What to Expect From Apple's Next AirPods Pro - MacRumors
Skip to Content

What to Expect From Apple's Next AirPods Pro

by

While the AirPods Pro 3 launched only six weeks ago, Apple is reportedly already working on new AirPods Pro, with two key changes rumored for the earbuds.

airpods pro 3 design
Specifically, the next AirPods Pro are expected to be equipped with Apple's H3 chip for wireless audio, along with tiny infrared cameras.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the H3 chip will offer improved sound quality and lower latency, compared to the H2 chip in the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3.

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said AirPods with infrared cameras could enable "in-air gesture control," but he did not elaborate on that possibility. He also expects the next AirPod Pro to have improved Vision Pro integration.

The cameras could enable some artificial intelligence features, akin to Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer, according to Gurman.

No other features have been rumored yet.

It is unclear if the next AirPods Pro would be AirPods Pro 4, or if they would still be AirPods Pro 3. AirPods Pro 2 were updated with a USB-C charging case and a few other tweaks a year after they launched, without receiving a name change.

Kuo said the next AirPods Pro will launch in 2026. If that timeframe proves to be accurate, then revised AirPods Pro 3 sounds likely, given there was a three-year gap between the AirPods Pro, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Pro 3.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro 3
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

airpods pro 3 blue

AirPods With Cameras Were Supposed to Debut Today, Now Delayed

Wednesday September 9, 2026 4:35 am PDT by
Apple planned to introduce high-end in-ear AirPods with built-in cameras for analyzing the surrounding environment at today's event, but the launch has been pushed to next year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In early August, Gurman said the earbuds were progressing well enough to potentially ship before the end of the year. By mid-August, though, he reported that Apple had pulled the model...
Read Full Article • 36 comments
iphone 18 pro cases

Apple Debuts New Accessories for iPhone 18 Pro and AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 9, 2026 12:01 pm PDT by
Apple today announced a new lineup of accessories for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and AirPods Pro 3, including a redesigned clear case with MagSafe and all-new wrist straps. The new colors span much of Apple's accessory range: TechWoven Case with MagSafe: Burgundy, Olive, Taupe, Chambray Blue, Mulberry, and Black Silicone Case with MagSafe: Magenta, Black, Navy Blue, Crisp...
Read Full Article • 24 comments
airpods camera leaked

Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Confirmed: See Them in Action

Monday August 17, 2026 6:21 pm PDT by
Apple is working on camera-equipped AirPods that appear to be nearly ready to launch, based on a video MacRumors found in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate. In a short demo, a man holds a book up so the camera in the AirPods can see the title. "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later," says the voiceover text. Here ...
Read Full Article • 333 comments

Top Rated Comments

ipedro Avatar
ipedro
12 months ago

"in-air gesture control"? That sounds like a recipe for people thinking you are having a seizure or crazy or something else lol.
In the 80s they used to tell kids "don't get in cars with strangers and stay away from the man talking to himself on the street". Those same kids grew up to talk to themselves on the street and use an app to call a stranger with a car to give them a lift.

Everything becomes normal, eventually.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
W
Wrylachlan2
12 months ago

Kuo said the next AirPods Pro will launch in 2026 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/07/airpods-pro-3-this-year-per-kuo/'). If that timeframe proves to be accurate, then revised AirPods Pro 3 sounds likely, given there was a three-year gap between the AirPods Pro, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Pro 3.
The likelihood of them changing the chip but keeping it an AirPods Pro 3 are between “not gonna happen” and “no f$&@ing way”. Now there may be an interim update to the APP3s coming next year with the H3 APPs coming later. But an H3 chip next year being called APP3? Nah.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WilliApple Avatar
WilliApple
12 months ago
I wonder if its a good idea to not upgrade this year and wait for these AirPods Pro.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
jz0309
12 months ago
I see no reason to upgrade my APP2, leave alone what is rumored for these APP4...
But keep going
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mipo Avatar
mipo
12 months ago

Personally, I hope they go back to pro/pro2 design, since pro3s fit poorly to my ears. :mad:
THIS - poor sales of the APP3 due to its bad uncomfortable design, a lot of returns just because of the fact that people’s ears are hurting after moderate use. How come this design was not tested? So I beieve that they cant recall this bad deaign but rather went back to drawing boards, re do it and now will call it APP4 and will launch it mid 2026 the latest. For now I am buying one more pair of APP2 just for a backup.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SactoGuy18 Avatar
SactoGuy18
12 months ago
I think the next AirPods Pro may totally change the design to get rid of the stem and the driver may be of a completely different design, possible with dual drivers. (Personally, I want Apple to buy out Status Audio and get Status' triple-driver technology.)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments