Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 are here, and with their arrival comes a lot of questions. One of the big questions after Apple’s annual iPhone event is, “Should I buy new AirPods right now?” But before you can answer that, it’s important to know the competition, and the main one is Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2. While both bear the “Pro” moniker in their names, they’re not created equal, and small differences in features could have a big impact on which pair you ought to buy.
If you’re wondering which trigger to pull, here’s a breakdown of which pair of wireless earbuds does what.
AirPods Pro 3 vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Sound
While I haven’t gotten to hear Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 for myself yet, these wireless earbuds have a new architecture that Apple says should bring some improvements over the last generation. According to Apple, AirPods Pro 3 have a new “multiport acoustic architecture” that better controls the airflow and the way the sound carries to the ear. How demonstrable that change is remains to be seen, but it should be the best-sounding pair of AirPods yet, if Apple’s messaging is any indication.
Similarly, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 mark a significant boost in sound quality over the original iteration, with 11mm drivers that help augment both high and low ends. Which architecture delivers better sound quality will come down to preference, and we won’t know for sure until we try AirPods Pro 3 for ourselves, but both should be the best-sounding version in their respective product lines. AirPods Pro 3 will have tough competition, though—we thought the Pixel Buds Pro 2 were damn near perfect.
AirPods Pro 3 vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: ANC
Apple is promising some big improvements gen-over-gen with active noise cancellation (ANC), claiming that its AirPods Pro 3 have 2x the ANC capability as the AirPods Pro 2. Apple generally offers better-than-average ANC (it’s not Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but it’s good), so double the ANC is an enticing offer. Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 also offer double the ANC over the first generation, and as we stated in our review, it is one of the highlights of the buds overall.
One thing that could give AirPods Pro 3 the edge, however, is a redesigned eartip that contains foam inside. That should make a very tight seal in your ear and provide good passive noise cancellation on top of ANC. Again, it’s hard to say without hearing the AirPods Pro 3 for ourselves, but there’s a chance that AirPods Pro 3 could have an X factor here.
AirPods Pro 3 vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Battery
One of the biggest AirPods improvements gen-over-gen, according to Apple, is in the battery life department. AirPods Pro 3 now have an 8-hour battery life outside of the case with ANC on, which is two more hours than the AirPods Pro 2. The thing is, we’re comparing to Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2, which also have 8 hours of battery life outside the case, meaning this part of the showdown could be a tie.
That being said, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 do have a better battery life in the case. While AirPods Pro 3 have a 24-hour battery life in the case with ANC on, Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 have 30 hours. Case battery isn’t the biggest metric for success, but more is more when it comes to battery.
AirPods Pro 3 vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Features
Features are where things get interesting and potentially where AirPods Pro 3 pull away. While both wireless earbuds have AI integrations (Google has Gemini, and AirPods Pro have Apple Intelligence), conversation detection, support for head gestures, and adaptive ANC, and even live translation abilities, Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 lean into health sensing as well.
AirPods Pro 3 introduces a heart rate sensor that allows the wireless earbuds to be used for tracking workouts and even calories burned, while Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 have no such health features. Whether that’s a game-changer is entirely up to you, but it’s clear that AirPods Pro 3 just do more in that department. Maybe Google will close the gap with its next pair of wireless earbuds, but for now, Apple has the advantage, especially if you’re using an iPhone.
AirPods Pro 3 vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Fit
Apple clearly spent a lot of time redesigning its AirPods Pro 3. Specifically, Apple says that it used “over 10,000 ear scans with more than 100,000 hours of user research” to tweak the fit of AirPods Pro 3. It also changed the “external geometry of the eartip,” which now aligns to the center of the body for more stability. Those changes could very well result in an even more comfortable fit and give AirPods an edge here.
With that said, we gave the Pixel Buds Pro 2 high marks for comfort, so Apple has its work cut out. Apple does objectively now have more eartip sizes than Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2—five instead of Google’s four—but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re more comfortable, even if they do have more fit options. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Apple in the fit metric, if just because they seem to have exhaustively redesigned the AirPods Pro 3 and focused on the weight and feel.
AirPods Pro 3 vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Price
While the AirPods Pro 3 are more expensive than the Pixel Buds Pro 2, they’re also brand new, and the price isn’t drastically different. Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 are $250, while Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are $230. What’s notable is that Apple didn’t raise the price of its wireless earbuds, making the AirPods Pro 3 feel like a solid deal. Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are almost exactly a year old at this point, and while $230 isn’t the most expensive starting price for wireless earbuds, it’s not a massive discount. That being said, we’ll be able to tell you which price is worth it once we actually test the AirPods Pro 3 ourselves.
