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It’s coming up to two years since the release of the Apple AirPods Pro 2, which earned high acclaim amongst fans and experts alike as one of the leading in-ear buds on the market at the time – pipping the likes of Sony and Bose.
Now anticipation is building for what Apple has in store for its third-generation of AirPods Pro.
AirPods Pro 3: What we know so far and rumors
Design
The first two generations of the Apple AirPods Pro were almost indistinguishable externally, with them only being separated by distinct differences internally.
But that could be about to change if a 2023 report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is to be believed. Gurman reported last year that the AirPods Pro 3 are “expected to get a new design.”
It sounds like Apple wants to continue to ensure the AirPods and AirPods Pro are distinguishable. That’s because the third-generation Apple AirPods launched in 2021 with a new design that was very similar to the AirPods Pro, ditching the famous long stem for a shorter, more compact in-ear design.
Hardware and Specs
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 uses the H2 chip but the question remains if the AirPods Pro 3 will come equipped with a faster, more powerful chipset – probably the H3 chip.
The H2 chip powers Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), adaptive EQ, Siri functionality and fast switching.
The H3 chip will likely do all of that plus allow more power for additional features Apple is planning to bring to the third-generation AirPods Pro.
One of those features, according to Gurman, via MacRumors, could be health-related. The Bloomberg journalist suggests Apple is working on a hearing test feature, as well as developing sensors for measuring body temperature, which is said to be more accurate than the latest Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra models.
When can we expect the AirPods Pro 3 to be released?
Tech industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes we could see the AirPods Pro 3 in late 2024 or early 2025, while Gurman is suggesting a late 2025 release.
Apple traditionally releases new AirPods in the fall, which was true for the first two generations of AirPods Pro—launched in October 2019 and September 2022.
While the AirPods Pro 3 could potentially arrive earlier, based on Apple’s past release patterns, a fall 2025 debut is the most likely scenario.
How much could the AirPods Pro 3 cost?
The previous two generations of the AirPods Pro launched at $249 and there is currently no indication that the AirPods 3 will be priced any differently.
However, there is a possibility of a price increase depending on how significant the upgrades are and, of course, the cost of materials.
However, at this stage, there is nothing to indicate a change in pricing strategy for the third-generation AirPods Pro.
Featured Image: Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash
