Image from Apple’s Website

Just like everyone else, I asked for and received the new Apple AirPods Pro 3 for my birthday (which is the day before Christmas). These AirPods came out Sep. 19 2025. Which, coincidentally, is the same time my OG AirPod Pros, which I bought on a Black Friday Sale in 2021, started glitching out. I’ve been using these AirPod Pro 3 for over a month now, and I have some thoughts. 

Price 

To start, Apple sells these AirPods on its website for $249. That doesn’t include Apple Care. You have to pay an extra $19.99 or more to get Apple Care. But if you go to Costco or other places, you can sometimes get them for a lower price with Apple Care included. 

All of the AirPod Pros that have come out since they released have been the same $249. Even though they have more features than the originals. Which is probably a steal when the average phone price is over $1,000 and goes up with each new release. 

Noise Cancelation 

Noise cancellation is what everyone wants to know about, and let me tell you, the 3 has extremely good cancellation. And when I mean good, I mean it. I had a 4-hour flight, and it turned out that in the seat behind me was a 4-year-old girl and her 7-year-old brother. In the aisle across from them was a 9-month-old baby who liked to cry. If you’ve ever been on an airplane, you know kids are the worst to fly with. These kids were no exception. The girl behind me decided to kick my seat the entire flight and talk very loudly. But as soon as I put the AirPod Pro 3 in, I couldn’t hear her or her crying siblings. Now, if Apple could find out how to make kids stop kicking my seat, I’d pay $1,000 for that, but I’m not getting my hopes up.

Normally, I don’t believe Apple’s marketing, but when they said that the 3s would have 4x the noise cancellation as the OG, I was skeptical. But after the flight I’ve dubbed “the flight from hell,” I believe some of their marketing.  

Image from Apples Website

Conversation Awareness 

Conversation Awareness is something new to me and the Apple products. Apple describes it as “AirPods Pro 3 can detect when you’re talking to someone nearby and automatically lower the volume of whatever you’re listening to. When you’re done, the volume goes right back to where you had it”. 

When I heard this, I was excited. Normally, when I have AirPods in, I take them out as soon as someone starts talking to me. Or if it’s a quick conversation, then I pause my music. Now I don’t have to do that. It’s been a pretty decent feature. 

However, it has its downsides. For example, if you have to cough, then it thinks your cough is you speaking and lowers the volume. It is kinda annoying. As well, if you’re in a busy area and have to pass by people talking, it can detect that as you speak and lower the volume then as well. I once had it lower the volume over a motorcycle revving its engine.  

Overall, it’s a fun and nice feature, but it needs some work. Hopefully, we’ll see that in the newest AirPod Pros 

Touch Controls

One thing I had wished for with my OG AirPods was touch controls. They might have had them, but I never knew about them. And Apple doesn’t sell them anymore, so I can’t do the comparison on their website. 

These touch controls are everything I’ve wanted, though. I can raise the volume, skip a song, and replay a song all from a single bud. I also think you can take a photo with your AirPods. I might need to try this soon. As well, you can shake your head no to decline notifications or shake your head yes to accept.

The only problem I have is with the shaking of the head controls. To decline something, you have to shake your head kinda firmly sometimes enough to hurt your head or make me dizzy. Even then, it might not stop Siri from reading the notification to you. It is hit or miss if the feature actually works properly. But the rest of the controls are everything I’ve dreamed of. 

Fitness 

Fitness is not my cup of tea by any means. I walk everywhere and do 10,000 steps a day, so I don’t go to the gym and use the treadmill. But Apple put in a heart rate monitor in the 3s. This isn’t a feature I use, so I can’t give a real opinion on it. However, with the heart rate monitor, they made the 3s extra resistant to sweat, water, dust, and more. 

Even though we’re supposed to be in winter, Florida has a way of surprising us with hurricane levels of rain. I used my AirPods during these rainy times (granted with an umbrella) and they held up. My OG AirPods would glitch if I even thought about sweat. Apple now just needs to come out with a feature to check blood pressure so it can tell me I’m stressed and need to breathe. 

Image from Apples Website

Live Translation 

Again, live translation is another feature I need to try out. Which is surprising, seeing as I have been to Mexico and Miami wearing the AirPods and have not had them translate anything to me, which is weird. Just means I need to book a trip to the nail salon and put this feature to the test. 

Charging

Last but not least, charging. Since I had my OG AirPod Pros for so long, they would last about 3 hours before they died on me. Now with the AirPod Pro 3s, they have a 10-hour battery life. With any Apple product that is bound to disappear soon, but for now, I am kinda reveling in the extra battery life. 

As well, since Apple introduced Widgets to the phones, I’ve had a battery widget. This widget normally just shares my iPhone battery. When I was using the OG AirPods, it would show the battery, but now with the 3s, it always shows the battery life. When I first connected the AirPods to my phone, it freaked me out because I didn’t know if they were constantly in use or not. I learned fast, though, that it is just always going to show the battery life. And I’m glad for that because sometimes I forget to charge my AirPods. 

The charging port of the 3s is the USB-C, and it doesn’t come with the extra cable like any Apple product circa 201,6 I think. Maybe instead of giving us 5 new ear tips, we could get a cable in the box. 

Image from Apples website

Overall, the AirPod Pro 3s are worth the purchase. Even if some features need work, there are so many other features that I need in my life. I can’t stop recommending these to anyone willing to listen. Apple AirPod Pros changed the game of headphones, and the 3s are no exception. Now come back in 5 years when they release the 6s, and I’ll give you another review.