Between the AirPods Pro 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3 comes out ahead in water resistance, while the Pixel Buds Pro 2 wins on multipoint / weight per bud. Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 scores 69.5 and the Pixel Buds Pro 2 scores 69.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are evenly matched on the broad strokes; the decision sits on which individual spec advantages weigh more for your use.
Pick the AirPods Pro 3 if you care most about water resistance. The biggest gaps in its favor are water resistance.
Pick the Pixel Buds Pro 2 if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. Its strongest claims are multipoint, weight per bud.
Both ship with comparable battery — buds, battery — with case, active noise cancellation, 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.
Why Apple - AirPods Pro 3 wins
- ▲Water resistance: IP57 (vs IP54).
Why Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 wins
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.60 g less. 4.7 vs 5.3.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 5.3 g | 4.7 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP57lead | IP54 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8 h | 8 h |
| Battery — with case | 30 h | 30 h |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecs | AAC,SBC | AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, AirPods Pro 3 or Pixel Buds Pro 2?+
Pixel Buds Pro 2 lasts 8h per charge vs 8h.
Do AirPods Pro 3 or Pixel Buds Pro 2 support multipoint?+
Pixel Buds Pro 2 supports multipoint pairing; AirPods Pro 3 does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods Pro 3 or Pixel Buds Pro 2?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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