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Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Apple AirPods 5
Which one has the downsides you can live with?
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The short answer
Apple AirPods Pro 3 ranks higher (#1 vs #10 of 11) and scores better on sound, noise cancelling, battery. Apple AirPods 5 wins on comfort & fit, call quality.
The biggest complaint about the Apple AirPods Pro 3 is fit can slip or hurt; for the Apple AirPods 5 it's very short battery life. Pick the one whose catch bothers you less.
Good for: iPhone owners who want hands-free Siri, heart-rate tracking and hearing features
Its catch: fit can slip or hurt
Check price on AmazonGood for: iPhone owners on a budget
Its catch: very short battery life
Check price on AmazonPaid links. We don't list prices — they change daily. Neither one feels right?
Side by side
| Apple AirPods Pro 3 | Apple AirPods 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank in wireless earbuds | #1 | #10 |
| Price tier | $$$ | $$ |
| Type | Noise-cancelling | Noise-cancelling |
| Amazon 1–2★ share | 10% | — |
| Overall score | 3.8 | 3.3 |
| Sound | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Noise cancelling | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| Comfort & fit | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Call quality | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Battery | 4.0 | 1.5 |
| Durability | 3.5 | 3.5 |
Price tiers: $ under $100 · $$ $100–200 · $$$ over $200. Highlighted = clearly better (a score gap of 0.3 or more, or a 1–2★ share at least 3 points lower). Scores are explained, with sources, on each product's page.
Top complaints
Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Fit can slip or hurt
Wirecutter says the fit may be hard for small ears and the buds worked loose during high-impact exercise, especially when using the squeeze controls. SoundGuys found the tips and glossy shell still slipped as sweat built up. Amazon's review summary calls fit and comfort mixed, with some owners saying they fall out. A low-star Walmart review says they are too big and hurt.
- Apple-only extras and awkward controls
Wirecutter dislikes the squeeze-and-swipe controls, which can shift the buds in your ear, and notes most advanced features are exclusive to Apple users. Tom's Guide says Android users get very little control because there is no app, and Live Translation needs an iPhone with Apple Intelligence. SoundGuys lists Apple-exclusive features and some connection issues among its cons.
- Charging and reliability failures
Amazon's review summary says some owners report them breaking after a month of use. Low-star Walmart reviews describe a left earbud that won't charge, a case that stopped charging the buds, and a pair that wouldn't charge past 1%. Many other 1-star Walmart reviews are about delivery problems, not the product.
Apple AirPods 5
- Very short battery life
Tom's Guide calls the battery very disappointing: 4 hours per charge with the standard case and 5 hours with the wireless-charging case. Its fitness editor got the low-battery warning after about 3 hours of walking and running. Wirecutter, previewing the launch, also says 4 hours with ANC is shorter than it would like.
Source: Tom's Guide review, Wirecutter - ANC lets sound through, with a faint hiss
Tom's Guide could still hear car horns, chatter and its own typing with ANC on, and heard a hissing or fizzing noise when ANC was on with no music playing. It points people who need real silence to the AirPods Pro 3.
Source: Tom's Guide review - Few changes and Apple-only extras
Tom's Guide says there is not a huge change from the AirPods 4 apart from ANC and sound, criticizes the dated Bluetooth 5.3, and notes Live Translation needs an Apple Intelligence iPhone and there is no traditional EQ. Its roundup says Android compatibility still holds them back.
Source: Tom's Guide review, Tom's Guide
Who should pick which
Pick the Apple AirPods Pro 3 if
iPhone owners who want hands-free Siri, heart-rate tracking and hearing features
Commuters and flyers who want strong ANC
Sweaty workouts and rain (IP57)
Skip it if: You use an Android phone; AirPods have fallen out of your ears before; You want physical buttons or a detailed EQ
Pick the Apple AirPods 5 if
iPhone owners on a budget
People who dislike silicone ear tips (open-fit, no seal)
Small ears (Tom's Guide's tester wore them 6 hours pain-free)
Skip it if: You need more than 4-5 hours per charge; You use an Android phone; You want strong noise blocking for flights or loud offices
We don't list prices — they change daily. Paid links.
Neither one feels right?
If both catches are deal-breakers, start here.
The budget pick: ANC that Wirecutter measured close to $200+ earbuds, long battery life and well-liked by Amazon owners. But the stem design can slip from small ears, the touch controls misfire, and the sound is coarser than pricier pairs.
Its catch: stem design may not seal or stay putA third option · #4Samsung Galaxy Buds4 ProExcellent sound and strong ANC make it the pick for Galaxy phone owners in Tom's Guide and SoundGuys. Outside the Samsung ecosystem you lose many of the features and multipoint, and battery life trails the AirPods Pro 3.
Its catch: best features locked to Galaxy phonesAll 11 comparedSee every earbud, rankedEach one's biggest complaint at a glance, with the full ranking and a 3-question quiz.
Browse wireless earbuds →Not sure which downside you can live with? Take the 3-question quiz →