The AirPods Pro 2 have now been out for a fairly long time. They were first introduced in 2022, replacing the original AirPods Pro, and the USB-C version debuted in 2023.
Now we’re awaiting the AirPods Pro 3, and thanks to some rumors and leaks we have some idea of what of what Apple has in store for its next pair of best wireless earbuds.
Although the rumor mill has been unusually quiet this year, what we've heard so far seems like Apple will most likely launch its new feature-packed 'buds at its annual September hardware event with new health-focused upgrades in tow.
Here’s everything we know about the AirPods 3 so far.
AirPods Pro 3 possible release date
In order to fit with the previous release calendars of the AirPods Pro, we would have already seen the AirPods Pro 3 by now. However, the Apple Glowtime event in September 2024 unveiled the AirPods 4 (with and without ANC), so there's still hope.
No headphone news came out of this year's WWDC event in June, so all we've got to go on are the piecemeal rumors that have been doing the rounds. The most significant is that a reference to the AirPods Pro 3 was found in the iOS 26 beta code.
Given that iOS 26 will go live alongside the launch of the iPhone 17 at September's event, it seems likely that the AirPods mentioned in the software will drop at the same time. Plus, that'd mean Apple can sell you a new phone and upgraded headphones.
But we've been let down before. The leaker Kosutami posted on X that they’d be launching alongside a new AirTag in either May or June. That obviously didn't come to pass.
Although it was always a bit of a long shot, as Bloomberg Apple reporter Mark Gurman said that they are “many months away" in February. Plus, an analyst recently suggested that the new 'buds might not land until sometime in 2026.
AirPods Pro 3 price speculation
Ordinarily, Apple keeps its pricing relatively static, so we went into 2025 assuming that any new AirPods Pro would retail for about the same price as the last set, around $250/£250, twice the price of the AirPods 4. But then in April, the Trump administration announced huge tariffs.
These would affect any product, device or material imported into the United States. As AirPods (along with pretty much every other consumer tech device) are produced in Asia, these would have been hit with the largest tariffs.
In the months since, Tim Cook's leadership have sought to curry favor with Trump's government, recently announcing a $100 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing. Whether this will have any impact on the tariffs Apple is facing remains to be seen.
But there's also little clarity on how the tariffs will be applied more generally. So whether this will translate into higher prices across the board is still up for debate. Though it has already forced some brands into raising its prices.
Apple may pass the cost onto you with higher prices, or it could decide to swallow the extra cost and reduce its profit margins to keep prices stable. There's evidence that the company may be interested in finding ways to make your money go further, as there are reports the company wants to launch a cheaper MacBook too.
AirPods Pro 3 features
Earlier this year, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 launched with heart rate monitors inside to make them better for runners and other athletes. We weren't overly convinced by this feature, but they easily climbed to the top of our best workout headphones list.
There’s been significant evidence that the AirPods Pro 3 are going to get the same feature, although we hope it performs better than in the PowerBeats Pro 2, which can only track your heart rate during specific workouts from select third-party apps.
There could also be new ways to interact with the AirPods Pro 3 case. An Apple patent points to the possibility of a touchscreen on the case of the AirPods, which would let you control music playback and other features like ANC.
Apple wouldn’t be the first — there are screens on some of Soundcore’s earbud cases, as well as the JBL Tour Pro 3 buds.
Personally, I don’t see much use in a touchscreen on my buds case. Why bother taking the case out of my pocket to play with the settings, when I could just take out my phone?
Beyond the touchscreen, Gurman reported that he thinks there’s evidence that the AirPods Pro 3 are going to offer temperature sensors to measure different health metrics alongside the potential heart rate monitor.
Analyst Ming Chi-Kuo has reported that the AirPods Pro could offer infrared cameras, which could be used for gesture control and other functions.
Gurman has also suggested that Apple is working on AirPods with cameras. And they might offer a way to control Apple's rumored smart glasses. But it's not likely that he's talking about the AirPods 3.
One rumor also suggests that the controls on the AirPods Pro 3 might change. Instead of capacitive controls, they might be operable when you’re wearing gloves. They might be moving to more conventional swipes and taps, as opposed to the squeezing needed on the older models.
Away from the hardware, there are signs that iOS 26 will also enable live translation on some AirPods. It's not clear if this would only apply to a new model, or if it's be an upgrade that AirPods Pro 2 (and maybe even AirPods 4) owners could join in with.
AirPods Pro 3 improvements
There’s not that much in the way of rumors about improved AirPods Pro 3 features, beyond those fancy sounding new touch controls. There are a couple of different things I think we might see though, and they’re mostly down to the potential H3 chip that could power Apple’s latest buds.
With every release of the AirPods Pro, Apple has packed a new chip inside. The AirPods had the H1 chip, the AirPods Pro 2 had the H2 chip, and it's expected that the AirPods Pro 3 will get a brand new H3 chip. That could come with a number of different benefits.
One of the biggest is improved ANC. Sony and Bose have both launched competitors with superior noise-blocking capabilities among the best noise-canceling earbuds. I think Apple is going to step up its game with the next pair, in order to fight back against the new(er) kids on the block.
Battery life is something that the H3 chip will likely improve, with greater power efficiency. That’s an area where the AirPods definitely need improvement — their 6-hour bud battery simply isn’t enough when compared to the competition.
Sound quality could see a big improvement as well, and I’m hoping we see the wireless lossless playback communication between the buds and the Apple Vision Pro headset come to a wider range of devices.
I don’t think the AirPods Pro 3 are going to change the Apple, neutral-sound profile, but there might be ways to make them sound better.
What I would like to see
There’s one thing I care about with the 'buds that I put in my pockets, and by extension, my ears — and that’s the way that they sound. I’d like to see the AirPods Pro 3 improve the sound quality, with more dynamism and great range.
Battery life is another big one for me — the battery life of the buds is just about enough for long car journeys, but not for cross-country flights or international flight. I’d like to see at least 8 hours out of the buds, and 30 hours out of the case. That would make them better than both the Sony and the Bose alternatives.
I’d also really like to see the connectivity between non-Apple devices improve. I recently moved over to Android, and getting my AirPods to work perfectly with them has been irritating to say the least. Some form of improved support would be very welcome.
