How The Airpods Pro 3 May Make This Apple User Ditch The Watch For Good

4 hours ago

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The AirPods Pro 3 are confirmed to characteristic in-ear bosom complaint sensing. Alongside iOS 26 updates to nan iPhone's Fitness app, users tin now commencement a workout convention successful nan app and usage nan Pro 3 earbuds to way bosom rate, clip spent exercising, and calories burned. They tin adjacent their Move ring, and gain rewards successful nan app -- nary Watch needed.

Also: Is Apple Watch Series 11 worthy nan upgrade? Here's really it compares to older models

It's a monolithic upgrade for group who habitually usage nan free Fitness app tier. It's an moreover much welcomed upgrade if you're for illustration maine and fittingness search is nan only logic you're tethered to your Apple Watch. If nan AirPods Pro 3's fittingness search features activity arsenic good arsenic Apple says they will, here's why they'll make maine discontinue my Apple Watch for good.

One little instrumentality to consider

When I spell to nan gym, my tech arsenal consists of my iPhone 16, Apple Watch SE 2, and AirPods Pro 2. I admit my Apple Watch only for its fittingness and slumber search capabilities, truthful I opted for nan no-frills SE 2 model. My AirPods service arsenic a alloy for listening to music, canceling nan sound from nan engaged gym, and taking a hands-free telephone connected my measurement home.

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The AirPods Pro 3's caller bosom complaint sensing characteristic will let maine to harvester what I emotion astir about my Apple Watch pinch my AirPods, which are undoubtedly my favourite iOS outer device. Combining some devices will alteration maine to only interest astir remembering to bring, charge, and cleanable nan sweat from 1 instrumentality — I see that a game-changer.

Other basal features from my Watch, for illustration Crash Detection and basal slumber search metrics, are disposable connected my iPhone.

Upgraded autochthonal compatibility

Apple previewed in-ear bosom complaint search successful nan Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, but nan characteristic was a flop, characterized by app subscription limitations, connectivity issues, and inaccurate readings. Unlike nan Powerbeats Pro 2, which are optimized to execute pinch iOS and Android, nan iOS-exclusive AirPods Pro 3 characteristic considerably amended autochthonal integration successful nan iPhone's Health and Fitness apps.

The Powerbeats Pro 2's unrecorded bosom complaint search results were buried successful nan Health app, pinch nan champion features reserved for those pinch a paid subscription for prime fittingness apps. Its paywalled functionality isolated users for illustration me, who way their workouts successful nan free Apple Fitness app. I could only way workouts, adjacent my rings, and way my bosom complaint and burned calories successful nan Fitness app erstwhile my Watch was connected to my phone.

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With AirPods Pro 3, I'll only request my AirPods and iPhone. Upcoming iOS 26 upgrades to Fitness, mixed pinch nan AirPods Pro 3's wellness search features, will let users to commencement workouts pinch Workout Buddy. This AI-powered fittingness companion uses your erstwhile fittingness information to create individual insights during a workout session.

The AirPods support their audio features, providing audio from your iPhone and sound cancellation, a characteristic missing successful nan Powerbeats Pro 2. When nan Powerbeats Pro 2 were connected to fittingness instrumentality to way your bosom rate, they couldn't play audio.

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With improved acoustic structures, sound cancellation performance, a much unchangeable fit, and further integration pinch nan iPhone's Health and Fitness apps, nan AirPods Pro 3 could destruct nan Watch arsenic nan middleman.

Potential for much meticulous data

The AirPods Pro 3, Powerbeats Pro 2, and Apple Watch way bosom complaint pinch nan aforesaid technology: photoplethysmography (PPG). Each wearable uses optical sensors that deploy a greenish ray to observe humor flow. Upgraded Apple Watch models person much blase wellness exertion for much meticulous readings, but that exertion is not utilized during a workout.

However, nan Beats Powerbeats Pro 2's PPG sensors beat 100 times per 2nd to show humor flow, while Apple says nan AirPods Pro 3's sensors beat 256 times per second.

Also: I replaced my Apple Watch pinch nan Oura Ring 4 for slumber search (and it did immoderate things better)

Suppose it's much important to person much circumstantial wellness metrics pinch a wearable that continually monitors you successful nan background. In that case, it's much apt that you'll clasp onto your Apple Watch. But if you're for illustration me, you whitethorn not want different instrumentality to fuss you astir texts, calls, and notifications, particularly if nan constituent of purchasing it was to way your exercise.

Additionally, if you find it stressful erstwhile your Watch reminds you of periods of inactivity, that you're not getting capable sleep, aliases that you whitethorn beryllium experiencing anxiety, it could beryllium beneficial to return it off. Even if I'm nan only personification successful it, there's a mini demographic of AirPods enthusiasts and Apple Watch tolerators that Apple is merging together.

Also: I've utilized my AirPods Pro 2 since their 2022 merchandise - here's why they're still legit successful 2025

With nan AirPods Pro 2's proceeding assistance characteristic and nan Pro 3's fittingness integration, it's clear nan adjacent ceiling Apple intends to return earbuds done is wellness and fitness, opposed to a assortment of Bluetooth codecs aliases aggregate generative AI features. I'm excited to spot what's next.

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