How AirPods Pro 3 Could Replace Your Apple Watch for Fitness Tracking

AirPods Pro 3 bring pulse monitoring to your ears, potentially making Apple Watch tracking obsolete for workouts and health metrics.

Say Goodbye to One More Device

Imagine heading to the gym with just your iPhone 16 and AirPods Pro 3—no bulky smartwatch weighing down your wrist. That's the fresh reality we're stepping into. I’ve always worn my Apple Watch SE 2 mainly for fitness and sleep tracking, paired with AirPods Pro 2 for tunes and noise cancellation in the bustling gym. But what if my beloved AirPods could do double duty?

Apple has confirmed that the AirPods Pro 3 will include an in-ear heart rate monitor. Combined with the iOS 26 Fitness app updates, this means you can start a workout on your iPhone, track your heart rate, workout duration, and calorie burn—all with just your AirPods Pro 3. The best part? You close your Move ring and earn rewards without needing a watch strapped on your wrist.

This is a game changer, especially for those of us who use the free level of the Fitness app and rely on the Apple Watch mainly for exercise tracking. If the AirPods Pro 3 deliver on Apple’s promises, I’m ready to ditch my Apple Watch forever.

Streamlining Tech for the Gym

When I hit the gym, my setup is simple: iPhone 16, Apple Watch SE 2, and AirPods Pro 2. The Apple Watch SE 2 is my choice because it offers what I need without the frills, while my AirPods handle music, noise cancellation, and hands-free calls during my commute.

Now, with the pulse monitoring feature coming to AirPods Pro 3, I can merge my favorite fitness tracking functions with my favorite iOS companion—the AirPods. This combo means one less device to charge, clean from sweat, and remember to bring. That kind of simplicity feels like a breakthrough.

The other core features of my watch, like fall detection and basic sleep tracking, are already available on my iPhone, so I’m not losing critical functionality.

Better Native Integration on iOS

Apple wasn’t the first to try in-ear heart rate monitoring. Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 introduced similar features but flopped due to subscription locks, connectivity issues, and inaccurate readings. Unlike the Powerbeats Pro 2, which work with both iOS and Android but lack deep integration, the AirPods Pro 3 are exclusively optimized for iOS. This gives them seamless compatibility with the Health and Fitness apps on iPhone.

With Powerbeats Pro 2, real-time heart rate data was hidden inside the Health app, and advanced features required paid subscriptions to specific fitness apps. That made it tough for free Fitness app users like me to get the full benefit; tracking workouts, closing rings, and monitoring heart rate only worked with Apple Watch connected.

AirPods Pro 3 change this landscape entirely. Thanks to iOS 26 updates and the new Workout Buddy AI assistant, you’ll get personalized workout guidance using your Fitness app data—without needing a watch at all.

Plus, AirPods keep their core audio functions intact, delivering great sound and active noise cancellation—a feature Powerbeats Pro 2 lack during heart rate tracking because they can’t play audio and track pulse simultaneously.

With improved acoustic design, stronger noise cancellation, a better fit, and tighter integration with iOS health apps, AirPods Pro 3 are primed to render the Apple Watch redundant for fitness fans.

The Promise of More Accurate Health Data

Both AirPods Pro 3 and Powerbeats Pro 2 use photoplethysmography (PPG) technology—the same tech found in Apple Watches—to monitor heart rate by shining green light into the skin and measuring blood flow. However, Apple claims that AirPods Pro 3 sensors pulse at 256 times per second, compared to 100 times per second for Powerbeats Pro 2.

If you crave the most detailed health metrics from a wearable device that tracks continuously in the background, you might still prefer to keep your Apple Watch. But if you want to ditch the constant buzz of texts, calls, and notifications from another screen and just want precise fitness tracking, AirPods Pro 3 could be your new best friend.

Some people find those watch reminders about inactivity, sleep, or anxiety overwhelming and prefer to step back from that constant monitoring. If that sounds like you, AirPods Pro 3 offer a less intrusive alternative, appealing to the AirPods enthusiasts who tolerate Apple Watch purely for fitness.

With hearing aid functions in AirPods Pro 2 and fitness tracking in Pro 3, it’s clear Apple’s next frontier for AirPods emphasizes health and fitness rather than Bluetooth codecs or generative AI features.

I, for one, can't wait to see what’s next.

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— Apple Watch enthusiast

• How accurate is the heart rate monitoring in AirPods Pro 3?
  Apple claims the sensors pulse 256 times per second, which should provide highly accurate heart rate tracking comparable to smartwatches during workouts.
• Can AirPods Pro 3 replace all fitness tracking features of the Apple Watch?
  They cover key fitness metrics like heart rate, workout time, and calories burned, but won’t fully replace features like continuous sleep tracking or fall detection.
• Do AirPods Pro 3 require a paid fitness app subscription?
  No. Unlike some competitors, AirPods Pro 3 integrate directly with the free Apple Fitness app with iOS 26 updates.
• Will AirPods Pro 3 support noise cancellation during workouts?
  Yes! They maintain active noise cancellation and audio playback even while monitoring heart rate.
• Is the workout guidance personalized with AirPods Pro 3?
  Yes, through the new AI-powered Workout Buddy in iOS 26, which uses your past fitness data to tailor recommendations.

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