Apple says that AirPods are the most used headphones while working out, and the AirPods Pro 3 pack a tiny, custom-built heart rate sensor that uses infrared light to keep tabs on your pulse during a workout. At first glance, they look like a subtle evolution, but peek under the bonnet and it’s clear these buds have been hitting the gym and the library.
This all pipes directly into the Fitness app on your iPhone, letting you track over 50 workout types, from a gentle jog to a full-on HIIT session that leaves you regretting that extra biscuit. There’s even a new AI-powered Workout Buddy that uses your fitness history to lob personalised motivational tidbits into your ears mid-gasp. For Apple Fitness+ subscribers, you'll see your real-time stats, like heart rate and calories burned, pop up on screen. Your ears are, it seems, the new wrist.
Much like the Google Pixel Buds, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 also get Live Translation powered by the ‘Apple Intelligence’ brain. In its beta form, when both people have the AirPods Pro 3 in their ears, it lets you have a face-to-face chat with them in another language (starting with English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish). You speak, they hear the translation. They reply, and their words are magically converted back into your lingo right in your ears. If only one of you has the magic buds, your iPhone can act as a handy subtitle display. It’s a neat idea that could make your next holiday a whole lot less about frantic gesturing.
Of course, the basics have been given a proper seeing-to as well. Apple is chuffed with its new Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), claiming it's twice as effective at shushing the world as the Pro 2s. That’s thanks to some new microphones and clever foam-infused ear tips. Speaking of which, fit has been a major focus. Using data from over 10,000 ear scans (blimey), Apple has tweaked the shape for better stability and added a new, dinky XXS ear tip size, so even more people should get that perfect, secure seal.
The battery life has had a welcome boost, too. You’ll now get up to eight hours of listening with ANC on, which is a 33% bump over the last generation. Switch to Transparency mode, and you can eke out a solid 10 hours. And for the clumsy among us, the IP57 rating means they’ll survive a sweaty workout or an unfortunate encounter with the Mumbai weather.
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 start at Rs. 25,900 in India, and you can buy them starting September 19th 2025.