AirPods Pro 3 are coming soon. Here are what the latest rumors tell you to expect — and if they’re worth waiting for.
The original AirPods Pro popped into our ears on October 30, 2019. It was in 2022 when the first upgrade arrived with better audio, improved ANC, and Find My.
A small revision happened a year after that in 2023 when Apple finally ditched the Lighting port for USB-C and added lossless audio for Vision Pro users.
Finally, after almost a three-year wait, we’re poised to get a true successor in the AirPods Pro 3 later in 2025. And, it sounds like it will be a massive upgrade.
AirPods Pro 3: Finally an updated design
To start, AirPods Pro 3 will finally be getting a redesign. Both the case and the earbuds themselves are expected to see a refresh. Both to look new as well as out of necessity to facilitate new features.
We don’t know much about the redesign, but we’re confident in a few things.
We’ll definitely be keeping the stems. A stemless design was rumored before, but we think the little stems are too iconic for Apple to ditch.
Plus, they’re a great tactile way to control the earbuds via the Force Stems. Reducing them to small buds gets fiddly as we’ve seen with other earbuds that rely on various tapping or swiping gestures.
We’d also guess that the case will get smaller. Apple shrunk the case size on the AirPods 4 so we think Apple will do something similar with the Pros.
Our only concern with the case is we hope they’re able to retain MagSafe and Qi2 support. The AirPods 4 are so small, they couldn’t fit the magnets.
They still work on those wireless chargers, but they can’t be held magnetically. Fingers crossed the AirPods Pro 3 design is just large enough to still support that.
Finally, the physical button and LED light will likely go away. Apple moved to a hidden light and tapping gesture on AirPods 4.
It makes sense that the IO would carry over to the high-end buds as well.
AirPods Pro 3 internals
The AirPods Pro 3 are also rumored to adopt Apple’s H3 chip. The successor to the capable H2 chip in use currently.
These are Apple’s custom wireless chips and they handle a lot. They do the audio processing, motion tracking, ANC, and hearing protection features alongside the wireless signals.
With a new chip, all of these — and more — should see benefits. They will also unlock the other features we’re about to talk about.
One of the new features afforded by a new H3 processor is improved battery life. Because this chip will be more efficient in everything it does, we’re hoping the single use time goes above 4-5 hours.
Warning though – we may not see that battery benefit in the stats. What often happens is that Apple could reduce the size of the battery to make room for a new smaller design or other sensors.
So a smaller battery could yield the same output as the larger one we have no. We’ll have to see which direction Apple takes.
We’ve heard rumors surrounding heart rate monitoring coming to AirPods Pro 3 for a while. With the launch of the Powerbeats Pro 2, that support this feature, it seems even more likely.
What often happens during high intensity workouts, like a run or a HIIT class, is that Apple Watch is unable to take an accurate reading. It will stop collecting your heart rate until it’s stable again or you stop moving so much.
In-ear heart rate monitoring is more reliable during vigorous movements and should be more accurate during workouts. Since we saw this on the Powerbeats Pro 2, we have a better idea of how it would work.
For example, they’ll be able to be paired with your workout gear as a dedicated heart rate monitor, such as with a treadmill or bike. We also would think Apple would add Apple Fitness and workout integration — a feature sorely missed on the Powerbeats Pro 2.
We’re slightly less certain about this, but we could also see in-ear temperature tracking. Again, something borrowed from the Apple Watch but more accurate.
In-ear temperature would probably be more accurate than the single temperature tracked via Apple Watch while you sleep. Think of your typical in-ear thermometer when visiting the doctor.
As we mentioned, the H-series chip also handles the audio processing. Because of that, we imagine both sound and ANC would be improved.
Apple will likely use new custom drivers as it likes to improve its audio with each iteration. Plus, known leaker Kosutami said on X that the ANC will be “much better.”
Consider AirPods Pro 2 boasted twice as good ANC as the original, this would be a massive improvement. Many users are convinced that the ANC quality has been decreasing over the years with each software update, so this could squash those fears.
AirPods Pro 3 pricing and release
AirPods Pro 3 are rumored to hit the shelves in the coming months. Based on years past, they’ll be unveiled during Apple’s fall iPhone event around September.
If pricing remains consistent, they’ll come out with an MSRP of $249. Same as the AirPods Pro 2.
Those in the market have a difficult decision though, as we regularly see the existing AirPods Pro 2 drop as low as $150. So the choice is between a highly-discounted model now, or the new model for $100 more in a few months.
Regardless, keep your eyes on our price guide if you’re in the market, otherwise stay tuned for our coverage as we approach the launch.
