AirPods Pro 3: Release Date, Price, Features & Rumors

Apple users and industry experts are getting ready for the expected Apple AirPods Pro gen 3, with Apple’s wearables division — already outselling iPads and Macs — planning the first refresh in nearly two years.

AirPods 3 leaks suggest that Apple AirPods Pro 3 will come with an updated chip, hearing aid improvements, and even a temperature sensor to detect the health of the wearer.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests an ‌AirPods Pro‌ Gen 3 will get a sleeker design overhaul, while still retaining the style of previous generations.

While these AirPods 3 rumors need confirming, we have researched and gathered all the rumored specs and features around all the recent AirPods 3 news to update you on what to expect.

Since it is close to two years since AirPods Pro 2 made its debut in September 2022 — what is Apple planning next?

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Are AirPods Pro 3 Coming Out?
3. When Will AirPods Pro 3 Come Out?
4. AirPods Pro 3 Features
5. AirPods Pro 3 Price
6. AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Will There Be Much Difference?
7. The Bottom Line
8. FAQs
9. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Are AirPods Pro 3 Coming Out?
3. When Will AirPods Pro 3 Come Out?
Show Full Guide
4. AirPods Pro 3 Features
5. AirPods Pro 3 Price
6. AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Will There Be Much Difference?
7. The Bottom Line
8. FAQs
9. References

Are AirPods Pro 3 Coming Out?

In a tweet by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is on course to ship out the next generation of AirPods in the second half of 2024 or the first half of 2025.

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The next-generation AirPods will likely begin mass shipments in 2H24 or 1H25, including more affordable AirPods (with Apple targeting a price of $99) and new AirPods Max, which will be assembled by Luxshare ICT and Hon Teng.

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) January 12, 2023

If Apple continues on its trajectory of releasing a Pro version for each generation of AirPods, then we expect to see AirPods Pro 3 arrive next year.

When Will AirPods Pro 3 Come Out?

Expected Release Date: September – November 2025

While Apple has not officially announced the AirPods Pro 3 release date yet, insider leaks say the next generation of AirPods Pro will launch in Q4 of 2025.

As Apple’s previous releases follow a pattern of 35 months between Pro generations, we expect the AirPods Pro 3 to be somewhere around September to November 2025.

To give a clearer estimated release date, we summarized Apple’s AirPods Pro launch dates in this table.

AirPods Pro 3 will be packed with new additions, according to a leak by Bloomberg correspondent Mark Gurman. A highlight of this rumored upgrade is an updated H3 chip, which is expected to support many new functions.

New Sleek Look?

Existing Apple AirPods Pros are not easily distinguishable from each other externally, so AirPods Pro 3 may likely be similar to Pro 1 and Pro 2.

However, speculation suggests that Apple will try to make the AirPods Pro 3 case and earbuds more sleek, while retaining the same rounded-square plastic case with LED on the front, a speaker on the bottom, and a lanyard loop on the side.

The same applies to the earbuds itself — a small white plastic with some black and metallic elements. As for the color, Apple has only ever released its earbuds in white, and we expect it to continue with the AirPods Pro 3.

Updated Chip

If the current second-generation AirPods Pro chips are further updated, then it will boost performance in AirPods Pro 3 for features like improved Active Noise Cancelation (ANC), which Apple incorporated last year in their AirPods Pro 2nd generation models following a perceived disappointment in sales of non-ANC AirPods 3.

Body Temperature Monitoring

Bloomberg’s Gurman also suggests body temperature monitoring. The Pro 3 earbuds will be able to check your body temperature via your ear canals and feed it back into Apple’s health suite apps.

Ear canal temperature checks are considered more reliable than wrist temperature checks, giving Airpods an advantage over similar health and fitness wearables.

USB-C Charging Port

This feature has already appeared in the AirPods Pro 2 charging port since it was upgraded in September last year, and Apple will continue with the design in their AirPods Pro 3 and ditch the lightning charging port found on AirPods 3.

Apple analyst Gurman, in his leak highlighted the universal USB-C charging port inclusion for AirPods Pro 3, given that the European Union has already declared that all companies must use USB-C common charging port standard for corresponding devices by the end of 2024.

AirPods Pro 3 Price

Estimated Price: $249

AirPods Pro 3 will likely maintain the Apple debut price point for AirPods Pro, which is $249. Both AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2 were released at this price back in October 2019 and September 2022, respectively.

There is a possibility of another price point, especially if the new AirPods Pro 3 boosts significant upgrades that are not available in other generations.

AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Will There Be Much Difference?

When it comes to the exterior design, the AirPods Pro 2 and 3 are expected to be virtually indistinguishable.

However, the story may be different when it comes to internal upgrades. If the latest leaks are to be believed, here’s a comparison of what we can expect from the AirPods Pro 2 vs 3.

The Bottom Line

In Q4 of 2023, Apple reported sales for the Mac range of $7.61 billion, the iPad of $6.44 billion, and wearables accounting for $9.32 billion in sales.

So you can expect Apple to keep a focused eye on the wearables range, particularly AirPods and the Apple Watch.

However, Apple’s plans can change anytime, and there may be additions or removals to the speculated features, price, and even launch date.

For now, we wait and see how things unfold.

FAQs