When will Apple release AirPods Pro 3? Most leakers say it will be in the second half of the year. But analyst Jeff Pu recently reported that Cupertino will actually delay the introduction of its best earbuds to early 2026. While Pu is the only one sharing this bad news, it’s still possible that Apple is aiming for a September-to-December launch.
While most of us would rather believe these earbuds are coming soon, MacRumors gives us some hope that the AirPods Pro 3 launch could be close. This time, the site reports that Apple has an unreleased audio product in its codebase.
MacRumors writes: “All of Apple’s AirPods and Beats headphones have specific Bluetooth ID numbers (…) The extra identifier, 8239, is not the number that Apple uses for any of its existing AirPods or Beats headphones (…) Given AirPods Pro 3 rumors, it would make sense for the number to correspond to the upcoming earbuds.”
While the publication suggests this could relate to refreshed Beats headphones or possibly other Apple earbuds, it’s more likely the company is preparing for the AirPods Pro 3 release. This isn’t the first time MacRumors has reported on these earbuds. Previously, the site found iOS 26 beta code referencing this product.
For this new generation, here are some of the features we expect on AirPods Pro 3:
- Improved ANC: Apple already offers some of the best Active Noise Cancelling with AirPods Pro 2, but rumors suggest it could get even better.
- New audio chip: The H3 chip is expected to boost audio quality and connectivity between AirPods and iPhone. This chip should power most of the new features.
- Better hearing aid capabilities: Since AirPods Pro 2 already support hearing aid functions, it makes sense that Apple will improve on this by offering more natural sound.
- Heart rate measurement: After adding heart rate tracking to Powerbeats Pro 2, Apple is expected to bring the same feature—possibly even better—to the next AirPods Pro.
Below, you can check out even more features we expect to see on AirPods Pro 3.
