AirPods Pro + Apple Watch S3: match made in hell?

[fridayxiii]

I just got a S3 Apple Watch last week, and bought a new pair of AirPod Pros from Mercari this week. The Pods work great when paired with my iPhone XR sitting still. Sound is fantastic, connection is great. When paired with the Apple Watch and stationary, same thing. The problem starts when I'm on the move.

When I get up & start to walk I lose sound from the right ear pod, and the left cuts out sporadically. After a minute or two of walking the left got a connection but I still had no sound from the right. If I bring the watch up to near chest level I get sound from the right, but it still cuts out easily.

I'm really disappointed to say the least. Is this normal, or should I get solid connection & quality sound when on the move, like hiking/walking/rucking? Any troubleshooting I can try?

 

[piblondin]

You should have no problem with the connection, though you may get some wind noise.

 

[perezr10]

You’re not on Beta software are you?

 

[fridayxiii]

You’re not on Beta software are you?

Nope. The S3 AW was updated to the latest & greatest official release, but not beta.

Brief update: I called Apple tech support, they had me unpair & re-pair the pods, and reset the watch, but no joy. I have an appointment to take the watch in to Best Buy for in-person review next weekend. Since this has happened with two sets of wireless earbuds I wonder if I just have a bunk AW. As long as it can be replaced, I'll be happy.

 

[CoronaOnTap]

The problem could be a bad fit as the touch sensors are extremely sensitive on the APP. Try it again with a bigger tips and see if that makes any diff. It's unlikely to be an issue with the connection itself.

 

[fridayxiii]

Late update: I finally got the issues resolved by getting replacement APP buds & charging case. I got replacement APP from Apple, but I could not get them to pair with any of my devices, so sent them back and got new APP and charger case. Now it all works swimmingly: I get what appears to be accurate battery readings, the APP connect to my AW & iPhone seamlessly, and no dropped signal when hiking/walking/on the move. The third time's a charm.

This is literally the first Apple product I've ever had issues with; not a bad track record, just glad they're all sorted now.