This is actually one of the most significant features of the AirPods Pro 3, even though it doesn't get as much attention as things like noise cancellation. Yes, they can function as FDA-authorized hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Traditional hearing aids cost anywhere from $2,000 to $7,000 per pair. And there's a stigma around wearing them. Many people who need hearing help don't get it because they don't want "hearing aid" devices.
The AirPods Pro 3 flip that script. They're $249, they look like normal earbuds that millions of people wear every day, and they're FDA-authorized to help with hearing loss. That's genuinely groundbreaking.
It's not just making everything louder. Here's the process:
So if you've lost some high-frequency hearing (super common as we age), the AirPods amplify those frequencies while leaving lower frequencies alone. It's personalized to your ears.
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing on your iPhone. You'll need iOS 18.1 or later. Take the hearing test when prompted, and if your results show mild to moderate loss, you can enable hearing aid mode.
If you have significant hearing loss, the AirPods Pro 3 won't replace proper hearing aids fitted by a professional. But for the millions of people with mild hearing loss who haven't done anything about it? This is an accessible, affordable, stigma-free option that might actually help.
If you're coming from AirPods Pro 2, the Pro 3 will feel different in your ears right away. Apple didn't just tweak the design - they basically started over.
The earbuds themselves are shaped differently. They sit deeper in your ear canal and the part that sticks out has a different angle. Apple says they scanned 10,000 ears and spent 100,000+ hours researching this design.
The biggest change you'll notice is the ear tips. They're now a hybrid design with silicone on the outside and memory foam on the inside. Apple added a fifth size too - XXS - so there's now five options instead of four.
A lot of users say the Pro 3 feel more secure. The hybrid tips seal better, which helps both with noise isolation and keeping them in place during workouts. If you had issues with Pro 2s falling out during runs, these might solve that.
The new design pushes differently against your ear. Some folks find that the top part of the earbud presses uncomfortably against the upper ear. After about an hour, this can get annoying.
Others just find the deeper insertion uncomfortable. If you don't like things sitting far into your ear canal, the Pro 3 design might not be for you.
Here's the thing - the hybrid tips actually break in a bit. They soften over the first week or so. A lot of people who found them uncomfortable on day one said they felt much better after a few days. Don't return them after one listening session.
Run the Ear Tip Fit Test (Settings > Bluetooth > tap your AirPods > Ear Tip Fit Test). It'll tell you if you have a good seal. If not, try different sizes. Pro tip: it's totally normal to use different sizes in each ear. Most people's ears aren't identical.
If none of the five included sizes work, third-party foam tips are available. Or, honestly, some ear shapes just work better with the Pro 2 design.
So you're trying to decide between the three big flagship earbuds? Let me break down how the AirPods Pro 3 stack up against the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
This is a big shift. Bose used to own this category, but the AirPods Pro 3 now have the best noise cancellation of the three. Apple claims twice the ANC of the Pro 2, and independent tests back this up.
In real-world plane testing, the ranking went: AirPods Pro 3 first, Sony second, Bose third. The Sonys do excel at blocking high-frequency noise thanks to their foam tips, but overall, Apple takes this round.
If pure audio quality is your top priority, the Sony WF-1000XM5 are still the earbuds to beat. They have deeper bass, more detailed mids, and better soundstage. Music sounds more nuanced and engaging.
The AirPods Pro 3 sound good - clean and balanced - but audiophiles typically prefer Sony's tuning. Some people think the new AirPods have too much bass compared to the more neutral Pro 2.
Bose goes for warm, bass-heavy sound. Great if you like that, less great if you want accuracy.
This isn't even close. The AirPods Pro 3 have heart rate monitoring, FDA-approved hearing aid functionality, Live Translation, and seamless Apple ecosystem integration.
Sony and Bose offer customizable EQ and spatial audio, but they don't have anything like Apple's health features.
However: If you use Android or care about high-resolution audio, Sony supports LDAC codec for better streaming quality. AirPods are stuck with AAC.
The AirPods are actually the most affordable option.
Get the AirPods Pro 3 if: You use iPhone, want the health features, or prioritize noise cancellation.
Get the Sony WF-1000XM5 if: Sound quality is everything to you, or you use Android and want LDAC support.
Get the Bose QC Ultra if: You prioritize comfort and prefer Bose's warm sound signature.
No product is perfect, and the AirPods Pro 3 have their share of issues that some owners have run into. Here's the honest rundown so you know what to expect.
This is probably the most discussed issue online. Some people hear static or crackling when they have noise cancellation turned on but aren't playing any audio. It's subtle, but once you notice it, it's hard to ignore.
Apple hasn't officially acknowledged this or promised a fix. They've released firmware updates that mention "bug fixes" but don't specifically call out the static issue. For some people it went away after updates. For others, it hasn't.
What you can try: Reset your AirPods by holding the button on the case for 15 seconds. Make sure your firmware is current. Toggle ANC off and back on. Sometimes these basic steps help.
Apple redesigned the earbuds, and the new shape sticks up more into your ear than the Pro 2 did. Some people find this uncomfortable after about an hour of wear.
The good news: Apple includes five tip sizes now, including a new XXS. Most people find a comfortable fit after trying different sizes. Also, the tips seem to break in a bit over the first week or two.
This sounds dramatic, and honestly it affects very few people. The heart rate sensor (that little black circle inside the earbud) sits against your ear canal. For some folks with sensitive ears or certain ear shapes, it can cause irritation with extended use.
If you have sensitive ears, buy from somewhere with a good return policy so you can test them out.
Some audio enthusiasts say the Pro 3 sound different from the Pro 2 - more bass, more treble, less neutral overall. If you loved how the Pro 2 sounded, you might need time to adjust. Others think the Pro 3 sound fuller and more engaging.
Honestly? Most people are happy with their AirPods Pro 3. These issues affect a minority of owners, and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. But it's worth knowing what's out there before you buy.
How do the AirPods Pro 3 actually sound on phone calls? Pretty great, honestly - though maybe not a huge leap from the Pro 2 if that's what you're upgrading from.
Apple uses dual beamforming microphones that focus on picking up your voice while the H2 chip works to filter out everything else. When you're on a call, all that background noise - keyboards clacking, people talking nearby, even cars passing - gets substantially reduced. The person you're talking to hears you, not your environment.
At the office or working from home: These are fantastic. The microphones handle typical indoor environments really well. Air conditioning hum, printer noise, people talking in the background - all of it gets pushed down so your voice stays front and center. Video calls sound professional.
Walking around town: Solid performance here too. Normal street noise doesn't really bother calls. I've taken plenty of calls walking through the city without complaints from the other end.
Wind is still the enemy. This is true for pretty much all earbuds, and the AirPods Pro 3 aren't an exception. In gusty conditions, you'll get some crackling and your voice might cut out briefly. If you're outside on a windy day, try to find some shelter or the person you're calling will notice.
Here's the thing - if you're specifically upgrading for better call quality, you might be disappointed. Independent tests show the microphone performance is basically identical to the AirPods Pro 2. Apple didn't change the H2 chip, and call quality wasn't a focus of this update. The improvements are elsewhere (ANC, health features, fit).
While you're on a call, swipe down to open Control Center and tap the Mic Mode button. Switch to "Voice Isolation" for maximum background noise reduction. It makes a noticeable difference in noisy environments.
Great for calls. Professional-sounding in most situations. Just don't buy them expecting better phone call quality than the Pro 2.
Lost your AirPods again? The AirPods Pro 3 have seriously upgraded Find My features that make tracking them down way easier than before.
Apple put their newer U2 Ultra Wideband chip in the charging case. What does that mean for you? About 3x the tracking range of the AirPods Pro 2. We're talking up to 200 feet of Precision Finding, where your iPhone shows you exactly which direction to walk and how far away they are.
When you're getting close, your phone gives you visual arrows, distance numbers, and even vibrations. It's like a hot-cold game, but way more accurate.
This is actually a really nice addition. The charging case can play sounds on its own - you don't need the earbuds inside. So if you lose the case but have the earbuds in your ears, just tell it to chirp and you'll find it. Works even when the case is closed.
When your AirPods are truly lost (not just under the couch), Apple's Find My network kicks in. Any nearby Apple device can anonymously detect your AirPods and report their location to your account. You don't have to do anything - it just works.
This is super helpful if you left them at a coffee shop or on the train. As long as someone with an iPhone walks past them, you'll get a location update.
My favorite feature: your iPhone can warn you before you even lose them. Enable "Notify When Left Behind" and you'll get an alert when you walk away without your AirPods. You can set exceptions for home and work so you're not constantly being reminded.
The full Precision Finding experience needs an iPhone 15 or newer. Older phones still work, just without the fancy directional arrows.
The AirPods Pro 3 come with a really intuitive touch control system built right into the stems. Once you get the hang of it, you'll rarely need to pull out your phone to control your music or calls.
The stem on each earbud has what Apple calls a "force sensor" that responds to different press patterns:
Here's where it gets clever. The stem has a touch-sensitive strip, and you can swipe your finger up or down to adjust volume. The trick is to place your thumb on the back of the stem for stability, then use your index finger to swipe along the front. Swipe up for louder, down for quieter. Works on either earbud.
Some people find this a bit fiddly at first, but it becomes second nature pretty quickly. If you really don't like it, you can turn it off in settings and just use your phone or watch for volume.
This sounds gimmicky, but it's actually useful. When you get a call or Siri asks you something, you can:
It feels weird the first few times, but it's genuinely handy when your hands are full.
Press and hold BOTH stems at the same time to activate Live Translation. This lets you have conversations in different languages with real-time translation.
Head to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the "i" next to your AirPods, and you can customize a bunch of stuff. You can change what the press-and-hold does, adjust how sensitive the volume swipe is, or turn features off entirely if they bug you.
DSEE Extreme is one of those features that sounds like marketing fluff but actually works. It's Sony's audio upscaling tech that makes compressed music (like Spotify streams) sound closer to high-resolution quality.
When you compress music into MP3 or stream it, you lose information. The algorithm tosses out frequencies and details to shrink the file size. You can't hear what's not there.
DSEE Extreme tries to put it back. It uses AI trained on tons of music to predict what the original uncompressed audio probably sounded like. Then it adds those missing pieces back in real-time while you listen.
It's not magic. It can't perfectly recreate what was lost. But it can get surprisingly close, and the difference is audible.
Use DSEE Extreme for:
Basically, if your audio source compresses the music, DSEE Extreme can help.
Turn it off for:
If you're already listening to high-quality sources, DSEE Extreme has nothing to restore. It might actually introduce subtle processing artifacts you don't want.
Yes. When A/B testing with Spotify tracks, the difference is noticeable. Listen to a familiar song, toggle DSEE Extreme on, and you'll hear it.
The improvements are subtle but real:
It won't turn a 128kbps MP3 into a vinyl recording. But it noticeably improves streaming audio. The difference is most obvious on well-recorded acoustic music and vocals.
Open the Sony app, go to Sound, find DSEE Extreme, toggle it on. That's it.
DSEE Extreme does use some battery because it's constantly processing audio. It's not dramatic. Maybe you lose 15-30 minutes over a full charge. For most people, the audio improvement is worth it.
If you're a Spotify listener (which is most people), leave DSEE Extreme on. It genuinely improves the listening experience with no real downside for compressed audio.
If you pay for Tidal HiFi or Apple Music Lossless specifically for high-quality audio, turn it off. You're already getting the good stuff. You don't need AI guessing what it should sound like.
The WF-1000XM5 supports multiple Bluetooth audio codecs, and which one you're using makes a real difference in sound quality. Here's the breakdown.
Every Bluetooth device supports SBC. It's the universal fallback. Quality is fine but nothing special. The WF-1000XM5 only uses this if nothing better is available.
This is what iPhones use. It's good quality and efficient. If you're on iOS, this is what you're getting, and honestly, it sounds quite good for most music.
LDAC is Sony's own codec, and it's the whole reason audiophiles love these earbuds. It can push up to 990 kbps of data. That's nearly three times what SBC can do. The result? Noticeably better audio quality, especially with hi-res music files.
The catch: it only works on Android, and you have to enable it manually.
This is part of the new Bluetooth LE Audio standard. It's more efficient than older codecs and enables features like audio sharing. Support is still rolling out, so you probably won't use this much yet.
Check the Sony app. Under Sound settings, it shows you the active codec. Most Android users default to AAC or SBC until they enable LDAC manually.
This is a two-step process that trips people up:
Step 1: Sony App Open the Headphones Connect app, go to Sound, and select "Prioritize Sound Quality" instead of "Prioritize Stable Connection."
Step 2: Android Settings Go to Developer Options (tap Build Number 7 times in About Phone to unlock this), find Bluetooth Audio Codec, and select LDAC.
Both steps are required. Skip either one and you won't get LDAC.
Bad news for iPhone users: iOS doesn't support LDAC. Apple controls Bluetooth codecs tightly, and they only allow AAC.
Is AAC bad? No, it's actually quite good. You're not getting the absolute best the WF-1000XM5 can deliver, but you're still getting very good audio quality. Most people can't tell the difference in everyday listening.
LDAC pushes a lot of data over Bluetooth. In environments with a lot of wireless interference (crowded offices, busy streets, airports), you might experience:
If this happens, switch to "Prioritize Stable Connection" in the Sony app. You'll trade some audio quality for reliability. For most situations outside a quiet room, stable connection might actually be the smarter choice.
The WF-1000XM5 has touch controls on both earbuds, and you can customize exactly what each tap, double-tap, triple-tap, and hold does. The defaults are fine for most people, but tweaking them to match how YOU use the earbuds makes a big difference.
Open the Sony Headphones Connect app, go to System, and look for "Change the touch sensor function." From there you can configure the left and right earbuds separately.
You've got four gestures per earbud:
Each one can be assigned to something different.
Playback stuff: Play/pause, next track, previous track. The basics.
Volume: This one uses touch and hold. Keep your finger on the earbud and volume gradually goes up or down. You'll need to assign volume up to one earbud and volume down to the other if you want both.
Noise control: You can cycle through Noise Canceling, Ambient Sound, and Off. Super useful if you need to quickly let sound in.
Voice assistant: Works with Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri depending on your phone and preferences.
Speak-to-Chat: Instantly pauses music and turns on ambient sound for a quick conversation.
Out of the box, Sony configures them like this:
Left earbud: Tap toggles noise control modes. Hold triggers Speak-to-Chat.
Right earbud: Tap plays/pauses. Double tap skips forward. Triple tap goes back. Hold activates your voice assistant.
This is actually a pretty solid setup for most people.
I like putting volume control on the hold gestures:
That frees up the taps for playback and noise control. Being able to adjust volume without pulling out my phone is really convenient.
Dominant hand gets the important stuff. If you're right-handed, put your most-used controls on the right. You'll naturally reach for that side.
Keep quick access to ANC/Ambient. The ability to instantly switch noise modes is one of the best features. Don't bury it under triple-taps.
You can disable touch completely. In the app, there's an option to turn off touch controls. Handy when you're cleaning the earbuds or if you keep accidentally triggering gestures.
Touch controls on earbuds are not perfect. Sometimes you'll accidentally tap when adjusting fit. Sometimes a double tap registers as two single taps. It's just the nature of touch-sensitive surfaces in your ears. You get used to it.
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