Apple Reportedly Working on AirPods Pro 3 With Heart Rate Feature

Apple is working on a variety of health features for future AirPods, including heart rate monitoring and temperature sensing, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

AirPods 4 Ambient Light Heart Health Sensor Feature
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the heart rate technology could be ready for the AirPods Pro 3, which are in "early development" within the company.

AirPods getting heart rate monitoring would allow more customers to access this capability for health and fitness purposes, without needing to wear an Apple Watch. In internal testing, Apple has found that heart rate data is "more accurate" on the Apple Watch compared to AirPods, but he said the AirPods "aren't terribly far off."

Apple's upcoming Powerbeats Pro 2 will also offer heart rate monitoring during workouts. Based on our iOS 18 code findings, you will be able to connect the Powerbeats Pro 2 to gym equipment like a treadmill to measure heart rate, and the data will be visible in the Health app and other supported apps on the iPhone.

Apple previously announced that the Powerbeats Pro 2 will be released in 2025, but it is not entirely clear when the AirPods Pro 3 will launch.

As a longer-term goal, Gurman reiterated that Apple plans to add small cameras to future AirPods to enable unspecified AI-powered features. This project is now a "priority" for Apple, but likely still a few years away from completion, he said.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: AirPods

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Top Rated Comments

JCCL Avatar
5 hours ago at 07:35 am
Hope there is a version without it. Why would I want heart rate measurements in my earbuds? I already have an Apple Watch. How about lossless audio? These are earbuds, please make audio related improvements.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nortonandreev Avatar
5 hours ago at 07:09 am
AirPods Pro 3, which are in "early development" within the company?

I thought they were supposed to be out in 2025?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
StoneJack Avatar
5 hours ago at 07:25 am
no one asked for this feature
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joseph C Avatar
5 hours ago at 07:22 am

AirPods Pro 3, which are in "early development" within the company?

I thought they were supposed to be out in 2025?
My thoughts exactly when I read this. WTF? They're overdue IMO but we might not see them til 2026 at this rate.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lanomds1 Avatar
5 hours ago at 07:45 am
A feature no one is asking for. I don’t understand why apple is doing redundant choices like putting heart rate monitoring on the AirPods Pro when the Apple Watch already does that quite well. Am I missing something here?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCCL Avatar
4 hours ago at 08:04 am

Way more accurate measurements. Apple Watch is prone to cadence lock, for example
Apple Watch is accurate enough. I had a cardiac stress test done in a hospital earlier this year. Compared the output of the watch to the one the test was getting and it was always within 1 or 2 bpm off at most.

Plus if you read the article, it actually says the AirPods are not as accurate as an Apple Watch, so not sure where are you getting “way more accurate measurements” from.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)