AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case
H3 · Adaptive ANC · Real-time translation
AirPods Pro 3
H2 chip · IP57 · 8 h ANC
AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case lands at 94 and AirPods Pro 3 at 92. That puts AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case ahead by 2 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case if…
- ✓H3 chip doubles ANC performance
- ✓Real-time Live Translate
- ✓Improved fit/heart-rate sensor
Pick AirPods Pro 3 if…
- ✓Up to 8 hours ANC on a single charge
- ✓IP57 dust + water resistance
- ✓MagSafe, Qi, Apple Watch + USB-C charging
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case | AirPods Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | H3 | Apple H2 headphone chip |
| Battery | 6 h (ANC) / 35 h case | — |
| Connectivity | BT 5.4 | — |
| Water rating | IP57 | IP57 (case + earbuds) |
| Release year | 2025 | — |
| Battery (ANC on) | — | Up to 8 hours |
| Battery (with case, ANC on) | — | Up to 24 hours |
| Microphones | — | Dual beamforming + inward-facing + speech-detecting accelerometer |
| Bluetooth | — | 5.3 |
| Charging | — | MagSafe / Apple Watch charger / Qi / USB-C |
AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case
- +H3 chip doubles ANC performance
- +Real-time Live Translate
- +Improved fit/heart-rate sensor
- −Pricier than AirPods Pro 3
- −Android compatibility limited
- −Battery ~6h still
AirPods Pro 3
- +Up to 8 hours ANC on a single charge
- +IP57 dust + water resistance
- +MagSafe, Qi, Apple Watch + USB-C charging
- −Android features remain limited
- −Premium price
- −In-ear fit not for everyone
FAQ: AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case vs AirPods Pro 3
Which is better, AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case or AirPods Pro 3? +
AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case scores 94 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 2. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case worth the price? +
At $279, AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case delivers a Specdex score of 94 — strongest in features.
Is AirPods Pro 3 worth the price? +
At $249, AirPods Pro 3 delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in features.
Does AirPods Pro 4 · Midnight Black · standard case or AirPods Pro 3 last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.