Reviews You Can Rely On

Apple AirPods 3 Review

Improved sound, mic, and additional features from the previous generation, but highly overrated for the price
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Apple AirPods 3 Review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $130 List
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Manufacturer:   Apple
53
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#27 of 31
  • Sound Quality - 40% 6.0
  • User Experience - 20% 5.0
  • Noise Cancellation - 15% 2.5
  • Battery life - 15% 5.7
  • Call Quality - 10% 6.7

Our Verdict

The long white stems of the Apple AirPods 3 have been ubiquitous since the first generation launched in 2016. Their form factor three generations later, while a bit more compact, hasn't changed much. We wanted to see how such a mainstay stacked up against the current wireless earbud market. Surprisingly, these earbuds don't perform particularly well in any metric that we tested. The sound is ok, the fitment is seal-less and non-customizable, the noise-cancelling is non-existent, the battery is decent, and the call quality is adequate. Overall, there are many better top-ranked earbuds in our lineup to choose from at this price point.
REASONS TO BUY
Spatial sound
Wireless charging
Strong mid-range sound
REASONS TO AVOID
Hard plastic hurts ears
Lacks strong bass

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Bottom Line A slight improvement over the previous generation, but we recommend investing elsewhereLong lasting battery life, impressive water resistance, comfort, and great sound quality make these an easy choiceThese are comfortable with reasonable audio quality at a lower price point than mostThese buds offer an impressive soundstage and sturdy construction — if they fitIf you don't need noise cancelation or top-notch audio, these are a good deal
Rating Categories Apple AirPods 3 Jabra Elite 8 Active Samsung Galaxy Buds... Jaybird Vista 2 Amazon Echo Buds
Sound Quality (40%)
6.0
7.3
6.4
7.7
5.0
User Experience (20%)
5.0
8.9
7.7
6.4
6.2
Noise Cancellation (15%)
2.5
5.6
6.1
3.6
2.3
Battery life (15%)
5.7
9.1
5.8
5.2
5.0
Call Quality (10%)
6.7
5.8
9.0
8.2
6.7
Specs Apple AirPods 3 Jabra Elite 8 Active Samsung Galaxy Buds... Jaybird Vista 2 Amazon Echo Buds
Active Noise Cancelling No Yes Yes Yes No
Earbud Location Tracking Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Measured Battery Life 7.2 hr 11.9 hr 7.5 hr 6.3 hr 5.9 hr
Waterproofing IPX4 IP68 IPX7 IP68 IPX2
Measured Weight 0.15 oz 0.18 oz 0.19 oz 0.24 oz 0.18 oz
Quick Charging 5 mins = 1 hr 5 mins = 1 hr 5 mins = 1 hr 5 mins = 1 hr 15 mins = 2 hrs
Charges Per Case 4 3 3 2 3
Wired Charging Port Lightning USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C
Wireless Charging Option Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Claimed Battery Life 6 hrs 14 hrs 8 hrs 8 hrs 5 hrs
Charging Carrying Case Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Transparency Mode No No Yes Yes No
Multipoint Two Apple devices simultaneously Yes No No No
In-ear Detection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Multiple Ear Tips N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Apple AirPods 3 make some slight improvements over previous generations, but the overall package leaves a lot to be desired.

Performance Comparison


apple airpods 3 - testing the apple airpods 3rd gen with the bruel and kjaer 5128-b...
Testing the Apple AirPods 3rd Gen with the Bruel and Kjaer 5128-B head. We also consulted a panel of expert listeners to play music on each pair and judge the sound quality.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Sound Quality


We had a panel of experts spend dozens of hours listening to an extensive playlist with the Apple AirPods 3, scoring their experience. They described the listening experience as “…the audio equivalent of a mild astigmatism.” This means the sound coming out of the earbuds feels almost blurred, making it difficult to clearly hear individual instruments.


Though their sound signature isn't terrible, the music, especially vocals and bass, feels underwhelming. The audio quality also seemed to vary with volume level, with lower volumes sounding more enjoyable and clear while higher volumes became increasingly muddled.

It's challenging to find the ideal volume with these earbuds. For example, “Think I'm in Love With You” by Chris Stapleton sounds best at mid volumes. But, when it loses the power of its bassline at 1:54, increasing the volume doesn't add depth or richness to the lower frequencies. If anything, the buds sound more hollow as their volume increases.

Expert Panel Sound Quality Ratings
ProductBassMid-RangeTreble
Best8.79.08.7
Average6.77.16.8
Apple AirPods 34.36.56.3
Worst2.03.53.0

At the same time, the treble frequencies can feel distant at lower volumes and increase in presence and clarity as you turn it up, while the other frequency ranges lose their depth.

Midrange-heavy songs, like “August” by Flipturn and “American Girl” by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, sound more fleshed-out and enjoyable.

Soundstage


Earbuds create a perception of where music is located in three-dimensional space, a quality known as their soundstage. A broad, expansive soundstage is rare in earbuds, but as technology improves, it's becoming more common for music to sound like it's stemming from beyond your ears.

Soundstage Ratings
ProductSoundstage Rating
Best10.0
Average7.4
Apple AirPods 35.0
Worst4.0

The AirPods 3rd Generation earbuds only partially achieve this effect. While the music doesn't feel entirely confined to your head, it doesn't extend outward enough to create a more natural listening experience.

Although the 3rd generation AirPods have improved sound quality from the 2nd generation, they still miss the mark.

We rounded out our sound quality testing by setting them up in our testing rig and checking their frequency response against our GearLab House Curve. The AirPods 3rd Gen struggled to closely follow our House Curve. While mids were spot on, bass and treble veered off course, resulting in a reduced score. Overall, the AirPods 3rd Gen very much have a Goldilocks quality to them, requiring just the right genre of music and song at just the right volume level to achieve an enjoyable listening experience. Outside of this sweet spot, these earbuds struggled to perform.

apple airpods 3 - without an ear tip, you cannot get a proper seal in the ear canal...
Without an ear tip, you cannot get a proper seal in the ear canal effectively ruining any chance at immersive sound reproduction.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

User Experience


The user experience was only slightly better than its previous version, but overall, it left much to be desired. To score the user experience of the Apple AirPods 3, we tested their fitment and comfort across a variety of ear shapes. We then put them through some stress tests to see how well they held up during physical activity. Finally, we scored their app based on its ease of use and customizability.

User Experience Ratings
ProductComfortStabilityCustomization
Best10.010.07.5
Average7.375.2
Apple AirPods 35.05.05.0
Worst5.04.00.0

Comfort


We did not enjoy the fit of the AirPods 3rd Gen. Similar to their sound quality, if you do not have the perfect ear shape to accommodate the size and shape of the AirPods, then they feel uncomfortable and clunky. Because these buds lack a silicone tip, there is no size customization or passive seal of any kind. These buds are more like tiny speakers resting outside your ear canal, and as such, they won't work well if where they rest in your ears isn't perfect.

apple airpods 3 - if you happen to have the perfect-shaped ears to accommodate these...
If you happen to have the perfect-shaped ears to accommodate these buds and are listening to the perfect genre of music, you might enjoy the experience.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Stability


Because they lack any sort of seal or stabilization function, they aren't great for physical activity, being prone to falling out even under light stresses.

Because these buds rest outside of your ear canal and have no stabilizers, they tend to fall out.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Customization


The app is simple and functional for iPhones, albeit lacking any sort of deep customizability. You can see things like the battery life of the buds and case, but that's about it. However, these are practically unusable on Android devices, losing all of their paid-for Apple functions beyond a simple Bluetooth connection.

apple airpods 3 - apple devices have a very easy-to-use user interface that...
Apple devices have a very easy-to-use user interface that automatically pops up on the screen when the case is open nearby.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Connectivity


To pinpoint connectivity issues, we thoroughly tested these earbuds and noted down any troubles we had, from pairing them to our phone to lags while watching videos. We also checked all 1-star Amazon User Reviews, searching for mentions of connectivity issues. We used that figure to find the percentage of reported issues among the total number of user reviews. Any Bluetooth device is bound to have connectivity snags at some point, so it is important to focus on the relative rate that these issues pop up. The AirPods 3 performed a bit better than average in this group of earbuds, with a connectivity issue rate of 1.06%. That said, we strongly recommend using these earbuds with an iPhone or other Apple products if you want the best chances of success.

Reported Connectivity Issues
ProductPercent Cited
Worst3.83
Average1.3
Apple AirPods 31.06
Best0.1
This chart shows where the Apple AirPods 3 earbuds sit relative to the high and low scorers in our analysis of connectivity issues according to Amazon User Reviews (analysis conducted 7/23/24).

Noise Cancellation


The Apple AirPods 3 do not have active noise cancellation (ANC), but we still tested their ability to remove noise from our surrounding environment using our testing rig.


Because these earbuds rest outside of the ear canal and do not have any sort of silicone or foam tip, there is no passive seal. Thus, they lost points in our testing, with a majority of the background noise bleeding through across the frequency spectrum.


Due to how these buds rest in the ears, they have a mechanical always-on transparency mode, meaning you will always be able to hear the background around you while wearing these.

We used our testing rig to measure how much sound passively bled past these buds.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Battery Life


We tested the Apple AirPods 3 battery life by setting them to a control volume (the same we set all other earbuds to in our testing) and letting them play until they died.


These buds had a measured 7 hours and 10 minutes of playback time, 1 hour and 10 minutes over manufacturer claims. You also get another four charges out of the case, allowing for a total of 28 hours and 40 minutes before needing to plug them in. A quick charge of 5 minutes will also net you another 1 hour of playback. It's worth noting that one nice upgrade here over previous generations is the ability to wirelessly charge.

A 5-minute quick charge gets you another hour of playback.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Call Quality


To test the microphone and call quality of the Apple AirPods 3, we set them up in our testing rig and played various background noises while having our rig “speak” into them.

Call Quality Ratings
ProductSubwayOfficeBaseline
Best9.09.09.5
Average6.77.98.2
Apple AirPods 36.57.56.0
Worst2.05.07.0

Under subway noise stress testing, the static is still present, and voices are harder to hear, with higher-pitched voices becoming particularly difficult to make out.

The call quality didn't improve at all from its previous generation (the Apple AirPods 2) in this test. Unmute the call quality video to listen to how these sound in the Subway.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

In our office testing sound, voices remain clear, but the background static is still present.

The Apple AirPods 3 are able to remove the sound of loud, clanky keyboards, but we can still hear conversations happening in the background.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

At baseline, in a quiet room, voices had a grainy and hollow sound with slight background static but were overall audible and clear.

We tested how the Apple AirPods 3 sound with no noise at all. Even in this easy test, the voices have middling clarity compared to others in our call quality testing.

Should You Buy the Apple AirPods 3?


The Apple AirPods 3 were pretty low on our list of tested earbuds. They don't do anything particularly well, and if your ears aren't just the right shape, they lack comfort and stability. At the same price (and cheaper), there are some better options; however, if you're locked into the Apple ecosystem and aren't willing to spend a bit more to get the more premium AirPod Pros, these are an ok option. Keep in mind, if you're highly active, or like bass-heavy music, we highly recommend considering other earbuds in our lineup.

apple airpods 3 - unfortunately, if your ears aren't the perfect shape to accommodate...
Unfortunately, if your ears aren't the perfect shape to accommodate these, they're not worth considering.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

What Other Earbuds Should You Consider?


If you need to have Apple earbuds, we recommend saving up for the Apple AirPods Pro 2. Though considerably more expensive, they fixed all of the glaring issues we note in this review. If you're open to venturing outside of Apple's walled garden, or you daily drive an Android device, there are many highly-scored options at this price point including the Google Pixel Buds Pro the Jabra Elite 8 Active. These are similar in cost but provide markedly improved functionality and overall performance. They also come with intuitive apps and fit much better in our ears.

apple airpods 3 - though the case is low-profile and can fit in your pocket...
Though the case is low-profile and can fit in your pocket comfortably, that's not enough to be able to recommend them.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Graham Faulknor, Genaveve Bradshaw, and Alex Hocevar-Smith