Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today tweeted that he does not forecast major updates to the AirPods lineup coming this year. Instead, he reiterates that new AirPods Pro with Infrared cameras are set to arrive in 2026.
This contradicts reporting from other publications that have suggested AirPods Pro 3 will launch in 2025, including new features such as improved active noise cancellation.
This claim seems a little sketchy given AirPods Pro 2 are approaching three years old, and as Apple’s most popular and most profitable AirPods model, it would be unusual for the company to let them languish for so long.
One of the rumored features for the next-gen AirPods Pro was the inclusion of a heart rate monitor. The heart rate capability has already debuted in the new Powerbeats Pro 4.
Apple also stole much of the AirPods Pro thunder with the launch of the cheaper AirPods 4 line in the fall last year, adding features like Active Noise Cancellation in wireless earbuds priced as low as $179.
However, while Apple has not released a new hardware generation of AirPods Pro since 2022, the company has continued to expand what the headphones can do through software updates. Most notably, AirPods Pro 2 are now able to act as licensed hearing aids, correcting for mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
The news is even bleaker for over-ear AirPods Max users, who may not see a new revision until 2027 at the earliest.
Are you waiting for new AirPods Pro? Let us know in the comments below.
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