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What's Different With the AirPods Pro 3 Design

Apple tweaked the design of the AirPods Pro 3, changing the fit of the tips in the ears and bringing some updates to the case. On the whole, the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ look a lot like the AirPods Pro 2, but there are some differences to be aware of.

airpods pro 3 tips

Earbud Design

Apple reengineered the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ using more than 10,000 ear scans and more than 100,000 hours of user research.

Apple says internal architecture was revamped to make each AirPod slightly smaller, and the external geometry of the ear tip was aligned to the center of the body to improve stability. Basically, the ear tips are now rotated inward.

airpods pro 3
The shape is meant to better fit into the ear canal, improving sound isolation and ensuring that the AirPods Pro stay in place during workouts.

When it comes to actual size, there are a couple changes. The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ are the same height as the AirPods Pro 2, so the stem isn't any shorter. Width is now 19.2mm, down from 21.8mm, so they're a little bit slimmer. They're also deeper, though, measuring 27mm, up from 24mm. Weight increased too, so the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ are 5.55 grams, while the AirPods Pro 2 were 5.3 grams.

Charging Case

There were rumors that Apple would slim down the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ Charging Case, like it did with the AirPods 4 Charging Case last year.

That didn't happen. The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ Charging Case is actually larger than before. It measures in at 1.86 inches tall (up from 1.78 inches), 2.45 inches wide (up from 2.39 inches), and 0.86 inches deep (up from 0.85 inches). It's not as heavy, weighing 1.55 ounces, down from 1.79 ounces.

airpods pro 2 vs 3

AirPods Pro 2 on left, ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ on right

The case for the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ has an attachment point for a lanyard, along with a capacitive pairing button and an invisible LED that only shows up when the case is opened or charging.

Battery life for the earbuds themselves is up, but the charging case doesn't last as long. Apple says it provides up to 24 hours of charging time, but the AirPods Pro 2 case provided up to 30 hours of listening time.

You can pre-order the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ now, and the earbuds will launch on September 19. Pricing is still $249.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro 3
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

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Top Rated Comments

15 months ago
A larger case for a smaller battery, to hold smaller earbuds. I’m curious how that works out.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BelgianChoklit Avatar
15 months ago
I own the Pros 2 and the ANC is essantial for being able to work at the office. I have a colleague behind me who makes internal burp noises after lunch and he also yawns starting from 3pm most of the time. These noises drive me nuts. Then there's the occasional person eating a biscuit which I hate as well. So while the ANC is great on the Pros 2, I'll be trying the 3 out at the Apple Store with the mix of earwax of the entire city inside them, and wait for good deals at the end of the year or next year.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nxt3 Avatar
15 months ago

eta: i guess the 3’s do specify w ANC enabled. the 2’s do not.
I think this is the difference:



AirPods Pro 2 battery is measured WITHOUT ANC enabled.
AirPods Pro 3 battery is measured WITH ANC enabled.

In other words:

APP2 has 6hrs of charge.
APP3 has 8hrs of charge WITH ANC. This means it should last even longer than that w/o ANC.

The case listening time is provided similarly:

APP2 case provides 30hrs of listening time.
APP3 case provides 24hrs of listening time WITH ANC. This means it should last longer w/o ANC, likely meeting or exceeding the APP2 case.

My money is the new case has a larger battery but we'd need a teardown to confirm.

Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dustin_ Avatar
15 months ago

It’s a typo
by apple?

eta: i guess the 3’s do specify w ANC enabled. the 2’s do not.

Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Taq'aix Avatar
15 months ago
Apple says it provides up to 24 hours of charging time, but the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 case provided up to 30 hours of listening time.

Why???
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
15 months ago
Bigger case, less battery, old h2 chip... Very disappointing... WAS gonna buy the APP3.

I bet all ANC improvements actually come from the foam tips.. and if not then then they purposely held out on the APP2. Seriously, what a ****ing lazy greedy cheeky company apple has become.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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