Apple AirPods 5
Best for: iPhone owners who want noise cancelling and Apple's easy pairing for much less
Cheaper alternatives to the Apple AirPods Pro 3
Updated 4 November 2026
Apple AirPods Pro 3
What buyers love: how it sounds.
AirPods 5 instead of AirPods Pro 3?
AirPods 5 pros
Little over half the price
Apple pairing kept
AirPods 5 cons
Less quiet against voices
Felt on commutes
4–5 hours, not 8
Matters on long flights
No heart-rate or hearing features
Only if you'd use them
- Is the AirPods 5 as good?
- Not quite: voices still get through the open fit.
- What's the difference?
- Pro 3: sealed, much quieter, twice the battery.
- Is the AirPods Pro 3 worth the extra?
- Yes for iPhone commuters and runners.
What are you actually paying extra for with the AirPods Pro 3?
What the extra money buys
- The strongest noise cancelling here
- Sealed tips, punchier bass
- About 8 hours per charge
- Heart-rate and hearing features
Worth it if
- You want the quietest commute
- You'd use the health features
- Open buds fall out of your ears
Not worth it if
- You listen in quiet rooms
- You use Android
Other alternatives
Best for Android and battery
Sony WF-C710N
Best for: Android users, or anyone who wants long battery and sealed tips for the least money
- Up to 8.5 hours per charge with noise cancelling, slightly more than the Pro 3
- Noise cancelling that one review compared with Bose for far less
What buyers love: how it sounds.
Catch: Noise cancelling trails pricier buds on voices and higher sounds, and the buds are bulky.
About a third of the AirPods Pro 3's price
Good to know
Why we picked the AirPods 5, and our final recommendation.
Only with the AirPods 5
- A lighter, open fit with nothing pushed into the ear
- A smaller case that slips into any pocket
- Much of the quiet against voices and chatter
- Three to four hours of battery per charge
- Heart-rate sensing and the hearing features
The AirPods 5 give you most of what Apple does well for a lot less. Reviewers found the noise cancelling good for an open design, but voices and sharp sounds still get through, and one found the Pro 3 blocks conversations far better. There's no heart-rate sensor or hearing aid feature, and fit depends on your ear shape.
Final recommendation: For most iPhone owners, the AirPods 5 are the smarter buy: light, easy and now noise-cancelling, for a lot less. Pick the Sony WF-C710N if you use Android or want sealed tips and long battery for even less. Pay for the AirPods Pro 3 if you want the quietest buds, the heart-rate sensor or the hearing features.
Side by side
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Affordable | Budget | Budget |
| Battery per charge, noise cancelling on (claimed) | Up to 8 hours | Up to 4 hours (5 with the wireless case) | Up to 8.5 hours |
| With the case, noise cancelling on (claimed) | Up to 24 hours | Up to 20 hours (22 with the wireless case) | Up to 30 hours |
| Weight per bud | 5.55 g | 4.3 g | 5.2 g |
| Fit | Sealed, silicone tips (five sizes) | Open, no tips | Sealed, silicone tips |
| Water resistance | IP57 | IP57 (IP54 under IEC 60529) | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Do the AirPods 5 have noise cancelling?
Yes, both models do this year, not only the more expensive one. Reviewers found it works well on traffic and train rumble for an open design, but chatter and keyboard clicks still come through.
How long do the AirPods 5 last compared with the AirPods Pro 3?
Apple claims four hours with noise cancelling for the base AirPods 5, five with the wireless charging case, and eight for the Pro 3. One review measured just under five hours on the AirPods 5 and nearly nine on the Pro 3.
Are the Sony WF-C710N good with an iPhone?
Yes. They connect like any Bluetooth earbuds, and Sony's app runs on iPhone too. You lose Apple's automatic switching between your Apple devices and the head tracking in Apple's spatial audio.
Are AirPods Pro 3 worth it on Android?
Not really. They work as basic Bluetooth earbuds, but you lose most settings, the heart-rate sensor and the hearing features. One French review called them a poor fit for Android users, and the Sony buds make more sense there.
Related guides
How we reached this
We compared the Apple AirPods Pro 3 with the alternatives most often recommended by independent reviewers, then checked each against the makers' own specs and current prices.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Apple UK: AirPods Pro 3 tech specs, What Hi-Fi?: AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods 4 with ANC, SoundGuys: AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods 4 with ANC, Apple UK: AirPods 5 tech specs, What Hi-Fi?: Apple AirPods 5 review, Macworld: AirPods 5 review, Sony UK: WF-C710N specifications, What Hi-Fi?: Sony WF-C710N review, Tom's Guide: Sony WF-C710N review.