Technologies

Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods 3: The Biggest Differences

Active noise cancellation is the biggest benefit you’ll get from buying the AirPods Pro 2 over the AirPods 3.

If you’re trying to decide between Apple’s AirPods 3 and its AirPods Pro 2, the biggest questions are whether you want active noise cancellation in a noise-isolating design or open earbuds that don’t require you to jam silicone ear tips into your ears. Yes, there’s a price difference — the AirPods Pro 2 sell for about $200 online while the AirPods 3 cost about $150. But with only about $50 separating the two AirPods models, it’s probably more important to focus on those key differences rather than dwelling too much on their price.

Apple has bridged the gap between its Pro and regular AirPods by upgrading the AirPods 3’s design — it now looks more like the Pro’s design minus the silicone ear tips — and giving it the same IPX4 splash-proof water resistance rating. Additionally, the AirPods 3, like the AirPods Pro and Pro 2, also have Apple’s spatial audio with head-tracking feature.

Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds for 2023

But there are still certain benefits you can only get on the $249 AirPods Pro 2, the biggest being active noise cancellation and transparency mode. Multiple ear tip sizes, the ability to swipe up and down to control music volume and ultra wideband support are also exclusive to the Pro 2. But noise cancellation will likely make the biggest impact in everyday use, and it’s the most important factor to consider.

AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods 3

	AirPods Pro 2	AirPods 3
Price (USD)	$249	$169 (Lightning case)
Price (UK)	£249	£179 (Lightning case)
Price (AU)	AU$399	AU$279 (Lightning case)
Weight (earbuds)	0.19 ounce	0.15 ounce
Audio features	Active noise cancellation, Adaptive transparency, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking	Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking
Audio technology	Adaptive EQ, custom high-excursion Apple driver, custom high dynamic range amplifier, vent system for pressure equalization	Adaptive EQ, custom high-excursion Apple driver, custom high dynamic range amplifier
Durability	IPX4 sweat and water resistant	IPX4 sweat and water resistant
Charging	MagSafe or Lightning	MagSafe or Lightning (extra $10 for MagSafe case)
Multiple ear tips	Yes	No
Chip	H2 chip, U1 chip in charging case	H1 chip
Battery life (earbuds)	6 hours of listening time	6 hours of listening time
Battery life (case)	30 hours of listening time	30 hours of listening time
Microphones	Dual beamforming microphones; inward-facing microphone	Dual beamforming microphones; inward-facing microphone
Sensors	Skin detect sensor, motion detecting accelerometer, speech detecting accelerometer, touch control	Skin detect sensor, motion detecting accelerometer, speech detecting accelerometer, Force sensor
Controls	Hey Siri, touch controls	Hey Siri, Force sensor

AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods 3: Design and case

The AirPods Pro 2 pictured with their case — The AirPods Pro 2.

David Carnoy/CNET

The biggest difference in terms of design is that the $169 AirPods don’t have interchangeable silicone tips like the AirPods Pro 2, which include four sizes to choose from. The AirPods 3 are also lighter than the AirPods Pro 2 at 0.15 ounce (4.3 grams) versus 0.19 ounce (5.3 grams).

The AirPods 3 and new AirPods Pro share some similarities when it comes to design, although it’s very easy to tell them apart. The AirPods Pro 2’s stems, for example, are noticeably shorter than those on the AirPods 3. But both models are sweat and water resistant, which could make them more appealing than the $129 regular AirPods for those who want to wear them during exercise.

AirPods 3rd Generation — The third-generation AirPods.

David Carnoy/CNET

The case for the AirPods 3 sort of looks like a cross between the case for the standard AirPods and that of the AirPods Pro. It’s much shorter and wider than the entry-level AirPods case, but it’s not as wide as the holster for the AirPods Pro. You can also charge the case for the AirPods 3 or the AirPods Pro via Apple’s wireless MagSafe charger, or by plugging it in with a Lightning cable. But you’ll have to pay an extra $10 to get the MagSafe wireless charging case bundled with the AirPods 3. The MagSafe-compatible case for the AirPods Pro 2 also has a lanyard loop, unlike the AirPods 3’s case.

The second-generation AirPods Pro’s case also has another capability: ultra wideband support. That essentially means the case has a built-in AirTag for easier location tracking.

Watch this: AirPods Pro 2 Review: Hard to Beat for Apple Users

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AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods 3: Audio

AirPods Pro 2 being held by the stem — The AirPods Pro 2 have active noise cancellation and transparency mode.

David Carnoy/CNET

You’ll still have to splurge on Apple’s top-of-the-line earbuds to get active noise cancellation and transparency mode. Since the second-generation AirPods Pro have Apple’s new H2 chip, they can cancel up to twice as much noise as the previous AirPods Pro, according to Apple’s claims. Transparency Mode has also gotten an upgrade on the second-generation model. The new chip can reduce loud noises from your surroundings when in Transparency Mode, which should make sounds like a passing vehicle seem less jarring.

That new H2 chip also brings improved audio to the AirPods Pro 2, further distinguishing them from the AirPods 3. As my colleague David Carnoy wrote in his review, the H2’s computational power helps the AirPods Pro process a broader range of frequencies.

You’ll also get swipe controls for managing volume levels on the AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods 3 just have Apple’s force sensors, which you can press to skip ahead, pause music or answer calls.

But both the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 3 have dynamic spatial audio and adaptive EQ. The former is essentially virtual surround sound, while the latter adjusts the sound to your ears.

AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods 3: Battery life

The AirPods 3 on a MagSafe charger — The AirPods 3 (pictured) and AirPods Pro 2 offer similar battery life.

David Carnoy/CNET

Battery life is similar for both models, although there are some slight differences. Both earbuds should provide up to 6 hours of listening time, according to Apple’s claims. But you’ll get 5.5 hours of battery life when using spatial audio and head tracking on the AirPods Pro 2, while the AirPods 3 offer slightly shorter 5-hour battery life with that surround sound feature enabled. Apple also claims the AirPods Pro 2 provides 4.5 hours of talk time, while the AirPods 3 offer up to 4 hours.

The case for both earbuds should provide up to 30 hours of listening time, says Apple. But when it comes to talk time, you can expect to get 24 hours from the AirPods Pro 2’s case and 20 hours from the AirPods 3’s case. Five minutes in each case is expected to replenish around one hour of listening time or roughly 1 hour of talk time.

AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods 3: How to choose

The AirPods Pro 2 are for those who want active noise cancellation, better audio and a more customizable fit. You’ll also get some other perks, like the ability to track them down more easily should they get lost, thanks to the U1 chip. The AirPods 3 are a more suitable choice if you don’t care about noise cancellation and prefer earbuds with an open design (and yes, they cost about $50 less, so they do offer some appeal to those on tighter budgets). At the same time, the AirPods 3 still have more to offer than the AirPods 2, which lack features like water resistance, adaptive EQ and spatial audio with head-tracking.

David Carnoy/CNET

Apple AirPods Pro 2

Battery Life Rated up to 6 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (ANC)Multipoint NoHeadphone Type Wireless earbudsWater-Resistant Yes (IPX4 — splash-proof)

The new AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are powered by Apple’s new H2 chip, which delivers more processing power while being more energy efficient, according to Apple. The new chip, combined with new low-distortion drivers, allows for improved sound that offers better clarity and depth. The noise canceling is also improved — Apple says the new AirPods have «double» the noise canceling of the original AirPods Pro. Additionally, the new AirPods add an extra hour of battery life, up from five to six hours with noise canceling on. Plus, a speaker in the case that emits a sound that helps locate your buds via Find My should they decide to hide from you.

Note that while Apple has discontinued the , they’ll remain on sale until supplies are exhausted. However, most people should get this newer model if they can afford it. The AirPods Pro 2 continue to see small discounts, dipping to as low as $223 during Amazon’ Early Access Prime event in October.

Read our Apple AirPods Pro 2 review.

$200 at Amazon $249 at Crutchfield $249 at Apple

David Carnoy/CNET

Apple AirPods 3

Battery Life Rated up to 6 hoursNoise Canceling NoMultipoint NoHeadphone Type Wireless earbudsWater-Resistant Yes (IPX4 — splash-proof)

Take one look at the new design of the third-gen AirPods, and the first thing you’ll probably think is: «Those look like the AirPods Pro without ear tips.» You wouldn’t be wrong. While they’re more fraternal than identical twins, the AirPods 3 are shaped like the AirPods Pro, with the same shorter stems and same pinch controls as those of the Pro. Aside from the design change, which should fit most ears better than the AirPods 2nd Generation (though not very small ears), the biggest change is to the sound quality: It’s much improved. Also, battery life is better, and the AirPods 3 are officially water-resistant.

Read our Apple AirPods 3 review.

$179 at Apple $150 at Target $196 at Amazon

More headphone recommendations

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for March 13 #740

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for March 13, No. 740.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be easy for fans of a certain musical genre. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Mountain band.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Traditional tunes.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

BLUE, GAME, CHAR, CHARM, SARGE, SEEN, BRAT, BRIT, RILE, NOSE, DARN

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

BANJO, FIDDLE, GUITAR, MANDOLIN, HARMONICA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is BLUEGRASSMUSIC. To find it, start with the B that’s three letters to the right on the bottom row, and wind up and around.

Quick tips for Strands

#1: To get more clue words, see if you can tweak the words you’ve already found, by adding an «S» or other variants. And if you find a word like WILL, see if other letters are close enough to help you make SILL, or BILL.

#2: Once you get one theme word, look at the puzzle to see if you can spot other related words.

#3: If you’ve been given the letters for a theme word, but can’t figure it out, guess three more clue words, and the puzzle will light up each letter in order, revealing the word.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for March 13, #1006

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for March 13, No. 1,006.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. That purple one is a real head-scratcher, once again. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: I don’t want that.

Green group hint: Time to count.

Blue group hint: Not floors or ceilings.

Purple group hint: Sounds like…

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: «No thanks.»

Green group: Kinds of numbers.

Blue group: Kinds of walls.

Purple group: Homophones of non-numeric amounts.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is «No thanks.» The four answers are later, nah, next time and pass.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is kinds of numbers. The four answers are even, irrational, perfect and prime.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is kinds of walls. The four answers are Berlin, brick, fourth and Great.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is homophones of non-numeric amounts. The four answers are awl (all), nun (none), phew (few) and sum (some).

Quick tips for Connections

#1: Say the clue words out loud, pausing before and after each. That helps you hear the words in the context of a phrase. The Connections editors love to group words together that are used in similar phrasing, like ____ Up.

#2: Don’t go for the obvious grouping. These editors are smart. Once, they offered SPONGE, BOB, SQUARE and PANTS in the same puzzle. None of those words were in the same category. If you like, hit the «shuffle» button to give yourself a different perspective on the words.

#3: Break down any compound words and look for similarities. «Rushmore» was once in a puzzle where the connection was that each word started with the name of a rock band.

Technologies

iPhone Lost and Battery Drained? Here’s How You Can Still Find It

Even a dead battery can’t keep you and your misplaced iPhone apart. This is the ultimate guide to using Find My to locate a dead iPhone.

You’d think it’s impossible to lose track of an iPhone you carry everywhere, but we do it all the time — too often before we have a chance to charge it. Apple’s Find My feature, with its crowdsourced Find My Network, will usually pinpoint the phone’s location. But what about when the battery is totally drained?

Turns out Find My works even then. It sends your phone’s location to iCloud, even when the device is off. For added defense, Stolen Device Protection secures sensitive data, such as credit cards and passwords.

If you have an iPhone 11 or newer model (excluding the 2020 and 2022 iPhone SE, the iPhone 16E and iPhone 17E), you have the ultra-wideband chip for offline finding. As long as Find My is enabled and you’re signed in to your Apple ID, you can locate your iPhone even if the battery is dead. Before panicking, follow these steps to recover your phone.

Apple Find My and Find My Network aren’t the same

Apple Find My and Find My Network are different, which can be confusing. While Find My is the name of an app, the Find My Network is what allows you to locate your device when it’s offline, turned off or low on power. It’s also how AirTags update their locations automatically, even when buried at the bottom of luggage on a plane.

You can use the Find My Network feature within Apple’s Find My app or sign into your Apple ID at iCloud.com to locate your misplaced iPhone. Plus, the app also allows you to add other Apple products and items that you want to track to your Find My Network.

How to turn on Find My and Find My Network

You need to make sure Find My and Find My Network are set up to allow you to locate your switched-off iPhone. Open Settings and follow these steps:

Tap on your name in the Settings menu.
Go to Find My > Find My iPhone and make sure the switch is toggled on.
Below Find My iPhone, you’ll see Find My Network and Send Last Location toggles. Turn them on, too.

You can check if your iPhone is discoverable even when it’s switched off by going to the power menu: Swipe down from the top-right corner to view Control Center and press and hold the power button in that corner, or hold the side and volume down button. Under the «slide to power off» slider, look for «iPhone Findable After Power Off.» Your iPhone is now all set to be found, even if a thief turns it off.

However, there are a few exceptions. If your iPhone hasn’t sent its location to Apple through Find My in the last seven days, you’ll see «No location found» next to your device. It can happen if there’s an issue with your device’s location services.

How to find a lost iPhone with the Find My app on another Apple device

Now comes the hard part: What happens after you lose your iPhone? Assuming you’ve completed the steps above, you can keep calm. If you have another Apple device, such as an Apple Watch, iPad or MacBook, follow the steps below to locate your misplaced or stolen iPhone. This will also work on a friend’s or family member’s device that you’ve shared your location with.

Open the Find My app and locate your iPhone in the list under the Devices tab. You should see it in this list (even if it’s powered off) as long as you have previously enabled the Find My iPhone, Find My Network and Send Last Location options.
Tap or click the name of your iPhone. This should take you to a menu with several options for finding your phone or marking it as lost.
If you misplaced your iPhone and you’re sure that it’s nearby, tap or click Play Sound or Directions to make the device play a sound or get directions to the device’s last recorded location, respectively.
If you’re sure your iPhone is stolen, tap Activate under the Mark As Lost option. This immediately locks the device with your passcode, suspends Apple Pay and displays a custom message with your contact information for anyone who finds it. You can also use Send Last Location to locate the last known location of your device.

How to find a lost iPhone if you don’t have another Apple device

In case you don’t have another Apple device, you can sign into your iCloud account in a web browser to find your lost iPhone (though this option can be troublesome if you don’t have another Apple device because of two-factor authentication). Follow these steps to use a web browser to see your lost iPhone’s location:

Go to icloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple ID.
Go to the Devices list.
From here, use the same options for playing a sound, marking your device as lost or erasing the device as you would in the app.

You can also disable Control Center access on the lock screen while traveling abroad to prevent a thief from turning off data or enabling Airplane mode. To do this, do the following:

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) and enter your passcode.
Under the Allow Access When Locked section, toggle off the Control Center option.

This option can add some inconvenience to day-to-day use, but I recommend turning off Control Center while traveling.

These settings give you the best chance of finding your iPhone if it’s been stolen and turned off. For more iPhone tips and advice, check out our guide to the Camera Control and how to block distracting websites.