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In this guide
The AirPods Pro 3 are Apple's in-ear pair with active noise cancelling, a hearing test, a hearing-aid mode and a heart-rate sensor for workouts. Apple Australia sells one white configuration, MFHP4X/A, for A$429, with a MagSafe charging case and five silicone tip sizes, but no USB-C cable or power adapter.
The A$210 step up from the A$219 AirPods 5 buys sensors more than silence: Apple lists the AirPods 5 with noise cancelling but without heart-rate sensing, the hearing test or the hearing-aid feature. Those hearing features need an iPhone or iPad on iOS 18 or later and are intended for people 18 and over, and Australia is on Apple's availability lists for both.
Our verdict
At A$429 the AirPods Pro 3 make sense when the hearing test, hearing-aid mode and workout heart rate will be used; for noise cancelling alone, the A$219 AirPods 5 cost about half.
- A good fit for
- iPhone owners who want one pair for commuting, workouts and a hearing check, and who will use heart-rate data in the Fitness app.
- We would skip it if
- Android users, anyone who only wants noise cancelling, or anyone who will not buy without a published talk-time figure.
Reasons to consider it
- Active Noise Cancellation rated 8 hours on a charge and 24 with the case, tested by Apple at 50% volume
- Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features, both on Apple's availability list for Australia, plus workout heart rate
- IP57 dust, sweat and water resistance on both earbuds and case
The compromises
- No charging cable or power adapter in the box
- Hearing features need iOS 18 or later and are intended for people 18 and over; heart rate needs an iPhone on iOS 26 or later
- Apple publishes no talk-time figure for calls
What we have not verified: Apple publishes no talk-time figure and no accuracy figure for the heart-rate sensor, so call endurance and workout readings rest on Apple's descriptions rather than on numbers.
The things in this guide
A closer look at the products, who they may suit, and what to check before buying.
AirPods Pro 3
A$429 buys 8 hours of ANC listening, 24 with the case, IP57 earbuds and case, five tip sizes, a hearing test, the hearing-aid feature and workout heart rate.
Before you buy: No cable or adapter in the box; the hearing features need iOS 18 or later and are for adults, and heart rate needs an iPhone on iOS 26 or later.
Price checked 5 November 2026. Retailer prices can change.What A$429 buys
Apple rates one charge at 8 hours of listening with noise cancelling on, 7.5 with Spatial Audio and head tracking, 6.5 with heart-rate sensing during a workout and 10 in Transparency with the Hearing Aid feature; the case takes the ANC figure to 24 hours. Apple ran that test at 50% volume until the first earbud stopped. Both earbuds and the case carry an IP57 rating.
The box holds the earbuds, the MagSafe charging case with a speaker and lanyard loop, and five silicone tip sizes from XXS to L. Apple states that the AirPods Pro 3 do not include a USB-C charge cable or power adapter, so a buyer without a spare USB-C cable adds one to the A$429.
The hearing features and their limits
Apple's availability page lists Australia for the Hearing Test, the Hearing Aid feature and the Hearing Aid feature with automatic Conversation Boost. Apple calls them regulated health features, supported on AirPods Pro 2 and Pro 3 with current firmware paired to an iPhone or iPad on iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 and later, and intended for people 18 and older.
Apple frames the Hearing Aid feature for perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment, and says the Hearing Test is not a substitute for medical advice from a healthcare practitioner. Someone already worried about their hearing is pointed by Apple's own wording to a practitioner, with the earbuds as an extra rather than the answer.
Compared with the AirPods 5
Apple Australia sells the AirPods 5 at A$219, or A$249 with a wireless charging case. Both have Active Noise Cancellation, rated at up to 4 hours a charge (5 with the wireless case) against the Pro 3's 8, and Apple's own comparison marks them as having no heart-rate sensing and no Hearing Test or Hearing Aid features.
That makes the A$210 step from the cheaper AirPods 5 mostly a sensor purchase, with twice the rated ANC listening time on top. If heart-rate data and the hearing features are not on your list, the AirPods 5 give you noise cancelling for about half the money.
Warranty and Australian Consumer Law
Apple's Limited Warranty covers the earbuds and the Apple-branded accessories in the box against manufacturing issues for one year from purchase, and excludes accidental damage and batteries that wear down from normal use. Apple's buy page says AppleCare plans are separate from and in addition to that warranty and to any legal rights under Australian consumer law.
Apple rates the IP57 resistance for non-water sports and exercise and notes that it is not a permanent condition and can decrease with normal wear, so it is not cover for a swim.
How we put this together
Built from the product pages and listings below, without test scores or results we have not measured. Specifications and prices change, so check the original page for the exact model, current price, delivery, and returns.
- Apple Australia: Buy AirPods Pro 3 (opens in a new tab)
- Apple Australia: AirPods Pro 3 technical specifications (opens in a new tab)
- Apple Australia: Hearing Health feature availability (opens in a new tab)
- Apple Australia: Buy AirPods 5 (opens in a new tab)
- Apple Support Australia: AirPods service and repair (opens in a new tab)
