True Wireless
Apple AirPods Pro 3
86Outstanding
$180
Full review dataApple AirPods Pro 3 vs Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3: 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 Pro 3
70Good
$130
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 leads on 5 of 7 measures.
- Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3
HearWiki score
86
70
Sound
8.6
7.0
Noise cancelling
9.3
7.8
Battery
7.3
5.8
Calls
7.4
8.7
Value
8.3
7.2
Price (USD)
$180
$130
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
Apple AirPods Pro 3 (2025) against Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 (2023). The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 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 IP54.
- AirPods Pro 320252 yr newer
- FreeBuds Pro 32023
What differsAirPods Pro 3FreeBuds Pro 3
- Top codec
- AAC
- LDAC
- Water resistance
- IP57
- IP54
Platform
Everyday features
Level on: Multipoint pairing, Wireless charging, USB-C, Wear detection, Transparency mode, Companion app.
Specifications
AirPods Pro 3FreeBuds Pro 3
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $180
- $130
- HearWiki score
- 86
- 70
- Released
- 2025
- 2023
- Availability
- Sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- 10.7 mm dynamic
- 2-driver hybrid
- Driver type
- dynamic
- hybrid
- Driver size
- 10.7 mm
- 11 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 2
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- 14 Hz - 48 kHz
- Sensitivity
- 110 dB/mW
- -
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- -
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC
- SBC, AAC, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Battery life
- 8 h
- 6.5 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 8 h
- 4.5 h
- Battery incl. case
- -
- 31 h
- Full charge time
- -
- 40 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 10 min → 2 h
- Wireless charging
- Yes
- Yes
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- -
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- -
- Yes
- Wear detection
- Yes
- Yes
- Controls
- touch
- touch
- Voice assistant
- Siri
- Yes
- Weight
- 5.5 g
- 5.8 g
- Case weight
- 44 g
- 45.5 g
- Water resistance
- IP57
- IP54
- USB-C
- Yes
- 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 combine adaptive active noise cancellation with a comfortable, secure fit. They deliver clear calls, robust battery life, and a balanced sound profile, all wrapped in an IP57-rated design that handles water and dust. With Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint connectivity, and wireless charging, they offer a polished experience for Apple and non-Apple users alike.
- Pro:Excellent adaptive noise cancellation
- Pro:Clear call quality with beamforming mics
- Pro:Strong battery life of 8 hours with ANC on
- Con:Fit may be tricky for some ears
- Con:Premium price point
- Con:Limited codec support (SBC, AAC only)
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3
The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 are well-rounded true wireless earbuds that combine a dual-driver setup, effective noise cancellation, and versatile codec support, including LDAC and L2HC2.0, for solid audio performance. While they don't bring dramatic changes over their predecessor, they offer dependable battery life, multipoint connectivity, and a robust feature set that makes them a strong mid-range choice.
- Pro:Strong hybrid dual-driver sound quality
- Pro:Effective ANC and transparency mode
- Pro:Supports LDAC and L2HC2.0 high-res codecs
- Con:Iterative update over previous model
- Con:App software can feel clunky
- Con:Battery life with ANC is modest
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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