Between the AirPods 4 with ANC and Buds Pro 3, the AirPods 4 with ANC comes out ahead in weight per bud, while the Buds Pro 3 wins on battery — with case and battery — buds. Overall, the AirPods 4 with ANC scores 58.3 and the Buds Pro 3 scores 74.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Buds Pro 3 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 16.2 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the AirPods 4 with ANC 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 — with case, battery — buds, driver size, among others.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, spatial audio, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Buds Pro 3 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC wins
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.50 g less. 4.3 vs 4.8.
Why OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 115.00% more. 43 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 100.00% more. 10 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Driver size — 10.00% more. 11 mm vs 10 mm.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Water resistance: IP55 (vs IP54).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 glead | 4.8 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54 | IP55lead |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 10 mm | 11 mmlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | OnePlus - Buds Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 10 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 43 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | 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 4 with ANC or Buds Pro 3?+
Buds Pro 3 lasts 10h per charge vs 5h.
Do AirPods 4 with ANC or Buds Pro 3 support multipoint?+
Buds Pro 3 supports multipoint; AirPods 4 with ANC does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods 4 with ANC or Buds Pro 3?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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