A recent Apple software update indicates that the AirPods Pro 3 could debut soon.
Apple’s AirPods Pro are expected to receive a hardware upgrade later in 2025, and now Apple’s own software suggests a new model is close.
The original AirPods Pro were released back in 2019. The first meaningful upgrade arrived two years later in 2022, when the earbuds gained Find My support along with improved ANC. In 2023, the AirPods Pro received a USB-C connector in place of Lightning, as well as lossless audio support for Apple Vision Pro users.
The next major upgrade to the AirPods Pro is set to debut within a few months. A recent leak, derived from one of Apple’s software releases, seemingly confirms that Apple is working on an entirely new model.
On Thursday, in a social media post, researcher Aaron Perris shared a text string from a recent software update. Apple altered a sentence that originally referenced the “AirPods Pro 2nd generation,” so that it now says “AirPods Pro 2 or later,” indicating that a new model could debut soon.
Apple is widely believed to be working on the third-generation AirPods Pro. We’ve heard rumors surrounding heart rate monitoring coming to AirPods Pro 3 for a while. With the launch of the Powerbeats Pro 2, which supports this feature, it seems even more likely.
Design changes, active noise cancellation improvements, and a new H3 chip are among the other changes rumored for the third-generation AirPods Pro. They’re expected to hit the shelves in the coming months. Based on years past, they’ll be unveiled during Apple’s fall iPhone event around September.
If pricing remains consistent, they’ll come out with an MSRP of $249, the same as the AirPods Pro 2. However, there’s always the looming possibility of a price increase due to the Trump administration’s ever-changing tariff plans.