Between the Ear (3) and Buds Pro 3, the Ear (3) comes out ahead in weight per bud, while the Buds Pro 3 wins on battery — buds and battery — with case. Overall, the Ear (3) scores 70.8 and the Buds Pro 3 scores 74.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Buds Pro 3 edges ahead on the Mars Score (70.8 vs 74.5), but the 3.7-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Ear (3) if you care most about weight per bud. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight per bud.
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 — buds, battery — with case, spatial audio, among others.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, multipoint, 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 Nothing - Ear (3) wins
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.20 g less. 4.6 vs 4.8.
Why OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 17.65% more. 10 h vs 8.5 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 7.50% more. 43 h vs 40 h.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Water resistance: IP55 (vs IP54).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.6 glead | 4.8 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54 | IP55lead |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8.5 h | 10 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 40 h | 43 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.4lead |
| Codecs | LDAC,LHDC 5.0,AAC,SBC | LHDC,LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Ear (3) or Buds Pro 3?+
Buds Pro 3 lasts 10h per charge vs 8.5h.
Do Ear (3) or Buds Pro 3 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Ear (3) or Buds Pro 3?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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