Apple AirPods Pro 3 Release Date, Rumors, New Features
Apple final up to date its flagship AirPods Pro buds in 2022, and rumor has it the corporate will launch the next-gen AirPods Professional 3 this fall alongside its new iPhones. Whereas there isn’t any assure we’ll get the AirPods Professional 3 this yr, Apple has launched a brand new mannequin of AirPods yearly since 2019 (I am counting 2023’s AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C as a brand new mannequin), and the Professional line is due for an improve. Final yr we obtained the all-new AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Canceling, however the AirPods Max solely acquired a light-weight refresh with USB-C charging and USB-C audio together with new colours. Listed below are the newest AirPods Professional 3 rumors and what enhancements I might prefer to see for Apple’s flagship noise-canceling earbuds.
Learn extra: Best wireless earbuds of 2025
Rumored AirPods Professional 3 launch date
Again in February MacRumors noticed a publish on X from a tipster called Kosutami, who stated Apple was planning to launch the AirPods Professional 3 and AirTag 2 in Could or June of this yr. The “tip” appeared fairly doubtful, and certain sufficient, it was. Now it is turn into clear that the extra doubtless state of affairs is that the AirPods Professional 3 will arrive similtaneously the iPhone 17 in September. That is when Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who’s often a extra dependable Apple whisperer, predicts they will be introduced. He is additionally stated the AirPods Professional 3 may have a brand new design and have heart-rate monitoring like Apple’s new Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
Extra lately MacRumors contributor Steve Moser dug into iOS 26 Beta 1 and found that its underlying code references AirPods Pro 3 alongside existing AirPods models. “AirPods Professional 3 should be coming quickly,” Moser posted on X. “Sadly, I could not discover some other references or hints as to what new options they could have.”
That stated, on June ninth at WWDC 2025, Apple did announce some new features for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Lively Noise Cancellation (ANC) that can formally launch this fall however can be found to strive now for beta testers if in case you have a developer’s account (public betas are coming soon). These new options embody studio-quality audio recording and digicam distant options.
- Studio-quality audio recording: Apple says that “interviewers, podcasters, singers, and different creators can document their content material with higher sound high quality, and even document whereas on the go or in noisy environments with Voice Isolation.”
- Leveraging its highly effective H2 chip, Apple can also be upgrading voice-calling efficiency: “Consumer will even get pleasure from extra pure vocal texture and readability throughout iPhone calls, FaceTime, and CallKit-enabled apps,” it says.
- The brand new Digicam Distant characteristic lets you “begin or cease video recordings from a distance with a easy press of the AirPods stem.”
- AirPods fashions with the H2 chip will even have the ability to detect whenever you go to sleep and robotically pause what you are listening to.
To reiterate, the AirPods Professional 3 are prone to be unveiled this September, however you possibly can at all times discover naysayers. MacRumors lately reported that Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong thinks the AirPods Professional 3 could not arrive till 2026, forecasting they will launch alongside the Apple Watch Series 12 and a refreshed Vision Pro. Business analyst Ming-Chi Kuo additionally predicted the AirPods may not see significant updates till 2026 and claimed that Apple would launch a lighter AirPods Max in 2027.
In keeping with AppleTrack, Ming-Chi Kuo has fairly good monitor document, with a 72.5% accuracy rating over 142 rumors posts.
Will Trump tariffs have an effect on the AirPods Professional 3?
What influence the Trump tariffs may have on Apple merchandise, together with AirPods, is not completely clear at this level.
There’s been plenty of chatter about Apple being damage by excessive tariffs on items made in China, nevertheless it seems a sure share of AirPods are made in India and Vietnam. Phrase was that Apple would probably shift extra of its manufacturing of the AirPods Professional 3 to these nations, however the Trump administration’s current commerce take care of Vietnam may imply that Apple should pay a 20% necessary tariff on items made in Vietnam, in response to Apple Insider. (Do not forget that tariffs are paid on the wholesale value of imported items, not the retail value).
Whereas we have seen roughly 10% value hikes on lately launched premium headphones like Sony’s WH-1000XM6 (made in Malaysia) and Bowers & Wilkins’ PX7 S3, Apple is underneath some strain from cost-effective brands and lower cost earbuds, which have eaten into its share of the earbuds market lately. If Apple hopes to retain or develop its market share, it most likely has to maintain the AirPods Professional 3’s listing value at $250. That is what the AirPods Professional have at all times price, although reductions at Amazon and different on-line retailers sometimes carry the worth right down to lower than $200 and generally lower than $180.
The tariff scenario stays fluid, so we may see new merchandise delayed or launched in different elements of the world apart from the U.S. Prior to now, the U.S. sometimes had the most effective costs for iPhones and different Apple merchandise, however that would change.
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New temperature and heart-rate sensors
With the Powerbeats Professional 2 getting the aforementioned heart-rate sensors, it now appears extra doubtless that the AirPods Professional 3 will get them, too. I am undecided how helpful that characteristic is, particularly if you happen to already personal an Apple Watch. Nonetheless, Apple doubtless has grander plans for its buds’ heart-rate monitoring and continues to be fleshing all the pieces out, utilizing the Powerbeats Professional 2 as a little bit of a guinea pig.
Several tech outlets picked up on one other Gurman report mentioning the opportunity of temperature sensors and different physiological measurements coming to the AirPods. Each he and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo additionally reported that Apple was engaged on adding infrared cameras to future AirPods. Kuo’s report advised that the IR cameras could possibly be used for all the pieces together with in-air hand gesture detection, enhancing spatial audio or detecting environmental modifications for software program, together with Apple Intelligence. Do not count on to see any of that digicam tech within the AirPods Professional 3, however possibly the AirPods Professional 4 will get it.
Every Powerbeats Professional 2 bud has a heart-rate sensor together with ear-detection sensors.
AirPods case with contact display screen show
The rumored characteristic I discover most intriguing is an interactive contact show within the AirPods Professional 3’s charging case that acts as a distant management. With Apple submitting a patent for it again in 2022, the rumor has been kicking around for a while, and several other AirPods knockoffs with touchscreens have proven up on Amazon in current months. Additionally, final yr JBL launched three new Dwell 3 earbuds, together with the Dwell Beam 3, as a follow-up to 2023’s Tour Pro 2 earbuds, which featured a colour touchscreen of their case. All the brand new Dwell 3 fashions characteristic a 1.5-inch LED contact show of their charging circumstances, so the characteristic seems in competing earbuds.
I do not know what the chances are that the AirPods Professional 3 will get a charging case with a touchscreen, however some modifications to the charging case are doubtless, with some saying the case could shrink a bit. If nothing else, the bodily Bluetooth pairing and reset button ought to get swapped out for a hidden touch-capacitive “button” just like the one discovered within the AirPods 4’s case.
Provided that Apple made two variations of the AirPods 4, I may see it making two variations of the AirPods Professional 3 — a extra premium mannequin with some additional options like a touchscreen within the charging case and a step-down model that cuts them out.
The JBL Dwell Beam 3.
Improved AirPods Professional 3 efficiency with H3 chip
The AirPods Professional 2, AirPods 4 and Powerbeats Professional 2 are all powered by Apple’s H2 chip. Rumor has it that the AirPods Professional 3 may get the brand new H3 chip (and Bluetooth 5.4), presuming Apple sticks with its present earbuds/headphones chip nomenclature. Including a extra highly effective, energy-efficient chip together with tweaks to the design of the buds’ acoustic structure and microphones may result in a number of efficiency enhancements, together with enhanced sound high quality, upgraded energetic noise canceling and higher voice-calling efficiency. We may additionally see barely higher battery life.
I do not count on an enormous leap in efficiency, however the AirPods Professional 3 may sound just a little clearer with higher bass definition than their predecessor. Their noise canceling will doubtless be noticeably more adept and in a position to muffle a wider vary of frequencies. Additionally, on the subject of voice calling, the buds will doubtless do an excellent higher job of selecting up your voice whereas decreasing background noise. And at last, I think Apple’s Hearing Aid characteristic will likely be enhanced.
The AirPods Professional 2 and Powerbeats Professional 2 are ultralow-latency and may even do lossless audio when paired with Apple’s pricey Vision Pro headset. From what I have been instructed, the explanation the AirPods Professional 2 and Powerbeats Professional 2 are in a position to do true lossless audio with the Imaginative and prescient Professional headset is that the buds and headset sit only some inches aside, making for a particularly quick wi-fi connection that may reliably transmit lossless audio. There’s been speak of Apple arising with an answer to carry lossless audio to next-gen AirPods when paired together with your iPhone. I hope the AirPods Professional 3 has a lossless audio possibility when related to the newest iPhones, iPads and Macs, however I am not relying on it.
Dwell translation characteristic for AirPods Professional 3 (and possibly AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods 4)
These days I’ve encountered a number of no-name Chinese earbuds on Amazon with stay translation options, so it wasn’t an enormous shock when Bloomberg lately reported that the AirPods Professional 3 may be adding live translation by way of Apple’s Translate app with the discharge of iOS 19 this fall. The iOS Translate app already has pretty strong translation capabilities, however the report talks about how Apple plans to simplify the interpretation expertise with the characteristic constructed into its earbuds, as properly enhance the iOS Translation app. (For many who cannot entry Bloomberg’s content material behind its paywall, MacRumors has a synopsis of the report).
Since that is extra of an iPhone/iOS 19 characteristic, with the interpretation of what you say performed by means of your iPhone’s audio system for others to listen to, stay translation appears fairly prone to come to the AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods 4, each of that are geared up with Apple’s H2 chip and have loads of processing energy. Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 may additionally get the stay translation characteristic.
New U2 chip within the charging case
Together with the AirPods 3 getting a brand new H3 chip to energy the earbuds themselves, some persons are predicting that Apple will equip the AirPods 3’s MagSafe charging case with a brand new U2 chip (the AirPods Professional 2 have a U1 chip). That chip would assist improve the precision of Apple’s Find My feature that lets you find each the buds and case whenever you misplace them. As a result of they’ve a U1 chip of their case, the AirPods Professional 2 are geared up with Apple’s most superior model of Discover My. The 2 AirPods 4 fashions depart off the U1 chip of their circumstances so they do not assist precision discovering.
My AirPods Professional 3 wishlist: Higher sound high quality and one key characteristic
I do not care an excessive amount of about a few of these rumored additional options, like heart-rate monitoring and temperature sensing. I am extra enthusiastic about any enhancements to the buds’ design and efficiency upgrades throughout the board.
I’ve beforehand written about how I might prefer to see all new AirPods get a case that turns right into a Bluetooth transmitter to wirelessly stream the audio from inflight leisure to the buds. A couple of true wi-fi earbuds, together with the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 and Elite 10 Gen 2, Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 and Poly Voyager Free 60 Plus, have charging circumstances that act as Bluetooth transmitters. With the included cable, you merely join the case to the three.5mm port in your seat’s console or armrest and also you’re good to go. I do not count on the AirPods Professional 3 will get this characteristic, however I certain want they’d.
The Jabra Elite 8 Lively Gen 2’s charging case turns right into a Bluetooth transmitter.
I might additionally prefer to see Apple add a set of additional massive eartips. I barely get a good seal with the AirPods Professional 2’s present massive suggestions and will actually use an XL tip for my left ear, which is barely totally different from my proper (I’ve examined a wide range of third-party foam suggestions). When Apple launched the AirPods Professional 2, it added a fourth additional small ear tip for these with smaller ears. The problem to including a fifth XL tip is that the charging case would have to have the ability to accommodate a barely bigger ear tip. Since getting a good seal is so necessary for optimizing sound high quality and noise-canceling efficiency, it will behoove Apple to supply that fifth XL tip for many who require larger eartips for that cause.
Learn extra: The One Feature I Wish Apple Would Add to All New AirPods
2025-07-28 15:57:00
