Apple AirPods 3 Review: A Likeable Upgrade for Runners That Costs Too Much

Introduction

The Apple AirPods 3 are the kind of earbuds that are easy to live with. They are small, quick to connect, and simple to use, and for a lot of everyday listening and casual running that counts for a lot. They are also, unfortunately, priced at a level where very good alternatives start to look far more compelling.

This review looks at how they hold up for running and day-to-day use, and whether the upgrade over the previous generation justifies the outlay.

Design and Features

The design is the classic open-fit approach: a bud that sits in the ear with no in-ear tips, wings, or hooks. It is a simple, unfussy layout, smaller than the original AirPods and closer in look to the AirPods Pro with a short stem. That stem carries force touch controls, so a squeeze plays or pauses and a double squeeze skips tracks.

The bigger upgrades are adaptive EQ and spatial audio. Rather than a customizable EQ in an app, the buds sense your music, ear shape, and surroundings and tune the sound automatically. Spatial audio creates a more atmospheric feel, and with head tracking enabled, sound adjusts as you turn your head while watching video so it stays anchored to the screen. Even without head tracking, spatial audio adds depth and warmth to a lot of music.

Battery is a genuine bump: up to six hours in the buds instead of five, plus another 30 hours from the case, with MagSafe charging supported. Both buds and case are IPX4 rated, which resists rain and sweat well enough for running, though neither is fully waterproof like some sports buds.

Fit and Comfort

Fit is the make-or-break question with open-fit buds, and it works very well for some people and not at all for others. For the reviewer, they sit comfortably on the ear, never move an inch over long runs, and stay put through other workouts including yoga with inversions. They are lightweight, do not become painful over time because nothing presses into the ear canal, and let in enough external noise that you stay naturally aware of traffic without needing a dedicated awareness mode.

The trade-off is that the lack of an in-ear tip means no passive noise isolation and less bass depth, and for some people the buds simply fall out. If the fit does not work for you, third-party silicone wings can be bought cheaply online to add security, though that is extra hassle and a more secure fit is easy to find elsewhere.

Sound Quality

Sound quality is better than expected. The open design limits bass and overall fidelity by its nature, but for open-fit earbuds the sound is impressive: surprisingly powerful and full for buds that look like they might be weedy. Spatial audio in particular makes music sound deeper and more atmospheric.

That said, adaptive EQ is hard to notice in practice, and if pure sound quality is your top priority, open-fit headphones are not the right category and better options exist elsewhere. For podcasts and casual playlists, though, they do the job perfectly well.

Battery and Everyday Use

Battery life holds up to the estimates. Six to seven days of typical use, including five to eight hours of activity, is achievable comfortably, with the buds still charged when the case runs empty. There is also a useful quick charge: five minutes in the case nets an hour of playback. Connectivity is seamless across Apple devices, moving between phone, laptop, and watch without friction.

Verdict: Good Buds, Questionable Price

The AirPods 3 are genuinely likeable: convenient, comfortable for long periods, easy to connect, and better sounding than you probably expect. But the price is simply too high. At 169 pounds in the UK or 179 dollars in the US, they sit in the same bracket as the Jabra Elite 7 Active, the JBL Reflect Flow Pro, and the Jaybird Vista 2, all of which offer better waterproofing, ANC and awareness modes, more secure fits, longer battery life, adjustable EQ, and more impressive sound.

If you like the open-fit design specifically, cheaper routes exist. The AirPods 2 are down to 119 pounds or 129 dollars, an upgrade only in sound and battery life. The Huawei FreeBuds 4 offer an open-fit design with a long stem for 130 pounds, often reduced to around 110. And the Adidas Z.N.E. 01, the cheapest model in that range, is an open-fit bud with a long stem and a silicone covering for a slightly more secure fit, doing a similar all-round job for 85 pounds.

Conclusion

The AirPods 3 are a nice, fun, convenient upgrade on the AirPods 2, and for casual running they work well if the fit suits your ears. They are simply too expensive for what they deliver, especially for sports use, where outstanding full-featured alternatives cost the same or less. If the price dropped closer to the 100 pound mark, they would be much easier to recommend.