Is the Apple AirPods 3 worth the upgrade from the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Apple AirPods 3 actually scores 8.0 points below the Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on value (8.5 to 7.0) and sound (8.5 to 7.5). On paper: case weight 51 g to 37.91 g. Worth checking: battery life goes 10 h to 6 h and active noise cancelling goes Yes to No. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Liberty 4 Pro to AirPods 3), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. It is at least $66 cheaper, so the lower score comes with a saving. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.57.5
- Battery7.57.0
- Calls8.08.0
- Value8.57.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Liberty 4 Pro | AirPods 3 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 10 h | 6 h | |
| Active noise cancelling | Yes | No | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | SBC, AAC | |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.0 | |
| Multipoint pairing | Yes | No | |
| Water resistance | IPX5 | IPX4 | |
| Battery incl. case | 40 h | 30 h | |
| Microphones | 6 | 3 | |
| Case weight | 51 g | 37.91 g | |
| Transparency mode | Yes | No | |
| Companion app | Yes | No | |
| USB-C | Yes | No | |
| ANC type | hybrid | none | |
| Controls | touch | both |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Liberty 4 Pro to AirPods 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.