True Wireless
Apple AirPods Pro 3
88Outstanding
$180
Full review dataApple AirPods Pro 3 vs Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Apple AirPods Pro 3 comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 88. 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 5
83Great
$200
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 3 of 7 measures.
- Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5
HearWiki score
88
83
Sound
8.6
8.6
Noise cancelling
9.3
8.7
Battery
7.3
8.2
Calls
7.4
8.7
Value
8.3
8.3
Price (USD)
$180
$200
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?
New platform
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 (2026) against Apple AirPods Pro 3 (2025). The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 6.0 against 5.3 and Top codec LDAC against AAC.
- AirPods Pro 32025
- FreeBuds Pro 520261 yr newer
What differsAirPods Pro 3FreeBuds Pro 5
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 6.0
- Top codec
- AAC
- LDAC
Platform
Level on: Multipoint pairing, Wireless charging, USB-C, Wear detection, Transparency mode, Companion app, Water resistance.
Specifications
AirPods Pro 3FreeBuds Pro 5
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $180
- $200
- HearWiki score
- 88
- 83
- Released
- 2025
- 2026
- Availability
- Sold new
- 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
- 10 Hz - 48 kHz
- Sensitivity
- 110 dB/mW
- -
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- 6.0
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC
- LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Wireless range
- -
- 12 m
- Battery life
- 8 h
- 9 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 8 h
- 5 h
- Battery incl. case
- -
- 33 h
- Full charge time
- -
- 40 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 3 min → 1 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
- 5.5 g
- Case weight
- 44 g
- 43 g
- Water resistance
- IP57
- IP57
- Detachable cable
- -
- No
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Pad material
- -
- silicone
- Microphones
- 3
- 3
- Microphone type
- beamforming
- MEMS
- Call noise reduction
- -
- Yes
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 Pro 5
The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 are high-end true wireless earbuds with adaptive noise cancellation and a robust IP57 rating for water and dust resistance. They deliver a wide frequency response up to 48 kHz, support Bluetooth 6, and offer strong battery life with quick charging, making them a solid pick for those seeking premium features and connectivity.
- Pro:Excellent adaptive noise cancellation
- Pro:Strong IP57 water resistance for earbuds
- Pro:Wide 10 Hz–48 kHz frequency range
- Con:Battery life drops significantly with ANC on (6 hours)
- Con:Requires compatible devices for L2HC codec full quality
- Con:Price is on the higher side for TWS earbuds
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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