Heart rate tracking used to require a watch on the wrist or a strap around the chest: Apple’s current earbuds do it from inside the ear, alongside the noise cancelling they are known for, and the price has come down, as the AirPods Pro 3 go from $249 to $179 on Amazon under a limited time deal. That makes them worth a look, particularly for people still on an older pair whose battery no longer lasts a commute.
Noise Cancelling, Heart Rate and Live Translation
Apple makes a bold claim for the noise cancellation, calling it the best of any in-ear headphones and saying it removes up to twice as much unwanted noise as the AirPods Pro 2. Both statements come with asterisks on the listing, so I’d take them as Apple’s own measurements. The practical promise is easier to judge: a train carriage, an open office or a mechanical keyboard in the next room should fade further than before. Sound has been reworked as well, with a new acoustic design aimed at stronger bass and clearer voices, and an Adaptive EQ that tunes the output to the shape of your ear using microphones pointed inward. Apple also describes the audio as three-dimensional, its spatial audio format, which suits films and games on an iPhone or iPad as much as music.
The heart rate sensor is the real novelty. During exercise, the earbuds record your pulse and estimate calories burned across up to 50 workout types, and with an iPhone that data feeds the Move ring, the step count and Workout Buddy, a coaching feature that relies on Apple Intelligence. Someone who doesn’t want to wear a watch at the gym, or who finds one uncomfortable when lifting, gets most of the same tracking from something already in their ears.
Two other functions go beyond music. Live Translation, which also depends on Apple Intelligence, is meant to help two people talk across a language barrier, something I’d want to try at a market stall abroad before relying on it for anything important. The hearing features are more established: a hearing test taken at home, a Hearing Aid mode that now boosts conversation automatically, and active protection against loud environments such as concerts.
Battery life reaches up to 8 hours with noise cancelling on, or up to 10 hours in Transparency mode with the Hearing Aid feature. The ear tips now come in five sizes for a tighter fit, and the case charges over USB-C. Within Apple’s ecosystem, the earbuds move automatically between your devices, and audio can be shared with a second pair of AirPods. Here lies the main limitation, because much of the list above assumes an iPhone, and owners of other phones should check what still works for them. Amazon customers give the AirPods Pro 3 an average of 4.4 out of 5 across more than 16,000 ratings.
In white, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 cost $179 on Amazon against a list price of $249. Returns are free, and the listing includes up to three free months of Apple Arcade, Fitness+ and News+, subject to terms.
