While Apple is expected to unveil AirPods Pro 3 tomorrow, it turns out more than one version is expected.
AirPods Pro 3 expected at iPhone 17 event
Three years after introducing AirPods Pro 2, Apple’s best wireless headphones are due for an upgrade. We’ll likely see improvements over existing hardware, heart rate detection, and a slimmer charging case. A previous anonymous tip claimed temperature sensing was confirmed, although I believe that could be a misunderstanding based on the heart rate sensor design.
What’s more curious is supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s weekend claim that AirPods Pro 4 would follow in the year to come. Apple makes minor revisions to AirPods hardware between major version releases, but a year-over-year generation leap would be a new strategy.
Now, a new post on Weibo by leaker Instant Digital brings some clarity. According to the claim, Kuo’s forecast is accurate, but there’s an important distinction to make.
AirPods Pro 3 will include two versions
AirPods Pro 3 will arrive this year with all signs pointing to an announcement tomorrow. A higher-end version of AirPods Pro 3 will follow in 2026. The key difference is the inclusion of an infrared camera sensor, which has previously been reported as coming in the future.
This description of what to expect makes more sense without contradicting Kuo’s claim.
The Weibo post goes into further detail, adding that it’s possible the higher-end AirPods Pro could drop the squeeze gesture controls in favor of air gestures that use the camera sensor. The claim also suggests that this higher-end revision to AirPods Pro 3 will be priced above whatever Apple decides to charge for the standard set.
Air gestures and a higher price
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