Audio & Headphones · Head-to-head
Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM6
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Premium Wireless Earbuds: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
For iPhone owners the AirPods Pro 3 are the most complete package: up to 8 hours with ANC on, an IP57 rating on buds and case, and Find My, hearing-health and heart-rate features built in. The Sony WF-1000XM6 is the pick for everyone else, matching that 8-hour ANC runtime with multipoint and an app for iPhone and Android, plus LDAC on phones that support it. Bose is the fit-and-silence specialist with a shorter battery, and the Sennheiser's runtime halves to 6 hours once noise cancelling is on.
Apple AirPods Pro 3
Buy itThe most complete earbud for iPhone owners, with Apple's strongest noise cancellation and features that just work.
- Apple rates the ANC at up to 2x that of the AirPods Pro 2
- Up to 8 hours with ANC on, and up to 24 hours with the case
- IP57 dust, sweat and water resistance on both the buds and the case
- Find My with Precision Finding, Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and heart rate sensing built in
- Apple's system requirements list only Apple devices, so most of the smart features are lost on Android
- Apple's spec page lists no high-resolution codec
Sony WF-1000XM6
Buy itThe cross-platform flagship, with Sony's best noise cancelling and an 8-hour ANC-on runtime on iPhone or Android.
- New QN3e noise-cancelling processor that Sony rates 3x faster than the chip in the WF-1000XM5
- Up to 8 hours with ANC on, and up to 24 hours in total with the case
- LDAC, AAC, SBC and LC3 support, plus DSEE Extreme upscaling
- Multipoint, wireless charging and the same app on iPhone and Android
- IPX4 only, a lower rating than the AirPods Pro 3
- The highest price tier in this group
Side by side
The 7 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Apple AirPods Pro 3 Our pick | Sony WF-1000XM6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | iPhone owners who want the best all-round earbud with the least fuss. | Android owners, and anyone who switches phones, who want flagship ANC without an ecosystem lock. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$$$ · flagship |
| Noise cancellation (maker claim) | Up to 2x AirPods Pro 2 | Sony's best; QN3e processor |
| Battery (ANC on) | Up to 8 hours | Up to 8 hours |
| Total with case | Up to 24 hours with ANC on | Up to 24 hours |
| Codecs | Not listed on the maker page | LDAC, AAC, SBC, LC3 |
| Fit & bud weight | 5 tip sizes (XXS to L), 5.55 g | 4 tip sizes, approx. 6.5 g |
| Ecosystem fit | iPhone-first | Cross-platform, multipoint |
| Water resistance | IP57 (buds and case) | IPX4 |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Apple AirPods Pro 3 if
iPhone owners who want the best all-round earbud with the least fuss.
Know before buying: apple's system requirements list only Apple devices, so most of the smart features are lost on Android.
Pick the Sony WF-1000XM6 if
android owners, and anyone who switches phones, who want flagship ANC without an ecosystem lock.
Know before buying: iPX4 only, a lower rating than the AirPods Pro 3.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Apple AirPods Pro 3 - The most complete earbud for iPhone owners, with Apple's strongest noise cancellation and features that just work. Choose the Sony WF-1000XM6 instead if android owners, and anyone who switches phones, who want flagship ANC without an ecosystem lock.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Premium Wireless Earbuds: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).