The performance of the new AirPods Pro 3 increased with an eight hour battery life of listening with the ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) feature. It gives 33% more listening time than the last generation of AirPods. It was first announced by Apple on Sept. 9, then released on Sept. 19. With the case, it offers up to 24 hours of listening time with ANC, and with just five minutes of charge, you can have an hour of listening. The case also uses a USB-C cable. Apple has claimed the AirPods Pro 3 has the strongest ANC ever made for in-ear headphones and is two times better than the AirPods Pro 2.

The comfort has also improved with the new shape of the foam infused ear tips. The microphone of the AirPods Pro 3 offers very clear voice capture while on calls and moderately isolates background noise in noisy places.  There are five sizes you can pick from, from XXS to L, based on your ear size to get a snug fit so it does not fall out while exercising. The material of the ear tips are improved and sweat resistant for when you work out. And because of all the sizes you can pick from, it reduces the amount of times you have to adjust the AirPods, which makes for a more enjoyable listening experience. They are also eco-friendly which means it uses recycled materials that benefit the environment.

This generation of AirPods also introduced something new, the Live Translation feature. It allows you to speak and understand languages you don’t know at the same time. To use this feature, first open the translation app. Then select “English to Spanish,” or whatever language you want to translate, and the person you are talking to will select “Spanish to English.” Once you have done that, tell Siri to start live translation. It uses Apple Intelligence and provides automatic translations while you are in a conversation. However, the downside is that you need the iPhone 15 pro or newer for this feature to work. The languages it supports are English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese, with more coming in the future.

A contender for Apple’s new AirPods would be Samsung’s Galaxy buds pro that was released on Jan. 14. The battery life of the AirPods are up to eight hours, whereas the galaxy buds are only four hours, when both have ANC activated. The AirPods have a heart rate sensor which you can check using the Apple fitness app, and has the live translation feature. The Galaxy buds have AI features which can optimize the sound, and also have a live translation feature. The silicone tips for the AirPods have five different sizes, with the Galaxy buds only having three, however the fit of the Galaxy buds in your ear is better while working out than AirPods and the tips are more durable and lightweight. The prices of them are both $249.99 at the official stores.

In summary, with the better ANC, longer battery life and better features in general, the AirPods Pro 3 are the better option if you had to pick. If you are interested, you can buy them here: https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/?campaign=true