True Wireless
Apple AirPods Pro 3
86Outstanding
$180
Full review dataApple AirPods Pro 3 vs Huawei FreeBuds Neo: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Apple AirPods Pro 3 comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 86. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Apple AirPods Pro 3 - Outstanding overall at around $179.
True Wireless
Huawei FreeBuds Neo
85Outstanding
$110
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Huawei FreeBuds Neo leads on 4 of 7 measures.
- Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Huawei FreeBuds Neo
HearWiki score
86
85
Sound
8.6
8.0
Noise cancelling
9.3
8.0
Battery
7.3
8.0
Calls
7.4
8.0
Value
8.3
9.0
Price (USD)
$180
$110
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Half a step newer
Huawei FreeBuds Neo (2026) against Apple AirPods Pro 3 (2025). The Huawei FreeBuds Neo edges ahead on platform, but only just: Top codec LDAC against AAC. The Apple AirPods Pro 3 answers on convenience features: it adds Water resistance IP57 against IP55.
- AirPods Pro 32025
- FreeBuds Neo20261 yr newer
What differsAirPods Pro 3FreeBuds Neo
- Top codec
- AAC
- LDAC
- Water resistance
- IP57
- IP55
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: ANC type, Transparency mode, Companion app.
Specifications
AirPods Pro 3FreeBuds Neo
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $180
- $110
- HearWiki score
- 86
- 85
- Released
- 2025
- 2026
- Availability
- Sold new
- Sold new
- Driver
- 10.7 mm dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 10.7 mm
- -
- Drivers per side
- 1
- -
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- 10 Hz - 48 kHz
- Sensitivity
- 110 dB/mW
- -
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- -
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC
- LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- -
- Battery life
- 8 h
- 10 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 8 h
- 6.5 h
- Battery incl. case
- -
- 40 h
- Wireless charging
- Yes
- -
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- -
- Yes
- Wear detection
- Yes
- -
- Controls
- touch
- touch
- Voice assistant
- Siri
- -
- Weight
- 5.5 g
- 4.8 g
- Case weight
- 44 g
- -
- Water resistance
- IP57
- IP55
- USB-C
- Yes
- -
- Microphones
- 3
- 4
- Microphone type
- beamforming
- -
What reviewers said
Apple AirPods Pro 3
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are premium true wireless earbuds that deliver top-tier active noise cancellation, clear call quality, and a well-balanced sound profile. They offer a robust feature set including adaptive ANC, wireless charging, and IP57 water resistance, though their higher price and somewhat finicky fit may give some buyers pause. Overall, they stand out as a polished, high-performance option for iOS users willing to invest in a premium experience.
- Pro:Excellent active noise cancellation
- Pro:Clear call quality in noisy environments
- Pro:Strong battery life with the charging case
- Con:Fit can be finicky and may lose seal easily
- Con:Premium price point
- Con:Only supports AAC codec
Huawei FreeBuds Neo
The Huawei FreeBuds Neo are lightweight, adaptive-noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds designed for everyday comfort and travel. They offer a balanced, lively sound with LDAC support and a practical, understated design, making them a solid mid-range choice for most users. While they excel in fit and call quality, they may not fully satisfy audiophiles or Apple ecosystem loyalists.
- Pro:Lightweight and comfortable for extended wear
- Pro:Effective adaptive noise cancellation
- Pro:Supports LDAC for high-resolution audio
- Con:Battery life with ANC is modest at 6.5 hours
- Con:May lack appeal for audiophiles seeking specialized tuning
- Con:Apple users might prefer AirPods Pro integration
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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