AirPods Pro 3 Not Launching Until Next Year, Claims Analyst

Apple may launch the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong, contradicting earlier predictions of a much sooner release.

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature
Pu's Apple product timeline (via @jukanlosreve) comes as a bit of a surprise. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in February that new AirPods with heart rate monitoring were "months away," suggesting a late 2025 launch at the earliest. Code references to AirPods Pro 3 were also recently unearthed in the iOS 26 beta by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser.

That said, in a recent Ming-Chi Kuo report, the analyst said AirPods may not see significant updates until 2026, when he expects IR camera-equipped AirPods to enter mass production. However, it was not clear if Kuo was writing about the standard non-Pro AirPods, and the analyst did not respond to requests for clarification.

Historically, Apple has launched significant AirPods updates alongside new iPhones, so a September event – likely shared with the upcoming ‌iPhone‌ 17 series – was thought to be the most plausible window. A 2026 release would mark four years since the AirPods Pro 2 debuted in September 2022.

Pu's product roadmap shows Apple focusing on other hardware in 2025. The analyst expects the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year, which is no real surprise. More notably, he predicts that Apple will also release its rumored HomePad tablet this year – though he offered no more specific date.

For 2026, Pu forecasts the AirPods Pro 3 launching alongside the Apple Watch Series 12 and a refreshed Vision Pro. Looking further into 2027 and beyond, he anticipates blood monitoring capabilities coming to Apple Watch and the debut of "Vision Air" and smart glasses.

The AirPods Pro 3 are expected to feature significantly improved active noise cancellation and heart rate monitoring, similar to the recently announced Powerbeats Pro 2. Apple last updated the AirPods Pro line with a USB-C charging case in September 2023.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Tag: Jeff Pu
Related Forum: AirPods

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Top Rated Comments

somnolentsurfer Avatar
4 weeks ago

I care. I find my hearing is deteriorating and I need more amplification than my APP2 can provide.
I care too. I'm still using first gen Air Pods pro, and they've started crackling and feeding back in either noise cancelling or transparency modes. I'm having to turn cancellation off altogether for them to be usable. I really don't want to to buy second gens now when a new version seems likely any moment. So to find it might be another year or more is disappointing.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stiille Avatar
4 weeks ago
I hope this not true, want the AirPods Pro 3 badly ?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleTO Avatar
4 weeks ago

Tbh who cares? The APP2 are still super solid devices still getting cool feature updates, there’s very little reason to need to update them yet
I think it has to do more with the fact that they are basically disposable. A lot of us who purchased the two’s don’t want to have to buy another pair of two’s right before three’s come out.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
seek3r Avatar
4 weeks ago
Tbh who cares? The APP2 are still super solid devices still getting cool feature updates, there’s very little reason to need to update them yet
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Robert.Walter Avatar
4 weeks ago
Ahem … AirPods Pro 26.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechWhisperer Avatar
4 weeks ago
I call this BS. The H3 chip is long overdue and we need it fast. I use the APP2 every day and urgently need a replacement after 3 years.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)