Apple Airpods Wireless Earbuds Reviews

Apple is a technology company based in Cupertino, California, that makes computers, smartphones, tablet computers, smart watches, headphones and earbuds, as well as other accessory technology devices. Its iPhone was the first widely distributed smartphone to utilize a large touchscreen in lieu of a button-based keyboard. In 2014, Apple acquired Beats Music and Beats Electronics, a subscription streaming service and audio hardware manufacturer.

Users who are already fully immersed in Apple’s suite of products will appreciate the seamless integration and pairing technology that Apple AirPods Pro (1st Gen) provide. These earbuds automatically pair with iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and other Apple devices, and users can open up the iOS Settings app to control the earbuds when paired. Another benefit of the Apple integration: FindMy works with AirPods too. Users can open the app to geolocate and “ping” their AirPods, causing them to chirp and making it easier to determine their whereabouts.

According to professional reviewers, the sound quality and noise cancellation features in Apple’s AirPods Pro (1st Gen) are solid, but they aren’t quite best-in-class. Other devices, such as the Sony WF-1000XM4, edge out the AirPods due to a more immersive listening experience and highly useful customization features. The Apple AirPods Pro (1st Gen) are also not the best earbuds for long battery life (it’s just average compared to others in our rating) or Bluetooth range, offering up to six hours of battery life on a full charge, and between 20 and 50 feet for the Bluetooth range, compared to up to 12 hours and 300 feet, respectively, for some competitors.

Apple’s AirPods Pro are rated IPX4 for water-resistance (“splash-proof” but not submersible) and come with voice calling and noise-cancellation capabilities as well as wireless charging support. The case is small enough to easily store in a pocket or purse, and the earbuds charge quickly, generating a full hour of listening time with five minutes of charging.

At $249.00, the AirPods Pro (1st Gen) are among the more expensive options in our top earbuds list. Like the other earbuds that are priced over $200 on our list, the AirPods Pro offer wireless charging, noise cancellation and voice-calling capabilities. Professional reviewers agree that the AirPods Pro do not offer the highest-quality sound, noise cancellation or ear fit compared to other similarly priced options on our list, but for Apple-centric households with Apple mobile, tablet and computer devices, these earbuds are highly recommended because of the seamless connection and the ability to find missing earbuds with Apple’s “FindMy” technology.

When buyers open a box with Apple AirPods Pro (1st Gen), they will find the AirPods themselves, one for each ear, and three sets of silicone ear tips to help provide a more customized and comfortable fit for individual users. Apple also includes a wireless charging case with the AirPods Pro, which can be engraved or personalized when purchasing AirPods Pro online from Apple. The charging case has a Lightning port at its base, and users can also recharge the case with a Qi-certified wireless charger. A charging cord (Lightning to USB-C cable) is included in the box.

Apple’s AirPods all come in the same classic white color, easily and instantly recognizable by both the color and shape. Each AirPod Pro (1st Gen) is 1.22 inches high, 0.86 inches wide and 0.94 inches deep, weighing 5.4 grams. The charging case is small enough to fit in most pockets at 1.78 inches high, 2.39 inches wide and 0.85 inches deep. Pressing the earbud stems on the AirPod Pro can control the listening and user experience. These earbuds come with three different silicone ear tip options to help provide a more comfortable fit for most listeners.

An audio driver is the part of a headphone or earbud that converts electrical signals into a sound vibration, which is what you hear when listening. The driver in Apple’s AirPods Pro (1st Gen) is a custom high-excursion Apple driver. The earbuds also offer a high dynamic range amplifier, which helps minimize bass distortion, and both ANC (active noise cancellation) and “transparency” modes that users can switch between, depending on how much noise they want filtered from the surroundings. And Apple’s Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking uses sensors in the earbuds to provide an immersive sound experience as users move their heads.

Active noise cancellation, or ANC, is a feature that some earbuds provide in order to create a cleaner and less-distracting listening experience for users. Earbuds with ANC technology have outward-facing microphones that can detect sounds in the environment and those earbuds can then “cancel” any external sounds with anti-noise. Apple AirPods Pro (1st Gen) come with both ANC and “Transparency” modes, which allows users to hear more of their environment but still provides some noise cancellation. To save battery life, users can also decide to turn both ANC and Transparency modes off completely.

Earbud enthusiasts appreciate a quick-charging device that minimizes interruptions in the listening experience, and Apple’s AirPods Pro (1st Gen) provides a full hour of listening time with five minutes of quick charging, about the same as the other fast-charging earbuds on our list. A full charge provides up to six hours of battery life for the earbuds, also comparable to the competition. According to Apple, users can expect up to 3.5 hours of talk time with a single charge and up to 5 hours of listening time if noise cancellation and transparency modes are switched off. The case included with the earbuds also recharges the devices.

The Apple AirPods Pro (1st Gen) are true wireless devices, meaning they can be used and charged without involving any wires or cables. This includes the charging case, which can be charged with a Lightning cable as well as Qi wireless charging technology. These earbuds can pair with smartphones, tablet computers, laptops or desktop computers, and Apple users will find their devices easily and automatically connect to the AirPods Pro with Bluetooth technology. The earbuds are effective up to a range of between 20 and 50 feet.

Like other earbuds, Apple’s AirPods Pro (1st Gen) earbuds measure water resistance according to an IPX rating, which stands for “Ingress Protection Marking” and indicates how effectively the earbuds are protected from water intrusion. The AirPods Pro have an IPX4 rating, meaning that the earbuds are resistant to water splashes from all directions, but they cannot be submerged or exposed to spraying water jets. Although IPX4 is considered “sweatproof,” most professional reviewers recommend earbuds with a tighter ear fit than the AirPods Pro for sports and workout activities.

There is no specific app designed to control or adjust the Apple AirPods Pro (1st Gen), but the Bluetooth menu in the general Settings app on iOS (for iPhones, iPads and iMac computers) gives users the ability to change the noise control settings, change the press-and-hold action for the right or left AirPod, change the microphone settings, and more. Flipping open the charging case near an Apple device (such as an iPhone or an iPad) will also generate a menu that users can use to connect the AirPods to a new device or rename them to something more personal than “AirPods Pro.”

As the first and second choices for our Best Wireless Earbuds of 2023, the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Apple AirPods Pro (1st Gen) are both quality options for users. They are both at the higher end of the price range for wireless earbuds, at $249.00 for the AirPods Pro and $279.99 for the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds. Both devices are True Wireless, have a water-resistance rating of IPX4, and support wireless charging and noise-canceling capabilities.

Professional reviewers point to the exceptional sound quality, relatively long battery life, noise cancellation technology and voice-calling capabilities baked into the Sony WF-1000XM4, all of which make these earbuds a top choice. The battery life on the Sony WF-1000XM4 is a full 8 hours with active noise cancellation (ANC) on, or up to 12 hours with ANC switched off. Apple’s AirPods Pro (1st Gen) earbuds top out at up to 6 hours of listening time, or 4.5 hours with ANC.

Apple’s AirPods Pro (1st Gen) cost nearly three times the price of the Google Pixel Buds A-Series, at $249.00 compared to $99.00. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the AirPods provide additional functionality and technology features that Google’s Pixel Buds do not currently offer. The AirPods Pro (1st Gen) and Pixel Buds A-Series both provide voice-calling capabilities in the earbuds, but the AirPods Pro also have noise cancellation and wireless charging features, both of which the Pixel Buds A-Series lack.

The battery life of the AirPods Pro is slightly better than that of the Pixel Buds A-Series, with up to six hours of battery life for the AirPods compared to five hours for the Pixel Buds. One area where the Pixel Buds outperform the AirPods is the Bluetooth range. Users who need or want to wander away from their devices will find that the Google Pixel Buds have a much larger range, up to 300 feet compared to the AirPods Pro’s 20-to-50-foot range.

The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) place sixth in our overall Best Wireless Earbuds of 2023 rating and second in our Best Apple AirPods of 2023. The Apple AirPods Pro (1st Gen) earbuds place higher than the AirPods (3rd Gen) in both lists due to the extra features on the AirPods Pro, including active noise cancellation (ANC) mode and transparency mode. The AirPods Pro (1st Gen) are also more expensive at $249.00 than the AirPods (3rd Gen) at $179.00.

Professional reviewers note that Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) are a good earbud choice for users who are already using one or more Apple devices, such as an iPhone, iPad or MacBook. The easy integration with other Apple devices and the ability to find lost earbuds using Apple’s FindMy technology are two advantages of purchasing AirPods. They charge quickly, providing an hour of listening or talk time after a five-minute charge, and the charging case provides up to 20 hours of talk time or 30 hours of listening time when it’s fully charged.

Apple’s AirPods (3rd Gen) offer universal sizing, so users cannot customize their earbuds using an ear tip. Like many other earbuds on our list, they are rated IPX4 water-resistant, which means they can tolerate light splashing and sweating but should not be submerged in water. The Bluetooth range is 20 to 50 feet, the same as AirPod Pros (1st Gen) but smaller than some of the other earbuds on our list, which provide Bluetooth ranges of up to 300 feet.

For users who are already familiar with the Apple universe of products and aren’t prioritizing ANC modes in their earbud purchase, AirPods (3rd Gen) would be a solid choice.

The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) cost $179.00. Apple’s AirPod Pros (1st Gen) are more expensive at $249.00, and the Beats Fit Pro are also slightly pricier at $199.99 (Beats is an Apple subsidiary). They do not have the noise cancellation technology found in the Beats Fit Pros or the AirPod Pros, but they charge quickly (providing an hour of listening time after five minutes of charging) and offer decent audio quality.

Apple’s AirPods (3rd Gen) come packaged with a charging case, either a case with a Lightning port for charging, or a case that’s compatible with MagSafe wireless charging technology, so users with a MagSafe charger for an Apple Watch or iPhone can also use it to charge their new AirPod case. Buyers will find the case plus two AirPods (one right and one left) and a Lightning to USB-C charging cable. Users must provide their own USB-C plug-in adapter. These AirPods come in one universal size, so there are no ear tips included with the AirPods (3rd Gen).

Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) come in one color: classic white. They measure 1.21 inches in height and about three-quarters of an inch in both width and depth, and weigh just over four grams. The charging case, also white, is pocket-sized at 2.14 inches wide, 1.83 inches high, and 0.84 inches deep. The earbuds come in a single universal size and do not use tips. Touch controls on each earbud stem allow wearers to play and pause music or sound, answer phone calls, and skip forward or backward.

In an earbud, an audio driver is the component that takes the electrical signal being transmitted to the earbud and converts it into a sound. Apple’s AirPods (3rd Gen) use a custom high-excursion Apple driver with adaptive EQ, which tunes and adjusts the music or sound as it’s piped into a user’s ears. These earbuds also offer spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. Turning on this feature with supported shows, movies, or FaceTime calls gives an immersive and theater-like experience, through which sound can come from all around the listener.

Many of the latest earbuds and headphones offer active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes, which allow the listener to control the amount of external noise that they can hear when wearing the devices. Microphones facing the external environment detect noise levels and sources, then counter any noise interference with anti-noise, effectively “canceling” the outside sound and preventing the user from hearing it. Transparency mode allows some noise to be heard. Apple’s AirPods (3rd Gen) do not feature ANC or transparency modes. Users can make some sound adjustments to the earbuds using the iOS Settings app.

Like many other earbuds in our top list, Apple’s AirPods (3rd Gen) charge quickly in the case, offering about one hour of listening or talk time after a five-minute charge. The fully charged battery life extends to about six hours of listening time, or five hours when personalized spatial audio is enabled, and about four hours of talk time. The Apple AirPod (3rd Gen) charging case provides up to 30 hours of listening time or 20 hours of talk time for the earbuds before it needs to be recharged.

The interconnectivity of Apple products is one big reason why professional reviewers recommend Apple AirPods for users who already have iPhones, iPads, or other Apple devices. The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) pair seamlessly with MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones. They also can be added to Apple’s FindMy, which can locate missing devices. The Bluetooth range is lower than some of the other earbuds on our top list at 20 to 50 feet, compared to up to 300 feet for some earbuds. These are true wireless earbuds, meaning the earbuds themselves do not use any wires and are charged entirely wirelessly.

An IPX rating indicates the level of water resistance that an electronic device has. At IPX4, the Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) are rated the same as the other earbuds in our top lists. The AirPods themselves, as well as the charging case, are water-resistant and sweat-resistant, but they are not entirely waterproof. This means they can tolerate workouts with heavy sweating or some water splashes, but they cannot be completely submerged in water, such as when swimming or showering. Users should dry their devices before attempting to charge them.

Apple does not provide an app that can be used to control or adjust its AirPods. Instead, when pairing AirPods for the first time, users can open the lid to the charging case, which will surface a menu where they can change the earbuds’ display name and pair the listening hardware to an Apple device. To make further tweaks to one or both earbuds, users can open up the Bluetooth section of the iOS Settings app on any iPhone, iPad or MacBook to change noise control or noise cancellation settings, adjust the user actions for the AirPod stems, change microphone settings and more.

Because Beats is a subsidiary of Apple, professional reviewers note that Apple-driven households might consider the Beats Fit Pro as a solid alternative to AirPods because they integrate equally well with Apple products, like the iPhone. The Beats Fit Pro ($199.99) and the Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) ($179.00) are relatively close in price, but the Beats Fit Pro offer more features than the AirPods (3rd Gen).

Users can purchase Beats Fit Pro in seven colors, compared to one (white) for AirPods. Beats Fit Pro also features active noise cancellation (ANC) mode and a Bluetooth range of up to 300 feet. The AirPods range is 20 to 50 feet, and they do not have ANC mode. Battery life between the two devices is comparable, at up to six hours on a full charge for each.

For users who want ANC in their earbuds, or for active users who are seeking a securely fitting earbud that is compatible with their workouts, the Beats Fit Pro are probably the best option, according to professional reviewers.

At $179.00 for Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) and $149.99 for Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, the two options are comparably priced, but there are some differences in features and choices that might sway a user one way or another. Like all Apple AirPods, the AirPods (3rd Gen) come in a single color, white, while the Galaxy Buds2 can be purchased in white as well as graphite, lavender, and olive shades.

The Galaxy Buds2 provide active noise cancellation (ANC) mode for users, which the AirPods (3rd Gen) do not offer. Bluetooth range for both devices is comparable, at 30 to 45 feet for the Galaxy Buds2 and 20 to 50 feet for AirPods (3rd Gen).

Professional reviewers say that the Samsung earbuds fit comfortably, but that the sound quality can be dull. The lack of controls on the earbuds themselves could also be a drawback for some users. Reviewers also note that users must download a separate app to a Samsung Galaxy phone in order to control the earbuds.