Many people think that AirPods are the only option if you buy an iPhone or iPad, but there are plenty of third-party earphones out there, some of which are arguably better. AirPods are available in the Apple Store and are perceived to be more tightly integrated with the company’s platform than Beats products like the Beats Fit Pro. You can go from sharing music on your iPhone to watching a movie on your Apple TV in a flash.
Many people choose the AirPods Pro, especially if they’re looking for a pair of earbuds for working out. Apple may be releasing the third-generation Pro soon, but what kind of upgrades can we expect this time around?
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AirPods Pro 3 release date and price
- Rumored to be 2025, but probably around autumn
- Prices may not change
The most likely launch date is fall 2025. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has hinted at a 2025 refresh, and Apple traditionally preorders new AirPods in the fall, which would coincide with new iPhones and holiday shopping. Apple could break this pattern, but probably only if it has a packed launch schedule.
There are no signs of any change to the price, which is $249 for the second generation product. New features could drive the price up, but there’s also the risk that users will be tempted to go for competing products with similar features and better sound quality.
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Design and Features
- New Look
- Hearing Health Features
- Temperature sensor possibilities
- The potential of touchscreen cases
Gurman also claims that Apple plans to refresh the AirPods Pro 3 with a new design. It hasn’t said what that will be, but Apple hasn’t significantly changed the look of the Pro since it shipped the original models in 2019. The company has worked hard to make AirPods instantly and iconic, so it may be hesitant to deviate too much.
The design tweaks could be practical. For example, the company is said to be interested in a hearing aid feature, which would be a big win. Dedicated hearing aids are very expensive and come with a stigma because they are associated with old age. The new Pro could diagnose hearing loss by playing a series of sounds, like the tests used by audiologists.
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As for general health monitoring, Apple may be planning a temperature sensor – recent Apple Watches already have such a sensor, but ear data would be more accurate and open up temperature measurements to people who don’t need a smartwatch.
It’s even less likely that the charging case will add a touchscreen. An interactive case screen would let you control music and podcasts without using the onboard controls on your AirPods or having to access your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch directly. But so far, Apple has only filed patents on the idea, and many of the submitted patents haven’t made it into shipping hardware.
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Internal Specifications
- Enhanced Audio
- New H3 chip
Apple tends to improve the audio with each new generation of earbuds, but it’s unclear what the plans are this time. The second-generation Pro already comes with features like active noise cancellation and spatial audio, so the focus may instead be on bass response and call quality. It’s also likely to improve features like adaptive audio and speech recognition to make interacting with the outside world more seamless.
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Supporting the audio processing and health tech will be a new Apple-designed chip, Gurman said. The chip will likely be called H3, as the second-generation Pro uses H2. This silicon could have big implications, not just for the addition of health features, but also for the arrival of the Apple Intelligence era. It remains to be seen whether Apple can pack even more AI capabilities into something as small as a pair of earbuds.
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FAQ
Q: What devices do AirPods Pro 3 support?
We’re not sure yet, but it’s safe to assume compatibility will be similar to that of the Pro 2, which works with most iPhones, iPods, Macs, and Apple Watches (some of which are over 10 years old), as well as the black box Apple TV and Vision Pro.
Some features may be reserved for newer devices, especially if they rely on AI.
