The AirPods Pro 3 Might Be Closer Than You Think | Here’s Everything We Know
Sumudu Mohottige
Toggle Dark Mode
Every September, Apple hosts its biggest event of the year, and this year it will be no different. The company has already confirmed that its much-anticipated “Awe Dropping” event will happen on September 9.
Of course, that mainly means one thing: a new iPhone is on the way. However, Apple’s September event has evolved into much more than just an iPhone event. For the past eleven years, Apple has also debuted the new Apple Watch lineup during the event, and it occasionally adds af few other products we may not expect.
This year, we’re hoping Apple will reveal something that fans have been waiting for for years: the AirPods Pro 3. It’s been three years since Apple gave its Pro earbuds a real upgrade, and rumor has it that this year we’ll finally see the third-generation model.
The best part is that, if rumors are right, this will be a huge upgrade. We’re talking about better sound quality, and even a couple of health features you may not have known the AirPods could offer. Here’s everything we know.
In-Ear Heart Rate Monitoring (Yes, You Read that Right)
One of the biggest changes coming to the AirPods Pro 3 could be the ability to track your heart rate directly from your ears. Apple has been working on incorporating optical heart rate sensors into its earbuds since 2019, which would monitor your pulse and send the data to the Health app on your iPhone. This would provide users with an additional way to track their fitness levels and heart activity, especially if they aren’t wearing an Apple Watch.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and numerous other reports, this isn’t just a concept; it’s a feature that Apple has been developing for some time. Since similar sensors already exist in smartwatches and fitness bands, it’s easy to imagine how they could work inside AirPods as well. In fact, Apple’s Beats division recently added in-ear heart rate monitoring to the Powerbeats Pro 2, adding even more weight to this rumor.
A Temperature Sensor Might Be Coming Too
Alongside heart rate, some reports suggest that Apple is considering adding temperature sensors to the AirPods Pro.
These sensors would sit in the earbuds and measure your internal temperature from the ear canal, a method that’s generally more accurate than wrist-based readings from a watch.
Many reports and leaks have mentioned this possibility, although it’s unclear how far along the development is. So take this rumor with a grain of salt, as this feature might not be available when the new AirPods Pro launch..
Apple Might Change the Design of the AirPods Pro 3 And the Charging Case
Apple might be planning a more compact look for the earbuds themselves, along with a redesigned case that’s slimmer and easier to carry around. The updated design could feature a more seamless charging case with a hidden LED light and a new tactile area for pairing, replacing the traditional button — a feature the company has already incorporated into the AirPods 4.
This change is more than likely, especially since Apple has already updated the standard AirPods with a slimmer design. Shrinking down the Pro version would make it easier to pocket and carry, while also giving it a cleaner, more modern look. Not to mention that this will allow users to easily distinguish the regular AirPods from the AirPods Pro.
A New H3 Chip Is Coming
Inside the earbuds, Apple is rumored to include a new H3 chip to replace the current chip found in the second-generation AirPods Pro. This upgraded chip would boost the AirPods’ processing power, as well as improve noise cancellation, facilitate faster device switching, and provide better efficiency to enhance battery life.
This is one of the more obvious upgrades that Apple tends to make with each new generation of its products. The move from H1 to H2 brought big improvements in how the earbuds handled sound and device switching. An H3 chip would likely push those benefits even further, and it will probably give room for some extra features we haven’t even heard of.
Better Sound Quality, ANC, and Adaptive Audio
This rumor is almost a given. After all, why change AirPods if they’re just going to sound the same?
With the new chip, you can expect better sound performance across the board. This includes improvements to both Active Noise Cancellation and Adaptive Audio, providing a better experience when using the AirPods Pro outdoors.
Of course, we’re also expecting Apple to improve the sound quality of the AirPods Pro 3. We’ll need to test it for ourselves to determine the magnitude of this change, but it should be easy to hear.
Second-Gen Ultra Wideband (UWB) for Better Find My
This is also largely a given, as Apple has already integrated its newest ultrawideband chip into other devices, such as the AirPods 4.
The current AirPods Pro utilize the original U1 chip to help you locate your lost earbuds using the Find My app. However, newer iPhones and Apple Watches now feature a U2 chip, offering more accurate location tracking and a longer range.
So it makes sense that Apple will feature the U2 chip in the new AirPods Pro 3. Rumor has it that this chip will be located in the charging case, making it easier to find everything in a flash.
Price Might Stay the Same
Despite the new features and upgraded internals, most reports suggest that Apple aims to maintain the same price as the current-generation AirPods Pro. This means we expect the new earbuds to cost around $249.
Maintaining a steady price could help Apple sustain strong sales, even in the face of inflation and new tariffs in certain regions.
Of course, it’s worth noting that this might not be the case. Due to external factors such as tariffs, production costs, and supply chain challenges, Apple may need to increase its prices. We’ll have to wait and see once Apple announces the new AirPods Pro.
Will the AirPods Pro 3 Be Launched This Fall?
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and multiple other sources, the AirPods Pro 3 are expected to launch alongside the iPhone 17 in September 2025.
This would align with Apple’s typical pattern of announcing a new audio-related refresh during its annual fall event. We saw this last year with the introduction of the AirPods 4.
Not only that, but it’s been three years since Apple launched the current generation AirPods Pro, which also debuted during a September event — Apple’s “Far Out” iPhone 14 event on September 7, 2022. That’s about the same gap between the release of the first and second-generation AirPods Pro models.
Yes, it sounds like a conspiracy theory, but Apple sometimes tends to use the same timeframes for product launches. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees that we’ll see the new AirPods Pro this year.
Some analysts believe Apple might push the release to early 2026, depending on how testing and production go.
All that to say that no one knows for sure, so we’ll have to wait. The good news is that we won’t have to wait long.
Get Ready for the New AirPods Pro 3
Apple’s next AirPods Pro appear to be a solid upgrade in all the ways that matter. Better noise canceling, improved sound quality, and built-in health tools are the perfect combo for everything we’d like to see on a new pair of AirPods.
So whether you’re ready to buy or just curious about what’s coming next, AirPods Pro 3 are shaping up to be one of Apple’s biggest audio updates in years. The good news is that the event is just around the corner, so we won’t have to wait much longer before knowing what Apple has in store for us.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
