On an iPhone, buy the $249 AirPods Pro 3 with AppleCare. On Android, the $249 Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. When the $149 AirPods 5 are enough, and who should pay $330 for Sony's WF-1000XM6.
If you use an iPhone, buy the AirPods Pro 3 for $249 and add AppleCare. If you use Android, buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro at the same $249.
Drop to the $149 AirPods 5 only if you rarely fly. Pay $330 for the Sony WF-1000XM6 if you carry an iPhone and an Android phone, or want the most control over how they sound.
How I picked
I live on video calls and fly between São Paulo and the US for work. I want earbuds that make me sound clear, look normal on camera, kill cabin noise, and switch between my Mac and iPhone without a fight.
One pair in this guide has a full review: the AirPods Pro 3, which I’ve used for 10 months and three pairs. I haven’t used the others. For those I compared the official spec pages with recent hands-on testing: Linus Tech Tips on the AirPods 5 and a two-month follow-up on the AirPods Pro 3, ShortCircuit on the Sony WF-1000XM6 (Sony sponsored that video), MKBHD on the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, and Max Tech’s microphone comparison between AirPods 4 and AirPods 5. Prices are US list prices in October 2026.
The picks
| Earbuds | Price | Fit | Battery, ANC on (rated) | With case | Water | Best with | Buy it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirPods Pro 3 | $249 | Silicone tips | Up to 8 hrs | Up to 24 hrs | IP57 | iPhone, Mac | Calls, flights, translation. My pick |
| AirPods 5 (wireless case) | $149 | Open, no tips | Up to 5 hrs | Up to 22 hrs | IP57 | iPhone, Mac | Comfort at a desk |
| AirPods 5 | $129 | Open, no tips | Up to 4 hrs | Up to 20 hrs | IP57 | iPhone, Mac | The cheapest ANC from Apple |
| Sony WF-1000XM6 | $329.99 | Foam tips | Up to 8 hrs | Up to 24 hrs | Not confirmed | iPhone and Android | Two phones, deep sound tuning |
| Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro | $249 | Silicone tips | Up to 6 hrs | Up to 26 hrs | IP57 | Samsung phones | Android users |
What matters for calls
Three things decide whether earbuds work for a day of meetings.
How they look on camera. Small buds look like nothing on a video call. That’s the reason I reach for the AirPods Pro 3 over big over-ear headphones when the camera is on.
How you sound to the other side. Every pair here uses several microphones and software to cut background noise. They still send your voice over Bluetooth, which compresses it. MKBHD’s take on the Buds 4 Pro mic was “nothing special,” and he said most earbud mics end up sounding close to the same. Expect clear and a little thin. If you make cold calls all day from one desk, a USB mic close to your mouth will beat any earbud. I cover that trade-off in my HyperX SoloCast review.
Whether they last the day. Apple’s rated hours assume 50% volume and music playback. Calls tend to drain earbuds faster. Plan for less than the box says.
Best for iPhone: AirPods Pro 3, $249
Ten months in, they’re still the earbuds I’d buy again. Comments on how I sound on calls through the MacBook have been good. The noise cancelling works at my desk, at the gym and on a trip to Canada, and with the larger tips they stay in through most of the workday.
Live Translation is the feature that sold me. On a trip to Quebec, my French wasn’t enough to follow everyone. I turned it on and it worked. It runs through your iPhone and needs a model with Apple Intelligence.
Apple rates them at up to 8 hours with noise cancelling on and up to 24 with the case, and says their noise cancelling is up to three times stronger than the AirPods 5’s. After two months with them, Linus Tech Tips described the noise cancelling as the difference between a restful flight and arriving on no sleep.
Two problems. In my use, the battery doesn’t cover a full workday, so I top them up in the case at midday. And my first two pairs both developed a seashell-like hiss, the first in March and the second in September, and Apple replaced each one. When it happens they’re unusable. Other owners have reported the same thing. That’s why I tell everyone to buy AppleCare with them. My full review has the details.
Best value: AirPods 5, $129 or $149
Apple launched the AirPods 5 in September 2026 and put noise cancelling on both models. The $149 version adds a wireless charging case, an extra hour of battery per charge, and a volume swipe on the stem. Linus said he’d spend the extra $20.
The open design is the reason to buy them. There’s no silicone tip sealing your ear, which Linus found more comfortable for daily wear than his AirPods Pro 2. He was surprised by how much noise they still blocked: his HVAC and a robot vacuum all but disappeared. Max Tech recorded the mic against the AirPods 4 and found the new pair sounds more natural and less tinny.
The trade-offs show up on the road. With no seal, they shift when you touch them or yawn, and noise leaks in until they settle. Battery is up to 4 or 5 hours with noise cancelling, and Linus ran out on a long day where the Pros would have kept going. For a desk worker who wants comfortable buds for calls, they’re a good deal at $149. If you fly often, spend the extra $100 on the Pro 3.
Best for two phones: Sony WF-1000XM6, $329.99
Some founders carry an iPhone and a second Android phone for a local number or a test device. Apple and Samsung both keep their best features to their own phones. Sony gives you the same app, equalizer and settings on iOS and Android, and the XM6 connects to two devices at once.
The call hardware is the most serious here: eight microphones per earbud, beamforming, and a bone-conduction sensor that picks up your voice through your jaw. In ShortCircuit’s test call next to traffic, the person on the other end barely heard the street. Keep in mind Sony paid for that video. Sony rates the battery at 8 hours and 24 with the case, and five minutes of charging adds about an hour.
MKBHD’s comparison points out the cost. The case and buds are bigger, the foam tips wear out sooner than silicone, and the fit is less secure. You pay about $81 more than the AirPods Pro 3 for those trade-offs. Buy them if you switch phones or want to fine-tune the sound. Otherwise, buy the earbuds made for your phone.
Best for Android: Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, $249
MKBHD called them better than AirPods Pro, with noise cancelling at least as strong. They’re rated IP57 like the AirPods Pro 3, with up to 6 hours per charge and 26 with the case. They switch between Samsung devices automatically and come with a nine-band equalizer.
One feature fits a travel day well. When you start talking, they can switch to ambient mode on their own, then go back to noise cancelling a few seconds after you stop. You can answer a flight attendant or a colleague in a taxi without touching them.
On an iPhone they work as plain Bluetooth earbuds, with no app, no custom equalizer and none of the extras. Buy them if your phone is a Galaxy. Skip them if it’s an iPhone.
What a São Paulo–New York flight asks of them
A São Paulo to New York flight takes about 10 hours. Here’s how many case top-ups each pair needs to keep noise cancelling running, using the rated numbers:
- AirPods Pro 3 or Sony XM6: 10 − 8 = 2 hours short. One top-up.
- Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: 10 − 6 = 4 hours short. One top-up.
- AirPods 5 ($149): 10 − 5 = 5 hours short. One long top-up or two short ones.
- AirPods 5 ($129): 10 − 4 = 6 hours short. Two top-ups.
The case covers all of them, so the battery won’t strand you. The difference is how often you take them out. On a red-eye that means waking up.
What I’d skip
- Buying AirPods Pro 3 without AppleCare. Two of my three pairs needed replacing. Coverage turns a dead pair into a swap.
- Galaxy Buds on an iPhone. You’d pay $249 for features you can’t reach.
- Upgrading from AirPods Pro 2 for translation alone. Live Translation already works on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 with noise cancelling, as long as your iPhone supports Apple Intelligence.
My recommendation
On an iPhone, buy the AirPods Pro 3 and AppleCare. They’re the best mix of call quality, noise cancelling for flights, and a size that disappears on camera, and I’ve worked through 10 months of calls with them. If you never fly and comfort matters most, the $149 AirPods 5 save you $100. On a Galaxy phone, buy the Buds 4 Pro. Pay for the Sony WF-1000XM6 only if you use two phones from different camps.
FAQ
Are AirPods good enough for Zoom and Teams calls?
Yes, for most meetings. People on my calls have said I sound good through the AirPods Pro 3. Bluetooth compresses your voice, so for a day of cold calls from one desk, a USB microphone close to your mouth sounds fuller.
AirPods Pro 3 or AirPods 5 for work?
AirPods Pro 3 if you travel. Apple rates their noise cancelling at up to three times the AirPods 5’s, and they run longer per charge. The AirPods 5 are $100 cheaper and more comfortable for some people, which makes them the better buy for a desk you rarely leave.
Do Galaxy Buds 4 Pro work with an iPhone?
They connect and play audio, and the stem controls still work. You lose Samsung’s app, the equalizer and the automatic features, so you’re paying for things you can’t use.
Which earbuds last longest on a flight?
The AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6 are both rated at up to 8 hours with noise cancelling on, and 24 with the case. Either covers a 10-hour flight with one top-up.
Is the AirPods Pro 3 hiss problem real?
It happened to two of my three pairs, and MacRumors reported owner complaints in October 2025. Apple replaced both of mine. Buy AppleCare and keep the receipt.