AirPods Pro 3: Heart rate tracking, price increase & more rumors

Among the many things that Apple is likely announcing (and not announcing) at its “Awe Dropping” event on Sept. 9, the iPhone 17 is definitely going to take center stage. However, it’s not the only new Apple product making its debut. Among the products we expect to see, the AirPods Pro 3 will certainly be one of the biggest. 

It should come as no surprise. The excellent AirPods Pro 2 sported an already aging design when they were released in fall 2022, but still sounded great and had a lot of good features. That means Apple has spent three years (at least) developing the AirPods Pro 3, and according to rumors, it’s looking to be quite a refresh.

So, let’s not bury the lede too far. This is what the AirPods Pro 3 might look like when they launch next week. 

Remember: the information below is still in the rumor phase, and some features may not be available at launch.

A new design and smaller case

When we reviewed the AirPods Pro 2, we noted that the new Apple earbuds sounded great, but that the design was already starting to look tired. That shouldn’t be a problem for the AirPods Pro 3. Rumors have been swirling that the AirPods Pro 3 is getting a new design for quite some time, and with the AirPods 4 getting its own design refresh last year, it seems change is on the horizon for the Pro versions, too. 

The exact design changes that are rumored remain a mystery. However, Apple is expected to bring the AirPods Pro 3 into spec with its other products in terms of design. That includes a smaller case, removing the pairing button, a status light that disappears seamlessly into the body, and a new earbud design that’ll help prevent it from falling out. Those are just rumors, of course, and we don’t know what Apple plans to do. 

The new H3 chip, better noise cancellation, and better sound quality

The AirPods Pro 2 currently sports the H2 chip, which was also added to the AirPods 4 last year. Per Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, the AirPods Pro 3 will debut Apple’s next-generation H3 chip. This would be a pretty big deal since the H3 is rumored to be quite a chip. It should sport faster connectivity, potentially better battery life, and improvements to Apple’s Transparency mode. 

A new chip should also mean improved active noise cancellation. The AirPods Pro 2 are no slouches compared to the best noise-cancelling earbuds, but given how much better noise cancellation was in the Pro 2 versus the original, we’re excited to see how much improvement the Pro 3 provides. Another benefit to the upgraded spec sheet is that it should improve overall sound quality as well, although to what extent is impossible to guess without actually listening to them.

In short, the H3 chip promises to bring a lot of secondary improvements, and we’re here for it. 

Heart rate monitoring

Apple has already started putting heart rate monitoring into earbuds with Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, so it stands to reason that the feature would also work its way into a pair of AirPods eventually. The AirPods Pro 3 are rumored to be the first such product in Apple’s lineup. The concept is simple. You wear the AirPads Pro 3 during workouts, and it tracks your heart rate. 

Rumors about heart rate monitoring in the AirPods Pro 3 date back to December 2024 at least. Its various limitations and features are still a mystery, and will remain that way until launch, unless a new leak happens. For the most part, pundits believe that it’ll be similar to the feature in the Powerbeats Pro 2.

Temperature monitoring

The other health sensor rumored to be heading to the AirPods Pro 3? Temperature monitoring. Like heart rate monitoring, this feature already exists in the Apple Watch. However, it’s fairly well established that taking the temperature from the ear is more accurate than from the wrist, so this feature should work better in a pair of AirPods than an Apple Watch. 

Little is known about temperature monitoring in the AirPods Pro 3 at this time. It was mentioned alongside the heart rate monitoring in the rumors, but its functionality is otherwise unknown. This is likely because the Powerbeats Pro 2 came with heart rate monitoring, giving people a glimpse into the tech beforehand, whereas the temperature sensor has yet to show up in wireless earbuds from Apple yet. 

Live Translation

Live translation has been a thing since iOS 26 was debuted at WWDC earlier this year. This AI feature would work the same as it does on competitor earbuds like the Pixel Buds and Galaxy Buds from Google and Samsung, respectively. The user’s iPhone would listen to the other person speaking, translate it, and play the translation in the earbuds. This process would then reverse, with the iPhone playing your translation to the other person. 

Whether or not this one appears at launch is unknown. Per rumors, the AirPods Pro 3 will get the feature, but it may not be ready by Sept. 9, so it may be added in a future update. We’ll know for sure next week.

More to love

With all of the upgrades coming, the AirPods Pro 3 should be a pretty big jump from the aging AirPods Pro 2. The new internals promise improved features, and a new design will freshen things up considerably. Tack on the health stuff, and these should be a fairly robust pair of earbuds that’ll compete for years to come.