Apple and its Beats division, have two new earbuds on sale – the Beats Fit Pro and AirPods 3. The latter was announced alongside the new MacBook Pro with the Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max processors. Just like with the Beats Studio Buds, the Beats Fit Pro (US$ 199.99) is compatible with either Android or iOS devices; and offers both Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency Mode which is not available on the AirPods 3 (US$ 179).
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Both earbuds models are equipped with the H1 headphone chip, which delivers Automatic Switching between devices, Audio Sharing, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), “Find My” integration, iCloud Sharing, and hands-free “Hey Siri” voice assistant on iOS devices. Android users will have to make do with one-touch pairing, firmware updates, customised controls, battery levels and ear fit test via the Beats app. There are other similarities and differences to briefly explore below.
| Beats Fit Pro vs AirPods 3: Specs Comparison Table | ||
| Beats Fit Pro | AirPods 3 | |
| Colours | Beats Black, Beats White, Sage Gray, Stone Purple | White |
| Pricing | US$ 200 / – | US$ 179 / AU$ 279 |
| Dimension | Earbud: 3 x 2.4 x 1.9cm
Case: 6.2 x 6.2 x 2.85cm |
Earbud: 3.079 x 1.826 x 1.921cm
Case: 4.64 x 5.44 x 2.138cm |
| Weight | Earbud: 5.6g
Case: 55.1g |
Earbud: 4.28g
Case: 37.91g |
| Design | Secure-fit Wingtips | Contoured Design with Shorter Stem |
| Processor | Apple H1 | Apple H1 |
| On-Device Controls | Force Sensor | |
| Sound | Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
Spatial Audio Transparency mode
|
Adaptive EQ
Spatial audio with Dynamic Head Tracking Custom high-excursion Apple driver Custom high-dynamic-range amplifier |
| Sensors | Dual beamforming microphones | Dual beamforming microphones
Inward-facing microphone Skin-detect sensor Motion-detecting accelerometer Speech-detecting accelerometer Force sensor |
| IP Rating | IPX4 (water and sweat resistant) | IPX4 (water and sweat resistant) |
| Connectivity | Class 1 Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Battery | Up to 6 hours of listening time (Earbuds)
Up to 24 hours of listening time (Earbuds + USB-C Charging Case) |
Up to 6 hours of listening time (Earbuds)
Up to 30 hours of listening time (Earbuds + MagSafe Charging Case) |
Beats Fit Pro vs AirPods 3: Specs Comparison
Design
To ensure better in-ear stability, Beats’ Fit Pro has a secure-fit wingtips which holds the earbuds firmly in place. After a long period of single use, the wingtips might become uncomfortable for the user to wear. Due to its its new contoured design, the AirPods 3 is more comfortable to wear for longer hours, however, it is unsuitable for workouts as they will easily fall off. In comparison to the AirPods Pro, it stems are shorter ensuring a more compact size.
Anyone needing to get the perfect ear fit can use Beat’s “Fit Test” in the Settings app on iPhone and iPad (or the Beats app for Android). They are also rated IPX4 for sweat and water resistance. The Beats Fit Pro is available in four colour choices: Beats Black and Beats White as well as Sage Gray and Stone Purple while the AirPods is available in the only signature White colour.
Audio and Sound Quality
With the H1 chip and custom acoustic platform/dynamic drivers, the Beats Fit Pro and AirPods 3 delivers well-above average sound quality. The new Beats earbuds has three listening modes: Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode and Adaptive EQ, along with support for Audio Sharing and Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. The bass output is also excellent as it has always been with other Beats products.
The AirPods 3, on the other hand, has only one of the listening modes along with the ability to connect two headphones to the same iPhone (Audio Sharing) and immersive, three-dimensional listening experience (Spatial Audio). It has the skin detect sensor, which enables in-ear detection and Live Listen audio feature which turns the iPhone into a microphone to pick up ambient sounds.
Read More: Beats Studio Buds vs AirPods Pro: Specs Comparison
Battery Life
Both options offer about 6 hours of battery life or more on a single full charge. The Beats Fit Pro’s USB-C charging case delivers additional 18 hours of listening time while the AirPods 3’s MagSafe or Qi wireless charging case offers additional 24 hours. With just five minutes of charging, either option last at least one hour of listening or talk time.
The Verdict
In the aspect of sound quality, the Beats Fit Pro (US$ 200) surpasses the AirPods 3 (US$ 179) with both Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. While it costs a bit more and skips on wireless charging, the Fit Pro won’t easily fall off like the AirPods and each ear has a button for playback control. The AirPods 3, on the other hand, relies on force touch for playback control, delivers longer listening time and a wireless charging case, however, the user will miss out on features closer to the AirPods Pro or AirPods Max.