Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst, stated in a tweet today that he does not anticipate significant changes to the AirPods lineup this year. Rather, he restates that in 2026, new AirPods Pro with infrared cameras will be available.
This runs counter to reports from other sites that the AirPods Pro 3 will be released in 2025 and will have new capabilities like enhanced active noise cancellation.
Given that the AirPods Pro 2 are almost three years old and are Apple’s most well-liked and lucrative AirPods model, it would seem odd for the corporation to let them sit around for so long, so this assertion sounds a little dubious.
A heart rate sensor was reportedly one of the features that the next generation AirPods Pro would have. The new Powerbeats Pro 4 already has the capacity to measure heart rate.
By introducing the less expensive AirPods 4 range in the fall of last year, which had capabilities like Active Noise Cancellation in wireless earbuds as little as $179, Apple also largely stole the thunder from the AirPods Pro.
Apple has continued to enhance the capabilities of the AirPods Pro through software upgrades, even though the company hasn’t produced a new hardware iteration since 2022. Most significantly, the AirPods Pro 2 can now be used as authorized hearing aids to treat mild to moderate hearing loss.
Users with over-ear AirPods Max may not see a new update until 2027 at the latest, making the news even more dire for them.
