Is the Apple AirPods Pro 3 worth the upgrade from the Nothing Ear (a)?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 scores 6.0 points above the Nothing Ear (a). That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in noise cancelling (7.5 to 9.5), sound (8.0 to 8.5) and calls (8.0 to 8.5). You do give up ground on value (8.5 to 7.5) and battery (8.5 to 8.0). On paper: battery life (anc on) 5.5 h to 8 h, wireless charging and wear detection. Worth checking: battery life goes 9.5 h to 8 h and codecs goes SBC, AAC, LDAC to SBC, AAC. That costs $152 more, or about $25 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.08.5
- Noise cancelling7.59.5
- Battery8.58.0
- Calls8.08.5
- Value8.57.5
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Ear (a) | AirPods Pro 3 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 9.5 h | 8 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | SBC, AAC | |
| Weight | 4.8 g | 10.1 g | |
| Water resistance | IP54 | IP57 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 5.5 h | 8 h | |
| Battery incl. case | 42.5 h | 24 h | |
| Drivers per side | 2 | 1 | |
| Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
| Wear detection | No | Yes | |
| ANC type | hybrid | adaptive | |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 10 h (ANC off) | 5 minutes in case = about 1 hour listening time | |
| Frequency response | 20Hz-20kHz | 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Ear (a) to AirPods Pro 3". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.