Recent reports suggest we probably won't see a new version of the AirPods Max this year, but many folks are predicting we will see the AirPods Pro 3 at Apple's iPhone 17 launch event this fall. Apple last updated its flagship AirPods Pro buds in 2022 and released two all-new versions of Apple's open earbuds -- the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Canceling -- at last year's iPhone 16 event. While there's no guarantee we'll get the AirPods Pro 3 this year, Apple has announced a new model of AirPods every year since 2019 (I'm counting 2023's AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C as a new model), and the Pro line is due for an upgrade. Here are the latest AirPods Pro 3 rumors and what improvements I'd like to see for Apple's flagship noise-canceling earbuds.
Read more: Everything We Expect to Be Announced at Apple's iPhone 17 September Launch Event
Rumored AirPods Pro 3 release date
Back in February MacRumors spotted a post on X from a tipster called Kosutami, who said Apple was planning to launch the AirPods Pro 3 and AirTag 2 in May or June of this year. The "tip" seemed pretty dubious, and sure enough, it was. Now it's become clear that the more likely scenario is that the AirPods Pro 3 will arrive at the same time as the iPhone 17 in September. That's when Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who's usually a more reliable Apple whisperer, predicts they'll be announced. He's also said the AirPods Pro 3 will have a new design and feature heart-rate monitoring like Apple's new Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
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More recently MacRumors contributor Steve Moser dug into iOS 26 Beta 1 and discovered that its underlying code references AirPods Pro 3 alongside existing AirPods models. "AirPods Pro 3 must be coming soon," Moser posted on X. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find any other references or hints as to what new features they might have."
That said, on June 9 at WWDC 2025, Apple did announce some new features for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that will officially launch this fall but are available to try now for beta testers if you have a developer's account (public betas are coming soon). These new features include studio-quality audio recording and camera remote features.
Studio-quality audio recording : Apple says that "interviewers, podcasters, singers, and other creators can record their content with greater sound quality, and even record while on the go or in noisy environments with Voice Isolation."
: Apple says that "interviewers, podcasters, singers, and other creators can record their content with greater sound quality, and even record while on the go or in noisy environments with Voice Isolation." Leveraging its powerful H2 chip, Apple is also upgrading voice-calling performance : "User will also enjoy more natural vocal texture and clarity across iPhone calls, FaceTime, and CallKit-enabled apps," it says.
: "User will also enjoy more natural vocal texture and clarity across iPhone calls, FaceTime, and CallKit-enabled apps," it says. The new Camera Remote feature allows you to "start or stop video recordings from a distance with a simple press of the AirPods stem."
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