Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — with case | 30 h | 43 h |
| Battery — buds | 8 h | 10 h |
| Multipoint | false | true |
| Water resistance | IP57 | IP55 |
| Weight per bud | 5.3 g | 4.8 g |
Between the AirPods Pro 3 and Buds Pro 3, the AirPods Pro 3 comes out ahead in water resistance, while the Buds Pro 3 wins on battery — with case / battery — buds. Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 scores 78.3 and the Buds Pro 3 scores 82.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Buds Pro 3 edges ahead on the Mars Score (78.3 vs 82.8), but the 4.5-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the AirPods Pro 3 if you care most about water resistance. The biggest gaps in its favor are water resistance. The single most decisive one: Water resistance: IP57 (vs IP55).
Pick the Buds Pro 3 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery — with case, battery — buds, multipoint, among others. The single most decisive one: Battery — with case — 43.33% more. 43 h vs 30 h.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, spatial audio, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - AirPods Pro 3 or OnePlus - Buds Pro 3?
OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 leads the current Mars Score by 4.5 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare battery — buds, weight per bud against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - AirPods Pro 3 if…
Apple - AirPods Pro 3 has the measurable edge on ip rating.
Choose OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 if…
OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 has the measurable edge on battery life case h, battery life buds h, has multipoint.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - AirPods Pro 3 wins
- ▲Water resistance: IP57 (vs IP55).
Why OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 43.33% more. 43 h vs 30 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 25.00% more. 10 h vs 8 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.50 g less. 4.8 vs 5.3.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 5.3 g | 4.8 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP57lead | IP55 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8 h | 10 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 30 h | 43 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.4lead |
| Codecsⓘ | AAC,SBC | LHDC,LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, AirPods Pro 3 or Buds Pro 3?+
Buds Pro 3 lasts 10h per charge vs 8h.
Do AirPods Pro 3 or Buds Pro 3 support multipoint?+
Buds Pro 3 supports multipoint pairing; AirPods Pro 3 does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods Pro 3 or Buds Pro 3?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.