AirPods Pro 3 Won't Get 'Major' Audio or Active Noise Cancellation Improvements

The upcoming AirPods Pro 3 that Apple is expected to unveil tomorrow will not include notable improvements to audio quality or Active Noise Cancellation, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature
Apple's new earbuds will have heart rate tracking, a health-related feature that Apple first introduced with the Powerbeats Pro 2. LED optical sensors will pulse to measure heart rate using blood flow, and if the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ work like the Powerbeats Pro 2, the data will sync with popular fitness apps.

The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ will also feature an updated design for a better fit, though there are no details on what exactly is going to change. The case is also going to be slimmed down, and it will be smaller like the AirPods 4 case.

News of no significant changes to ANC or audio quality is disappointing. There were some rumors of "much better" Active Noise Cancellation and Gurman himself said the AirPods would include a new H3 chip. New chips typically mean improvements to audio quality and ANC, and we could still get some small boosts, but it sounds like most of the focus will be on the new health feature.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
m4 macbook air blue 2

iPadOS and macOS 26.2 Double 5GHz Wi-Fi Bandwidth for Wi-Fi 6E Devices

Monday January 5, 2026 1:57 pm PST by
With the release of iPadOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2, Apple has improved the Wi-Fi speeds for select Macs and iPads that support Wi-Fi 6E. Updated Wi-Fi connectivity specifications are listed in Apple's platform deployment guide. The M4 iPad Pro models, M3 iPad Air models, A17 Pro iPad mini, M2 to M5 MacBook Pro models, M2, M3, and M4 MacBook Air models, and other Wi-Fi 6E Macs and iPads now ...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...

Top Rated Comments

howywood Avatar
17 weeks ago
It makes absolutely no sense to have no audio improvements with new tech that has been available over the last three years.

If true, what was a day one purchase for me is now not. Don’t drop the ball Tim Apple.
Score: 76 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brian3uk Avatar
17 weeks ago
Do people really need their headphones to measure their heart rate? I’d expect that most folks interested in that data already have a fitness tracker of some kind. Why can’t AirPods just be great headphones?!
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kevinlaz Avatar
17 weeks ago
I sure hope there's something else left unrevealed, cause absent audio / ANC improvements, that is a pitiful upgrade for a full new generation.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maxpipersid Avatar
17 weeks ago
Wow, that's really pathetic if true.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gleepskip Avatar
17 weeks ago
Iterate, not innovate. I'm glad I was able to experience Apple when there were great moments.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
17 weeks ago
"upgrading" earphones without upgrading audio quality and ANC - why upgrade in the first place? I get the USB-C update on the APP2, but this? to add a heart rate sensor? quite odd at best ...
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)