Apple AirPods Pro 3: MagSafe charging case (USB-C) with speaker
Sony WH-1000XM5: WH-1000XM5; colours vary by region: black, silver, midnight blue, pink and platinum. The later WH-1000XM6 is a separate product.
| Specification | Apple AirPods Pro 3 | Sony WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Release year | 2025 | 2022 |
| Announcement and sale | Announced 9 September 2025; in stores 19 September 2025 Apple | — |
| Chips | Apple H2 in the earbuds; second-generation Ultra Wideband (U2) chip in the charging case Apple | — |
| Audio hardware | Custom high-excursion Apple driver; custom high dynamic range amplifier Apple | — |
| Noise control | Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness Apple | — |
| Spatial audio | Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking Apple | DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio support Sony |
| Ear tips | Foam-infused silicone tips; five sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L Apple | — |
| Heart rate sensing | Optical heart rate sensor (PPG) in the earbuds; infrared pulsed 256 times per second Apple | — |
| Microphones and sensors | Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone; skin-detect sensor, motion- and speech-detecting accelerometers Apple | — |
| Hearing features | Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, Hearing Protection Apple | — |
| Live Translation | Live Translation (beta) with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone on iOS 26 Apple | — |
| Controls | Stem press and swipe: play/pause, calls, mode switching, volume; “Siri” voice command Apple | — |
| Battery (earbuds) | Up to 8 hours with ANC at 50% volume; 7.5 hours with Spatial Audio and head tracking; 6.5 hours in workouts with heart rate; 10 hours in Hearing Aid mode Apple | — |
| Battery (with case) | Up to 24 hours total with ANC; 5 minutes in the case gives about 1 hour of listening Apple | — |
| Charging case | USB-C, MagSafe, Apple Watch charger or Qi-certified charger; speaker for Find My; lanyard loop Apple | — |
| Durability | IP57 (IEC 60529); earbuds and charging case Apple | — |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 Apple | — |
| Compatibility | Latest iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS; basic Bluetooth headphones on other devices Apple | — |
| Size and weight | Earbud (each) 30.9 × 19.2 × 27.0 mm, 5.55 g; case 47.2 × 62.2 × 21.8 mm, 43.99 g Apple | — |
| Driver | — | 30 mm dynamic driver, closed back, neodymium magnet Sony |
| Frequency response | — | Bluetooth: 20 Hz–20 kHz (44.1 kHz), 20 Hz–40 kHz with LDAC (96 kHz/990 kbps); wired: 4 Hz–40 kHz Sony |
| Bluetooth and codecs | — | Bluetooth 5.2; SBC, AAC, LDAC; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP; multipoint (two devices) Sony |
| Noise cancelling | — | Active noise cancelling; Integrated Processor V1 and HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1; 8 microphones in total (4 noise-sensing per earcup) Sony |
| Call microphones | — | 4 beamforming microphones; AI-based noise reduction, wind noise reduction Sony |
| Battery | — | 30 hours of music with noise cancelling on, 40 hours off; 24/32 hours of calls Sony |
| Charging | — | Full charge in about 3.5 hours via USB; about 3 hours of playback from 3 minutes with a USB-PD adapter Sony |
| Controls and sensors | — | Touch panel on the right earcup; NC/Ambient button on the left; wear sensor; Speak-to-Chat Sony |
| Impedance and sensitivity | — | 48 Ω when on, 16 Ω when off; 102/100 dB/mW Sony |
| Weight and in the box | — | About 250 g; soft collapsible carrying case, 1.2 m L-shaped cable (3.5 mm), USB charging cable Sony |
| App | — | Sony Sound Connect: equaliser, shortcut settings, listening history, Safe Listening Sony |