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Apple - AirPods Pro 3 vs Nothing - Ear (3)

Last updated · How Mars Score works
AirPods Pro 3APPLERENDER
Probe A
Apple
AirPods Pro 3
69.5/ 100B
Audio68· 45%
Battery71· 30%
Connectivity· 15%
Design· 10%
Ear (3)NOTHINGRENDER
Probe B
Nothing
Ear (3)
70.8/ 100B
Audio68· 45%
Battery74· 30%
Connectivity· 15%
Design· 10%
Quick verdict

Between the AirPods Pro 3 and Ear (3), the AirPods Pro 3 comes out ahead in spatial audio and water resistance, while the Ear (3) wins on battery — with case and battery — buds. Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 scores 69.5 and the Ear (3) scores 70.8 on our Mars Score.

Buying advice

Which should you buy?

These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (69.5 vs 70.8). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.

Pick the AirPods Pro 3 if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are spatial audio, water resistance.

Pick the Ear (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.

Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, so those specs don't 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 tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.

Why Apple - AirPods Pro 3 wins

  • Has Spatial audio.
  • Water resistance: IP57 (vs IP54).

Why Nothing - Ear (3) wins

  • Battery — with case — 33.33% more. 40 h vs 30 h.
  • Battery — buds — 6.25% more. 8.5 h vs 8 h.
  • Has Multipoint.
  • Weight per bud — 0.70 g less. 4.6 vs 5.3.
Full readout

Spec comparison

Design

SpecApple - AirPods Pro 3Nothing - Ear (3)
Form factorin-earin-ear
Weight per bud5.3 g4.6 glead
Water resistanceIP57leadIP54

Audio

SpecApple - AirPods Pro 3Nothing - Ear (3)
Driver size11 mm11 mm
Active noise cancellationtruetrue
Transparency modetruetrue
Spatial audiotrueleadfalse

Battery

SpecApple - AirPods Pro 3Nothing - Ear (3)
Battery — buds8 h8.5 hlead
Battery — with case30 h40 hlead
Wireless case chargingtruetrue

Connectivity

SpecApple - AirPods Pro 3Nothing - Ear (3)
Bluetooth5.35.3
CodecsAAC,SBCLDAC,LHDC 5.0,AAC,SBC
Multipointfalsetruelead
In-ear detectiontruetrue
Reader questions

Frequently asked

Which has longer battery, AirPods Pro 3 or Ear (3)?+

Ear (3) lasts 8.5h per charge vs 8h.

Do AirPods Pro 3 or Ear (3) support multipoint?+

Ear (3) supports multipoint; AirPods Pro 3 does not.

Which has ANC, AirPods Pro 3 or Ear (3)?+

Both have active noise cancellation.

Drill down

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