We’ve got bad news for fans of Apple’s AirPods Pro: The next set of Apple’s beloved earphones, tentatively called AirPods Pro 3, might not be released until 2025, according to a new report out of Bloomberg.
The report, headed by Apple insider Mark Gurman, focuses mainly forthcoming Apple wearables like the AirPods 4 and Vision Pro, but includes several key advancements for the Pro 3 that could arrive in 2025.
So what kind of health features are coming? According to Gurman, Apple may well be priming its next set of upgraded AirPods Pro to be the end-all be all of audio solutions through such inclusions as a biometric monitor, temperature sensor, and upgraded chipset in the form of the H3.
Given just how important the wearables business is to Apple, it will be interesting to see how far the company is willing to go with its most expensive and advanced true wireless earbuds.
More sensors than you can shake a stick at
The key takeaway of Gurman's post is that the AirPods Pro 3 are likely to leverage exciting health-tech upgrades. The enhanced H3 chip may allow more room for sophisticated health-based features, like a built-in hearing test so wearers can literally see how well their ears work against specific tones. The AirPods Pro 3 could even use that to better amplify music and sounds to the wearer's hearing levels.
There may even be more forward-thinking concepts on the next-gen AirPods Pro that see the potential of boosting the wearer’s hearing. The AirPods Pro 2 utilize Conversation Boost, allowing background noises to be reduced to hear the spoken word far better, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the feature was optimized even further for additional personalized amplification.
Unlike Dyson’s funky-looking Zone headset, which features a built-in air-purifier of all things, the AirPods Pro 3 may actually sport additional beneficial health-tech functions, including a biometric monitor and temperature sensor. The latter makes the most sense, given that ear temps tend to be more accurate than their wrist-based counterparts.
Unfortunately, in terms of a firm release date, not much is known. In his Bloomberg newsletter, Gurman notes that the release of the next-gen AirPods Pro would most likely coincide with Apple's September iPhone event, so late 2025 is the most accurate prediction we have at this point.
Can't wait two years for the next AirPods Pro? Snag a pair of the most recent AirPods Pro 2 before they’re all gone amidst the holiday spend-a-thon.
