Comparison · Earbuds · Desk research
AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2
Quick Answer
AirPods Pro 3 is the current sealed Pro. Apple’s spec sheet lists H2, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the MagSafe case, ANC, Adaptive Audio, Transparency, Conversation Awareness, Hearing Test / Hearing Aid / Hearing Protection, Live Translation, IP57 on buds and case, and up to 8 hours of listening with ANC (up to 24 hours with the case, ANC on). AirPods Pro 2 is the previous H2 Pro. Apple Support — AirPods Pro 2 Tech Specs (111851) still lists.
The verdict
keep AirPods Pro 2 if hearing features and H2 already work for you; buy Pro 3 for the IP57 table, longer ANC hours, heart-rate-during-workout claim, and 2nd-gen UWB case
Why: Default ‘are my Pros still fine?’ URL. Both generations list H2 and Hearing Test / Hearing Aid / Hearing Protection on the pages we cite. Pro 3 adds a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the MagSafe case, IP57 on buds and case, up to 8 hours ANC / 24 hours with case ANC, heart-rate sensing during workouts, Live Translation, and five tip sizes. Pro 2 stays a two-SKU product: Lightning MagSafe (Support 111851) and USB-C MagSafe (Support 111834). Do not collapse those connectors.
Buy AirPods Pro 3 if
You want Apple’s current sealed Pro: IP57 buds and case, the 8-hour ANC listening claim, workout heart-rate sensing, Live Translation on the Pro 3 spec sheet, and a USB-C MagSafe case with 2nd-gen UWB.
Buy AirPods Pro 2 if
You already own Pro 2 (Lightning or USB-C) and you mainly need H2 ANC plus the Hearing Test / Hearing Aid / Hearing Protection rows Apple already lists on Pro 2 Support — and a street-priced leftover pair is enough.
Spec comparison
OEM rows only. AirPods Pro 3 numbers are from apple.com/airpods-pro/specs/. AirPods Pro 2 Lightning-SKU numbers are from Apple Support — AirPods Pro 2 Tech Specs. USB-C Pro 2 numbers that differ are called out from Support 111834. Cells Apple does not publish stay marked.
| Spec | AirPods Pro 3 | AirPods Pro 2 (do not collapse SKUs) |
|---|---|---|
| Year introduced (OEM) | Battery footnotes July–August 2025 on the Pro 3 spec sheet | 2022 Lightning MagSafe (111851); 2023 USB-C MagSafe (111834) |
| Chip (buds) | Apple H2 headphone chip | Apple H2 headphone chip |
| Chip (case) | Apple second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in MagSafe Charging Case | Apple U1 chip in MagSafe Charging Case (both Pro 2 Support pages) |
| Audio modes | ANC; Adaptive Audio; Transparency; Conversation Awareness; Voice Isolation; Personalized Volume; Loud Sound Reduction; Personalized Spatial Audio; Adaptive EQ | 111851: ANC; Adaptive Transparency; Personalized Spatial Audio; Adaptive EQ. 111834: adds Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Loud Sound Reduction |
| Hearing health | Hearing Test; Hearing Aid; Hearing Protection | Hearing Test; Hearing Aid; Hearing Protection (listed on 111851) |
| Live Translation | Listed on the Pro 3 spec sheet | Not listed on 111851 excerpt; do not invent it here |
| Heart rate | Heart rate sensor for workouts | Not listed on 111851 |
| Skin detect | Skin-detect sensor | Skin-detect sensor (111851) |
| IP rating | IP57 buds and charging case | IPX4 buds and case (111851); IP54 buds and case (111834) |
| Weight (each bud) | 5.55 g (0.20 oz) | 5.3 g (0.19 oz) |
| Case weight | 43.99 g (1.55 oz) | 50.8 g (1.79 oz) MagSafe case with speaker and lanyard loop |
| Case charging | MagSafe, Apple Watch charger, Qi, or USB-C | 111851: MagSafe, Apple Watch charger, Qi, or Lightning. 111834: MagSafe, Apple Watch charger, Qi, or USB-C |
| Listening, ANC | Up to 8 hours (up to 7.5 hours Spatial + head tracking) | Up to 6 hours (up to 5.5 hours Spatial + head tracking) |
| Other listening rows | Up to 6.5 hours with HR sensing during workouts; up to 10 hours Transparency + Hearing Aid | 111834 also lists up to 4 hours Lossless Audio with Apple Vision Pro |
| With case | Up to 24 hours listening with ANC | Up to 30 hours listening |
| Quick charge | 5 min ≈ 1 hour | 5 min ≈ 1 hour |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Tips | Five sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L | Four sizes: XS, S, M, L |
| Wired cable in box | USB-C charge cable sold separately | Lightning to USB-C (111851) or USB-C charge cable (111834) |
| ANC dB | Not published | Not published |
Who each pair is for
AirPods Pro 3 is the current sealed Pro. Buy it when the IP57 table, 8-hour ANC claim, workout heart-rate sensor, Live Translation row, or USB-C / 2nd-gen UWB case is the reason you are replacing Pro 2.
AirPods Pro 2 remains a valid keep-or-buy-used H2 Pro. Hearing Test / Hearing Aid / Hearing Protection are already on the 111851 Support page. The leftover decision is Lightning versus USB-C — two SKUs, two Support IDs.
What’s shared (do not invent an H3)
Both generations list the H2 headphone chip. The case radio is U1 on Pro 2 and second-generation Ultra Wideband on Pro 3. That is not a reason to write a new headphone chip name.
Battery and charging
Copy Apple’s mode names. Pro 3: 8 h ANC / 7.5 h Spatial + head tracking / 6.5 h HR-during-workout / 10 h Transparency + Hearing Aid / 24 h with case ANC; 5 minutes ≈ 1 hour. Pro 2: 6 h / 5.5 h Spatial + head tracking / 30 h with case; 5 minutes ≈ 1 hour. A longer case total on Pro 2 and a longer single-charge ANC claim on Pro 3 can both be true on the spec sheets. Do not invent a mixed-use winner.
IP, connectors, and hearing
Pro 3 is IP57 on buds and case. Pro 2 Lightning is IPX4; Pro 2 USB-C is IP54. Hearing rows overlap; Live Translation and the workout heart-rate sensor are the Pro 3-only sensor/feature rows on the pages cited. Medical language stays inside Apple’s intended-use footnotes.
Price
Date any street price. Pro 2 discontinued-at-Apple is a channel note, not a reason to skip this URL. This page does not invent a US start price that the cited sheets omit.
Frequently asked questions
Is AirPods Pro 2 Lightning or USB-C?
Both exist. Apple Support page 111851 (‘AirPods Pro 2 - Tech Specs,’ year introduced 2022) still lists a Lightning connector and a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box, plus MagSafe, Qi, and Lightning charging. Apple Support page 111834 is the 2023 MagSafe Charging Case (USB-C) SKU. Do not collapse them into one connector.
Do Pro 2 and Pro 3 both list Hearing Aid features?
Yes on the pages cited. Pro 3’s spec sheet and Pro 2’s 111851 Support page both list Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, and Hearing Protection. Those features are firmware-, OS-, age-, and region-gated in Apple’s footnotes. AirPods 5’s spec sheet does not list Hearing Aid — that contrast lives on /earbuds/airpods-5-vs-airpods-pro-3/.
What changed in the case chip?
Pro 2 Support lists an Apple U1 chip in the MagSafe Charging Case. Pro 3’s spec sheet lists an Apple second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the MagSafe Charging Case. Both buds use the H2 headphone chip.
How long is battery life with ANC?
Apple’s Pro 3 spec sheet: up to 8 hours with ANC (up to 7.5 hours with Spatial Audio and head tracking); up to 24 hours with the MagSafe case and ANC. Apple’s Pro 2 Support pages: up to 6 hours (up to 5.5 hours with Spatial Audio and head tracking); up to 30 hours with the MagSafe case. Those are different case totals — copy the labels, do not invent a mixed-use winner.
Is Pro 3 IP57 and Pro 2 IPX4?
Pro 3 specs list IP57 for AirPods Pro and the charging case. Pro 2 Lightning Support (111851) lists IPX4 for AirPods Pro and charging case. Pro 2 USB-C Support (111834) lists IP54 for AirPods Pro and charging case. Name the Pro 2 SKU before quoting an IP row.