Short answer: Water-resistant, not waterproof. Big difference.

What IP57 Actually Means

The AirPods Pro 3 are rated IP57. Here's the translation:

• 5 = Protected against dust (some might get in, but won't break anything)
• 7 = Can survive being dunked in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes

This is better than the Pro 2's IP54 rating, where the "4" only meant "splash resistant."

Real-World Translation

You're fine with:

• Heavy sweating at the gym ✅
• Getting caught in the rain ✅
• Dropping them in a puddle ✅
• Accidentally falling in your coffee ✅

Don't do this:

• Swimming with them ❌
• Wearing them in the shower ❌
• Hot tub or sauna ❌
• Beach + saltwater ❌

The Fine Print Apple Doesn't Emphasize

1. Water resistance fades over time. Those seals wear down with use.
2. Apple won't cover water damage. Even though they're "water resistant," if they die from moisture, that's on you.
3. The rating is for fresh water. Saltwater, chlorine, and soap can all damage them.

After Getting Them Wet

• Shake out excess water
• Wipe with a dry, lint-free cloth
• Let them air dry completely before charging
• Never put wet AirPods in the case

For Serious Athletes

If you're doing Ironmans or swimming laps, these aren't the right choice. Look for IP68-rated earbuds specifically designed for water sports.

For everyone else doing normal gym stuff? The AirPods Pro 3 can handle it. Just don't be stupid about it.

Let me give you the honest breakdown on how the AirPods Pro 3 actually sound compared to the Pro 2.

The Short Version

The Pro 3 sound a bit better - more bass, wider stereo image, more "spacious." But it's not a night-and-day difference. If you close your eyes, you might not immediately know which is which.

What's Actually Different

More bass. Apple redesigned the acoustic chamber and it shows. Bass hits harder, especially noticeable on hip-hop and electronic music.

Wider soundstage. Music feels a bit more spread out, less "in your head." Spatial Audio content benefits from this too.

Better detail. You might notice more texture in reverb and room sounds. Subtle, but there.

The Weird Volume Thing

Apple uses something called Loudness-Dependent EQ. Translation: the sound profile changes based on how loud you're listening.

At low volumes, they boost bass and treble. If you're a low-volume listener (like listening while falling asleep), you might actually find the Pro 3 sound weird at first - too bass-heavy compared to what you're used to.

What's Still Missing

No EQ controls. In 2025. On $249 earbuds. Seriously, Apple?

Some $30 earbuds let you adjust bass and treble. AirPods? Nope. You get what Apple decided you should hear.

No high-res audio. Still stuck on AAC. No LDAC, no aptX HD, nothing fancy. Your lossless Apple Music files aren't actually playing losslessly on these.

Who Should Care?

You'll probably notice the difference if:

• You listen to a lot of bass-heavy music
• You use Spatial Audio frequently
• You're sensitive to soundstage width

You probably won't notice if:

• You mostly listen to podcasts
• You had no complaints about Pro 2 sound
• Music is background noise for you

Bottom Line

Better? Yes. Worth upgrading just for sound? Probably not. The improvements are real but subtle. The AirPods Pro 2 sound excellent, and the Pro 3 sound... also excellent, just slightly more so.

Live Translation is one of those features that sounds incredible in Apple's keynote but has some real limitations in practice. Let me break down what it actually does and whether it's useful.

The Basic Idea

Someone speaks to you in Spanish (or another supported language), and you hear it in English through your AirPods Pro 3. When you reply in English, your phone translates it to Spanish and plays it through the speaker for them.

Pretty sci-fi, right?

What You Need

• iPhone 15 Pro or newer (sorry, iPhone 15 regular won't work)
• iOS 26 or later
• Apple Intelligence turned on
• Internet connection

Older phones can't do this even with the AirPods Pro 3.

Languages That Work Right Now

• English (UK and US)
• French (France)
• German (Germany)
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Spanish (Spain)

Coming eventually: Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese

Notably missing: Mandarin and Hindi. You know, just two of the most spoken languages on Earth.

The Reality Check

Here's what the reviews actually say:

It's useful for:

• Ordering food when traveling
• Asking for directions
• Simple tourist interactions

It's not great for:

• Actual fluid conversations (3-5 second delays make things awkward)
• Noisy environments (it struggles to pick out the right voice)
• People with strong accents
• Anywhere without wifi or cellular

Apple even puts a warning on it: translations "may be inaccurate, unexpected, or offensive." So, you know, maybe don't use it for important negotiations.

My Take

If you travel occasionally and just need basic help communicating, this is a cool bonus feature. If you were hoping this would replace learning a language or hiring a translator for serious situations... not quite there yet.

Think of it as a smarter version of holding up your phone to Google Translate, not as a universal translator from Star Trek.