more. Apple refreshed it with USB-C a year later. This year, Apple debuted the third generation, featuring a new design and heart-rate monitoring. Each generation has added better sound quality and a range of new features.
The second-generation AirPods Pro have now been discontinued by Apple, but they can still be found for reduced prices at third-party resellers and second-hand. As such, some customers may be weighing up whether to purchase second-generation AirPods Pro for a reduced price or the third-generation version.
The different AirPods Pro generations many of their features, so should you consider buying or sticking with the second-generation AirPods Pro to save money? This breakdown also serves as a way to see all the differences that the new AirPods Pro bring to the table.
| AirPods Pro (2019) |
AirPods Pro 2 (Lightning, 2022) |
AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C, 2023) |
AirPods Pro 3 (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optical IR sensors for in-ear detection | Skin-detect sensors for in-ear detection | Skin-detect sensors for in-ear detection | Skin-detect sensors for in-ear detection |
| Refined earbud design | |||
| Silicone ear tips | Silicone ear tips | Silicone ear tips | Silicone/foam ear tips |
| Three ear tips (S, M, and L) | Four ear tips (XS, S, M, and L) | Four ear tips (XS, S, M, and L) | Five ear tips (XXS, XS, S, M, and L) |
| Force sensor controls | Force sensors and touch controls for volume adjustment | Force sensors and touch controls for volume adjustment | Force sensors and touch controls for volume adjustment |
| Mechanical pairing button | Mechanical pairing button | Mechanical pairing button | Capacitive pairing button |
| Lanyard loop | Lanyard loop | Lanyard loop | |
| IPX4 sweat and water resistant earbuds | IPX4 sweat and water resistant earbuds | IP54 dust, sweat, and water resistant earbuds and charging case | IP57 dust, sweat, and water resistant earbuds and charging case |
| H1 chip | H2 chip | H2 chip | H2 chip |
| Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| 2.4GHz connectivity | 2.4GHz connectivity | 2.4GHz and 5GHz connectivity | 2.4GHz and 5GHz connectivity |
| Lossless audio with Vision Pro | Lossless audio with Vision Pro | ||
| U1 chip in charging case | U1 chip in charging case | U2 chip in charging case | |
| Precision Finding | Precision Finding | Precision Finding (1.5x further) | |
| Active Noise Cancellation | Active Noise Cancellation (2x stronger) | Active Noise Cancellation (2x stronger) | Active Noise Cancellation (4x stronger) |
| Transparency | Transparency and Adaptive Transparency | Transparency and Adaptive Transparency | Transparency and Adaptive Transparency |
| Hearing Test | Hearing Test | Hearing Test | |
| Hearing Aid | Hearing Aid | Hearing Aid | |
| Automatic Conversation Boost | Automatic Conversation Boost | Automatic Conversation Boost | |
| Hearing Protection | Hearing Protection | Hearing Protection | |
| Live Translation | Live Translation | Live Translation | |
| Heart rate sensing during workouts | |||
| Lightning port | Lightning port | USB-C port | USB-C port |
| Compatible with Apple Watch charger | Compatible with Apple Watch charger | Compatible with Apple Watch charger | |
| Up to 4.5 hours of listening time with ANC enabled | Up to 6 hours of listening time with ANC enabled | Up to 6 hours of listening time with ANC enabled | Up to 8 hours of listening time with ANC enabled |
| 24 hours of total listening time with ANC using charging case | 30 hours of total listening time with ANC using charging case | 30 hours of total listening time with ANC using charging case | 24 hours of total listening time with ANC using charging case |
Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 offer a relatively significant upgrade over the previous generation with valuable enhancements across the board, such as better fit, longer battery life, and improved dust and water resistance. Users who heavily use their AirPods Pro may be able to justify upgrading to the third-generation model due to the wide range of improvements, but this will not be the case for all existing users.
Those who recently purchased the AirPods Pro 2 may not be able to justify upgrading to the AirPods Pro 3 at the current time, unless they particularly want features like enhanced ANC and heart-rate monitoring, or hope for a better fit. The AirPods Pro 2 continue to get new features such as Live Translation and share the same chip as the AirPods Pro 3; they are still a solid device in 2025.
Users who purchased their AirPods Pro in 2022 or earlier will almost certainly see more of a reason to upgrade, especially if the batteries in their existing device have significantly degraded and they want to transition to USB-C. First-generation AirPods Pro users, in particular, should consider upgrading. These customers will certainly benefit from the plethora of refinements that the third-generation model offers.
If you've been interested in purchasing the AirPods Pro for a while, now is still a good time to pick up the second-generation model for a hefty discount. Likewise, it is worth bearing in mind that the AirPods Pro are among the most-commonly discounted Apple products, so check out our Apple Deals Roundup for significant savings.