Apple AirPods (2nd gen) vs AirPods (3rd gen): Which should you buy?

The Apple AirPods (3rd generation) seem to one-up the AirPods (2nd generation) in just about every way. With the inclusion of an IPX4 rating, MagSafe charging case, and spatial audio, they seem to be a slam-dunk over their predecessor. But newer doesn’t always mean better. Are the AirPods (3rd generation) worth the upgrade, or are you even better off with another pair of true wireless buds altogether? Find out in this Apple AirPods (2nd generation) vs AirPods (3rd generation) comparison.

The Apple AirPods (3rd generation) are a bit more rounded and angled than the AirPods (2nd generation), and have shorter stems. That leads to a fit which most people will likely find more comfortable on the outer ear, but less so in the ear canal entrance. Neither set of buds will feel securely anchored in your ears, though. The AirPods (3rd generation) have an IPX4 rating, however, so you can wear them to the gym without any worries about sweat.

On the topic of fit and comfort, wearing detection works via a skin sensor for the AirPods (3rd generation), instead of an optical sensor like with the older model. That means auto play/pause works better than before, and you shouldn’t experience any unwanted starts and stops.

The touch sensors on the AirPods (2nd generation) were unmarked, but the AirPods (3rd generation) swaps that out for force sensors on the stems. These work the same as on the AirPods Pro with commands assigned to a series of taps and squeezes. If you want to remap these controls, open the Settings app while paired to an iPhone or iPad, and the option will be in the Bluetooth settings section — there’s no way to do it on Android. Prompts will ask you what you want to do with each stem. The defaults are assigned according to the chart below:

The AirPods (3rd generation) charging case looks and feels a lot like the AirPods Pro case, rather than the AirPods (2nd generation) case. It now boasts MagSafe compatibility.

The AirPods (2nd generation) case doesn’t have MagSafe and instead comes in two varieties: wired and wireless. The latter option costs more, but it’s still less expensive than the third-gen AirPods.

Apple does not offer an official app for the Apple AirPods (3rd generation) or Apple AirPods (2nd generation). You can only install software and firmware updates for either model using an iPhone or iPad.

Within the Settings app of your iOS device, you can change what the touch controls do, enable or disable in-ear detection, use the Find My feature, pick the microphone (left or right) that gets used for calls, and more. The features for both models end up being pretty similar, with the notable exception of spatial audio.

Both the AirPods (2nd generation) and AirPods (3rd generation) support only the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, and they both use Bluetooth 5.0, plus both models use the H1 chip to sync with iOS devices. This gives them a fast and energy-efficient pairing process. Furthermore, all devices under the same iCloud account will recognize each other. As a result, you get automatic device switching if you’re using multipoint, too.

Of course, Android users can’t take advantage of any of these whiz-bang features because Android devices don’t have the H1 chip. Plus, AAC is inconsistent on these devices. For these reasons, we don’t recommend you use any model of AirPods with anything other than Apple devices. There are plenty of alternatives out there, after all.

The AirPods (3rd generation) have better battery life than the second generation. Our friends over at SoundGuys put these earbuds to the test and found that the AirPods (2nd generation) lasted four hours, seven minutes while the AirPods (3rd generation) ran for six hours, 21 minutes.

As mentioned above, only the third-gen AirPods support MagSafe, but both have Lightning ports. You can also fast charge the earbuds with either AirPods case: the AirPods (2nd generation) case yields 180 minutes of playtime after a 15-minute charge, and the AirPods (3rd generation) case supplies 60 minutes of playtime after a five-minute charge (technically, that’s the same efficiency, just listed differently on Apple’s website).

Both generations of the Apple AirPods have poor isolation and do virtually nothing to quiet your surroundings — only the AirPods Pro have noise-cancelling (ANC).

If you end up purchasing either of these, you’re going to hear a lot of your environment and not as much of your music as you may want. As long as you keep the volume down to a reasonable level, this shouldn’t be a problem. Still, don’t expect either of these models to immerse you in your tunes, especially on a bus or train.

Related: Best noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds

The Apple AirPods (3rd generation) and second-generation have vaguely similar frequency responses in that neither sounds particularly good. Neither model seals your ear canal, and both under-emphasize sub-bass notes, and boost upper-bass and treble notes to varying degrees.

However, the AirPods (3rd generation) have more advanced software and hardware. They use bass reflex ports and Adaptive EQ, which adjusts the low and midrange frequencies to compensate for the unsealed design. Still, they can’t make up for the fact that audio masking will occur as a result of the unsealed design.

Relatively speaking, the AirPods (3rd generation) make treble notes sound about twice as loud as they do through the second-gen AirPods. Meanwhile, the AirPods (2nd gen) boost upper-bass notes (100Hz) to make it sound almost two times louder than the third-gen AirPods. Neither model lets you equalize the buds, so you get what Apple gives you unless you use an EQ within your favorite music player or a third-party EQ app.

The AirPods (3rd generation) microphone quality is very good and an improvement over the previous generation. Both models feature a slew of accelerometers and sensors in each housing to promote clear voice transmission, but the third-gen AirPods do it better.

Listen to our mic samples of both models below and decide for yourself:

Apple AirPods (2nd generation) microphone demo:

What are the specification differences between all in-ear AirPods?

The Apple AirPods (3rd generation) combine many of the AirPods Pro’s software features with the AirPods (2nd generation) hardware. Take a look at the table below to see how each model compares.

We can’t wholeheartedly recommend you go for either the AirPods (2nd generation) or the Apple AirPods (3rd generation). There are lots of earbuds out there at around the same price point that fit better, stay in your ears more securely, and boast better audio without being platform-exclusive.

But if you really, really want a pair, we suggest the AirPods (3rd generation). The AirPods 3 have more advanced software, bass-reflex ports, and IPX4 rating, all of which the AirPods (2nd generation) lacks. The third-gen model is likely to see a longer support period from Apple, too — it is newer, after all.

If you value staying within the Apple ecosystem, you should definitely consider the AirPods Pro ($249). They give you MagSafe charging, noise-cancelling, ear tips that seal, and much more. Sure, they’re more expensive, but you get far more bang for your buck.

However, if unsealed earbuds strike your fancy, then the Urbanista Libson ($49) are worth a look. They even fit better than the AirPods 2nd- and 3rd-generation models, thanks to their winged design.

The Beats Studio Buds ($149) are more Android-friendly than the AirPods (of any generation). They also boast an IPX4 rating, so the gym won’t be a concern — which goes for the Beats Fit Pro ($199), too. Similarly, Bose makes the Bose Sport Earbuds ($179) which have excellent sound plus a secure and comfortable fit. The JBL Reflect Flow Pro ($179) give you a fully-featured app on any platform and they fit average-to-large sized ears well, to boot.