Apple is preparing to launch two versions of the AirPods Pro 3 over 2025 and 2026, according to a Weibo leaker.


Yesterday, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to debut the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ this year. They could arrive as soon as this week at Apple's "Awe dropping" event.

Crucially, Kuo added that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to this year's AirPods Pro in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major changes to the AirPods' hardware. ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 debuted at the iPhone 14 event in September 2022, and they were updated with a USB-C charging case and a few other tweaks in September 2023. Otherwise, Apple has waited about three years to update all of its AirPods models.

Kuo said that the 2026 ‌AirPods Pro‌ will feature a "more significant" hardware upgrade in the form at least one tiny infrared camera. He previously said AirPods with infrared cameras could recognize hand gestures and provide an enhanced spatial audio experience with Apple's Vision Pro headset.

Now, the Chinese leaker known as "Instant Digital" has corroborated the rumor with some additional details and clarifications. Rather than being a new generation, the 2026 ‌AirPods Pro‌ will be a high-end variant of the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ introduced this year, suggesting that both models will ultimately be on sale alongside each other. It is worth noting that Apple offers two version of the AirPods 4 at $129 and $179 price points.

As Kuo first said, Instant Digital similarly believes that the key differentiator will be an infrared camera for gesture controls. In fact, Apple may remove the high-end model's pressure-sensors and go all-in on gesture controls. The cost for customers is expected to exceed the current ‌AirPods Pro‌'s full retail price of $249.

All signs point towards Apple unveiling the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ during its iPhone 17 event on Tuesday, September 9. The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ will likely have the same heart rate monitoring feature that Apple first introduced on the Powerbeats Pro 2 earlier this year, along with a smaller charging case, improved sound and active noise cancellation, and more.








This article, "Two Versions of AirPods Pro 3 Coming With These Differences" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple plans to release AirPods Pro 3 this year, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


All signs point towards Apple unveiling the AirPods Pro 3 during its iPhone 17 event on Tuesday, September 9. However, Kuo did not provide a specific timeframe beyond the second half of 2025, which lines up with previous rumors.

Kuo did not mention any new features that are planned for the AirPods Pro 3. However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that the AirPods Pro 3 will likely have the same heart rate monitoring feature that Apple introduced on the Powerbeats Pro 2 earlier this year, along with a significantly smaller charging case.

When both Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds are placed in the ears, and heart rate monitoring is active, Apple says LED optical sensors pulse at over 100 times per second to measure heart rate via blood flow. The feature integrates with popular fitness apps to collect data during workouts and sync it to Apple's Health app on the iPhone.

The feature is based on the Apple Watch's heart rate sensing technology. If someone is wearing both Powerbeats Pro 2 and an Apple Watch, Apple says apps default to using Apple Watch heart rate data, and that will likely apply to the AirPods Pro 3 too.

Beyond heart rate monitoring, it is likely that the next AirPods Pro will feature improved sound quality, increased active noise cancellation, design changes, and more.

AirPods Pro 2 debuted at the iPhone 14 event in September 2022, and they were updated with a USB-C charging case and a few other tweaks in September 2023.

Interestingly, Kuo said that Apple plans to update the AirPods Pro again next year, with a "more significant" hardware upgrade in the form at least one tiny infrared camera. A leaker on Chinese platform Weibo subsequently claimed that these will be a higher-end version of the AirPods Pro 3, rather than AirPods Pro 4. That would make sense, given the long three-year gap between the first, second, and third AirPods Pro generations.

Kuo previously said AirPods with infrared cameras could be controlled with in-air gestures, and provide an enhanced spatial audio experience with Apple's Vision Pro headset.

"For example, when a user is watching a video with Vision Pro and wearing this new AirPods, if users turn their heads to look in a specific direction, the sound source in that direction can be emphasized to enhance the spatial audio/computing experience," he said.
This article, "Kuo: AirPods Pro 3 Coming Soon, But Bigger Upgrade Arriving Next Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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