Before we get into the best budget AirPods Pro alternative, let’s take a look at the main specs of the AirPods Pro themselves:
Apple AirPods Pro
Apple AirPods Pro Key Features:
Battery Life: 4.5 hours (24 hours total with charging case)
Fast Charging: 5 minutes for 1 hour of listening
Bluetooth Version: 5.0 (Apple H1 chip)
Accessories: 3 sizes of ear tips
PROS:
- Apple’s H1 chip for superior wireless connectivity and sound quality
- Always-On Siri controls
- 24 hours of total listening time with charging case
- Great sound quality
- IPX4 Water resistance rating
- Adaptive EQ
- Active noise cancellation and transparency mode
- Qi wireless charging case
CONS:
- Expensive
- Only one color (white)
- Only 4.5 hours of listening time per charge
Best Budget AirPods Pro Alternative
While the Apple AirPod Pros are a great set of headphones, the average battery life and water-resistance rating are subpar. For the price, those are two specs that are at the top of the list of priorities. Especially if you’re going to put down that kind of cash.
There are many options to get an upgrade on those features, but I think we found the perfect budget AirPods Pro alternative. Unless you’re a stickler for Apple’s H1 chip, you won’t miss much by choosing the Soundcore Life P3’s. Here’s why:
Soundcore Life P3
Soundcore Life P3 Key Features:
Battery Life: 7 hours (35 hours total with charging case)
Fast Charging: 10 minutes for 2 hours of listening
Bluetooth Version: 5.0
Accessories: 5 sizes of ear tips
PROS:
- Premium sound quality
- 11mm drivers produce deep bass
- Qi wireless charging enabled case
- Onboard touch controls (customizable)
- 6 Microphones and uplink noise reduction for great call quality
- Comfortable fit
- Multiple active noise cancellation (ANC) modes and Transparency mode
- Soundcore app has extra luxury features like custom EQ, ANC settings, and more
- Find My Headset audio alarms on individual earbuds
- Active Gaming mode
- 5 Unique color options (Black, Coral Red, Navy Blue, Sky Blue, and Oat White)
CONS:
- No ear wings for an extra secure fit
- Above-average charging case size and larger than AirPods Pro Case
Conclusion
You’re actually getting an upgrade in almost every major category. The Soundcore Life P3’s have 2.5 more hours of battery life in the earbuds and 11 total hours more with the charging case. You also get 2 more sizes of ear tips and 5 unique colors to choose from.
Even though they don’t have the Apple H1 chip, the Bluetooth 5.0 technology produces a solid pairing and quick reconnections. On top of that, the sound quality is on par with the AirPods Pro, so you’re not making a sacrifice there either. Soundcore’s diamond-coated 11mm drivers produce extremely clear sound and great range.
The icing on the cake is the FREE Soundcore App. Only compatible with flagship Soundcore headphones and speakers, it gives you full control of your audio experience.
The all-in-one app is complete with a custom touch controls, custom EQ, noise cancellation settings, and more. It even features a Superior Sleep mode that allows you to adjust a mix of over 10 ambient sounds.
For about a third of the price of the AirPods Pro, you’re getting an upgrade in almost every major category. Just like most Soundcore headphones and speakers, the Life P3’s punch way above their weight.
Wireless Charging Options
Whether you go with the Apple AirPods Pro, Soundcore Life P3, or some other budget AirPods Pro alternative with wireless charging, these are the perfect charging pad upgrades for you:
BONUS PICKS: Runner Ups
Getting down to the Best Apple AirPods Pro Alternaive was difficult and we had to leave out some really cool options. Here are some of the true wireless earbuds that almost made the cut: