Can the AirPods Pro 3 Replace Your Apple Watch? Yes and No

With the AirPods Pro 3’s new heart rate monitor, Apple focused heavily on fitness benefits during its September event. In doing so, the company marketed the earbuds as a potential replacement for the Apple Watch in fitness tracking, without explicitly saying so.

Still, as there are areas where the next generation of AirPods Pro can replace your Apple Watch, there are others where it cannot. While both devices share the same starting price, each has advantages over the other.

The Big New AirPods Pro 3 Feature

At first glance, the AirPods Pro 3 look similar to the previous two generations. However, several new features make them worthy of a generational upgrade rather than just a software update.

The most significant new addition to the earbuds is the implementation of a heart rate sensor. It’s the smallest one Apple has built for its devices and lives behind the ear tip, promising precise, accurate data when working out.

The sensor uses machine learning algorithms that combine sensor data and accelerometers to deliver precise measurements. It’s combined with a new on-device AI model for activity and calorie tracking, trained on more than 50 million hours of Apple Heart and Movement Study data.

However, implementing the heart rate sensor is not the only upgrade in the AirPods Pro 3; there are a few others too.

Active noise cancellation has always been a highlight and selling feature of the AirPods Pro model, and Apple is upgrading it in the newest model. AirPods Pro 3 automatically adapts to your environment and preferences with an upgraded acoustic seal, and new ultra-low-noise microphones remove even more unwanted sound. This is in addition to a new design, with ear tips now rotated inward for a more secure fit. A foam-infused microsphere layer also improves noise cancellation.

The new design also certifies the AirPods Pro against dust ingress and temporary water immersion of up to one meter for 30 minutes. The new generation also brings longer battery life, adding two more hours than the previous AirPods Pro. That means up to eight hours of listening with active noise cancellation, up from six hours on the AirPods Pro 2.

There are a few other benefits, like Live Translation, some of which are also available on the AirPods Pro 2. Check out our full AirPods Pro 3 and 2 to decide for sure.

Where the AirPods Pro 3 Outshine the Apple Watch

AirPods Pro 3 offer the same usability as previous generations. Still, with the addition of a heart rate sensor and calorie-tracking metrics, some users may think twice about buying an Apple Watch for fitness. Depending on which metrics you want to track and how you work out, the AirPods Pro 3 could be the better choice.

Some people feel overwhelmed wearing too much gear while working out and want to keep it minimal. While the two devices don’t totally depend on each other, the AirPods Pro 3 lets you track burned calories and listen to music simultaneously—something you can’t do with just an Apple Watch.

This is where the AirPods Pro 3 comes in handy when working out, especially for people who want to wear less, listen to music, and track their workout.

If you are considering buying AirPods Pro 3, there’s a good chance you already own an iPhone. That means the same information usually captured by the Apple Watch—such as data for Apple’s Health and Fitness apps—can also come from your AirPods.

Additionally, any information captured by the heart rate sensor will be shown in a Live Activity on your iPhone, which can then be expanded to full screen to see more metrics in real time.

This expands Apple’s effort to make the Fitness app useful without an Apple Watch. Previously, the app estimated calories burned to fill your Move ring, but with AirPods Pro 3, the data is more accurate.

If you like getting motivated while working out and are enticed by Apple’s new Workout Buddy feature, then AirPods Pro 3 has the upper hand. This will share encouraging messages throughout your workout when you hit specific milestones.

Currently, the Apple Watch cannot perform this feature without AirPods, so if you want to use the feature and need to decide between the two devices, the AirPods Pro 3 will be your choice.

The AirPods Pro 3 are a strong fitness option for people who don’t want to wear multiple devices, want to use Workout Buddy, and already listen to music while exercising. However, that doesn’t rule out the Apple Watch, which still outshines the new AirPods Pro in several areas.

Where the Apple Watch Outshines the AirPods Pro 3

Although AirPods Pro 3 may capture as much health data as the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch still has the upper hand in other areas, from fitness to safety.

As of now, to get your heart rate and calories burned from AirPods Pro 3, you’ll need to wear them and be actively working out. However, the Apple Watch will continuously check and record your heart rate as long as you wear it, even when not working out.

The Apple Watch also offers more health sensing than just your heart rate; it measures your blood oxygen levels, takes an ECG, and knows your wrist temperature. This is far more information that can be captured with just the AirPods Pro 3.

You can view all this data directly on your Apple Watch—unless it’s your blood oxygen percentage due to a lawsuit against Apple in the United States. With the AirPods Pro 3, you need to view all the data on your iPhone. If you want to know how many calories you’ve burned, you must pull out your iPhone. If you want to know how long you’ve been working out for, you need to pull out your iPhone.

Apple Watch lets you see most of the information it captures directly from the device, which is easier to glance at when working out or just checking in on your day’s progress.

While AirPods can detect when you fall asleep and pause audio, they cannot track your sleep. The Apple Watch can provide insights into sleep stages and an overall score based on multiple metrics.

However, recording different health metrics is not the only area in which Apple Watch excels over AirPods Pro 3; it also does so in emergencies. This can include if your resting heart rate is too high or low, if there are signs of AFib, or if you’ve fallen or gotten into a car accident.

Depending on the emergency, the Apple Watch will take action and call emergency services if needed. AirPods Pro 3 can potentially provide information about what may have caused the emergency—as long as your heart rate was a factor and you were working out—but it cannot send alerts or take action.

With the new sensor in the AirPods Pro 3, it may seem like they could replace an Apple Watch—especially for workouts—but the details tell a different story. With its additional health and safety features, the Apple Watch still outshines the AirPods Pro 3 in several ways.

• 

  Brand

  Apple

  Heart Rate Monitor

  Yes

  The Apple Watch Series 11 offers the ability to sense high blood pressure and a sleep score similar to many health app competitors.

  
  

• 

  Brand

  Apple

  Heart Rate Monitor

  Yes

  The Apple Watch Ultra 3 offers a new satellite feature, which makes updating friends and family easier.
   

  
  

So, Can the AirPods Pro 3 Replace Your Apple Watch?

Whether the AirPods Pro 3 can replace an Apple Watch depends on how you use the heart rate sensor and your workout habits. For example, if you prefer minimal accessories while exercising and only want to track heart rate and calories burned during it, then the AirPods Pro 3 may be enough.

However, the earbuds should not replace your Apple Watch if you have a heart condition and need to monitor your heart rate regularly or receive alerts about other health issues. The Apple Watch constantly tracks your heart rate, even when you’re not working out, making it ideal for people with health concerns or those who routinely monitor multiple health metrics.

Both devices start at $249—the Apple Watch SE for the Apple Watch line—and offer different features within that price range. If you primarily want health stats for fitness, the AirPods Pro 3 can be a replacement. For anything beyond that, the Apple Watch remains necessary.