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 and battery — buds. Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 scores 69.5 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 (69.5 vs 74.5), but the 5.0-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.
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.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, 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 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; AirPods Pro 3 does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods Pro 3 or Buds Pro 3?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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