Apple is working on a major revision to AirPods Pro, which could be released as soon as this year. Plus, new AirPods Max are also in the pipeline. Here’s everything we know about when to expect Apple to release new AirPods…
Apple’s current AirPods lineup
Here is Apple’s AirPods lineup as it stands today:
AirPods Pro 3
AirPods Pro 3 are perhaps the most highly anticipated update to the lineup. AirPods Pro 2 were introduced in September 2022 and have undergone significant improvements since then, thanks to regular software updates. There are even new features coming later this year alongside iOS 26.
In terms of a hardware revision, however, AirPods Pro 3 have been in the rumor mill quite a bit. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that AirPods Pro 3 are set for a release later this year. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, however, says Apple isn’t planning on any major hardware updates for AirPods until the release of AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. Analyst Jeff Pu has also corroborated this timeline.
There is, however, small evidence inside the first iOS 26 beta that Apple is laying the groundwork for an imminent launch of AirPods Pro 3. At the earliest, I would expect AirPods Pro 3 to launch this fall. I’d lean towards Gurman’s timeline on this more than I would Kuo or Pu.
New AirPods Pro 3 features
In terms of new features, AirPods Pro 3 are expected to pack a notable punch. They will reportedly feature a new H3 chip inside, which should bring big upgrades to audio quality, battery life, connectivity speed, noise cancellation, Transparency Mode, and more.
There have also been rumors of AirPods Pro 3 featuring a “new design” of some sort. The specific details here are unclear, but one possibility is that Apple shortens the stems in order to make AirPods Pro 3 and the accompanying charging case even more compact. I wouldn’t anticipate any radical changes to the design, though.
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