AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for.

airpods pro 2 gradient
Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for such small buds, one of the reasons the AirPods Pro 2 have remained popular is Apple's commitment to updating their feature set with software updates.

When iOS 17 was released in 2023, AirPods Pro 2 got new Adaptive Audio features, mute controls, and faster automatic device switching. And with iOS 18, released last year, Apple added head gestures, allowing users to control Siri on the ‌AirPods Pro‌ with a shake or a nod of the head. Apple also added Voice Isolation to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ to cut down on loud background sounds to make you easier to hear, along with more granular Adaptive Audio controls and a new Personalized Spatial Audio feature specific to gaming.

More recently, AirPods Pro 2 received a significant upgrade with the release of iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2. These updates introduced hearing aid functionality in supporting regions, allowing the earbuds to function as an over-the-counter hearing aid for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. Apple received FDA authorization for this feature, which should be a game-changer for many users.

2025 AirPods Pro: What the Rumors Say

Design Changes

Any future generation of AirPods Pro will surely inherit all of these features, but we are also expecting more dramatic changes. Looking ahead to the AirPods Pro 3, multiple reports suggest Apple is planning a redesign for both the earbuds and the charging case. While details are scarce, this indicates the next iteration may sport a fresh look compared to their predecessors, which have maintained a similar design since the original AirPods Pro.

Improved Sound Quality

Under the hood, Apple is also said to be focusing on sonic improvements, with Apple adding a faster audio processor. This has been a consistent trend with each AirPods iteration. Perhaps more intriguing however are rumors of "much better" Active Noise Cancellation capabilities compared to the already impressive AirPods Pro 2.

Heart-Rate Tracking

Health features appear to be a major focus for the AirPods Pro 3 as well. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is developing heart rate monitoring technology that could be ready for the AirPods Pro 3.

Apple's Powerbeats Pro 2 offer heart rate monitoring during workouts, allowing users to connect the Powerbeats Pro 2 to gym equipment like a treadmill to measure heart rate, making the data visible in the Health app and other supported apps on the iPhone. There's a good chance AirPods Pro 3 will feature similar heart rate tracking functionality, but hopefully in an improved implementation that lets users listen to music and monitor heart-rate on gym equipment at the same time.

Body Temperature Sensors

Apple is reportedly also developing new sensors that could allow the earbuds to measure body temperature from within the ear canal. This aligns with the company's broader push into health monitoring across its product line, but whether the sensor will be ready in time for next year's model is unknown.

Live Language Translation

In the most recent claim regarding AirPods, Bloomberg reports that Apple is working on a feature that will let AirPods translate in-person conversations from one language to another. The AirPods will be able to provide a simpler translation process for people who are speaking different languages, though the process will rely on the Translate app on the iPhone.

If an English speaker with AirPods is talking to someone who is speaking Spanish, the ‌iPhone‌ will detect the audio, translate the speech, and relay it back in English to the person wearing AirPods. The person speaking English will then be able to respond and have their response translated to Spanish and spoken aloud by the ‌iPhone‌. Apple's ‌iPhone‌ Translate app can already be used for conversations like this, but having the function included in the AirPods will streamline the exchange.

Looking Ahead

Looking further ahead, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes we could see AirPods with integrated infrared cameras as soon as 2026. These would improve spatial audio experiences when paired with the Vision Pro headset, although it's unlikely that this technology will debut with this year's AirPods Pro 3. Gurman has also said Apple plans to add small cameras to future AirPods to enable unspecified AI-powered features. This is said to be a "priority" project for Apple, but likely still a few years away from completion.

AirPods 4 Hints

airpods 4 blue
The fourth-generation AirPods could offer a hint as to what other design changes we could see in AirPods Pro 3. AirPods 4 eliminate the familiar setup button found on the back of earlier models' charging cases. Instead, Apple has integrated a concealed capacitive button on the front of the case, just below the status light. To initiate pairing mode, users simply open the case and double-tap the front-center area.

The ‌AirPods 4‌'s status light has also received a stealthy makeover. When the case is closed or not charging, the LED is completely invisible. It only reveals itself when the case is opened or placed on a charger. These design changes contribute to the smallest and lightest AirPods charging case to date, and there's a good chance Apple will bring them over to the next-generation AirPods Pro.

Release Date

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in February said that the AirPods Pro 3 will arrive in 2025 but remained months away. Meanwhile, one leaker has since claimed that Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 as soon as May or June this year. However, the same leaker made a similar claim in August 2024 about new AirPods Pro coming "soon," and that did not happen, so treat this latest rumor with caution.

Summing Up

With the AirPods Pro 3 potentially arriving within the next 10 months, anyone looking to invest in some new AirPods has a decision to make. The AirPods 4 bring some Pro features like Active Noise Cancellation to a more affordable $179 price point. However, those who prioritize cutting-edge features and are willing to wait might find the upcoming AirPods Pro 3 to be a more compelling option, especially if they build upon the hearing aid functionality introduced in the AirPods Pro 2 and retain the current $249 price tag.

For fitness-oriented users, Powerbeats Pro 2 initially seemed like a good bet in the absence of AirPods Pro 3, but they have recently come in for criticism owing to issues with iPhone app connectivity and the earbuds' inability to allow users to listen to music and connect to gym equipment for heart-rate tracking at the same time. All in all, for Apple device users interested in next-generation earbuds that will offer a premium wireless listening experience, AirPods Pro 3 appear to be the ones worth holding out for.

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

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Top Rated Comments

pksv Avatar
1 week ago
They will release them in September with iPhones, like all Airpods Pro models so far.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
1 week ago
Very happy owner of my current Pro 2s for athletic use and Max for casual use.

I do hope the "sonic" improvements for the Pro 3 involve sound, especially at the treble roll-off. I do prefer my Max for this reason. They're already pretty good though, I just hope they get even more serious about sound.

Either way, I'm sufficiently enough of a sucker and I will get them.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brofkand Avatar
1 week ago
price point of airpods is sort of imaginary, who pays full price for these things? they're literally always on sale
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whsbuss Avatar
1 week ago
I agree that for me, sound improvements are top of the list. I already use my Ultra watch for health so heart monitoring doesn't interest me. Would be great if they somehow could do lossless audio... that would be groundbreaking.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brofkand Avatar
1 week ago

These are Pro though, so MagSafe is….safe I think.

I’m due for an upgrade from my OG Pros…& my backup buds (OG AirPods) are pretty useless now - one bud cuts out within 10 minutes despite the battery being full…
Yeah, AirPods are an environmental disaster. Nothing but plastic and sealed in batteries. But at least the box is paper!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
clg82 Avatar
1 week ago
All of these new "features" will be postponed until the end of the year.....but buy them now......and you'll get the "features" in the future......
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)