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Second analyst backs claim that AirPods Pro 3 won’t launch this year

It had been widely expected that AirPods Pro 3 would launch sometime in 2025, in part based on reports from reliable leakers, in part simply because an update is due. AirPods Pro 2 will be three years old by this year’s iPhone launch.

But Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last month that the new model won’t launch until next year, and that view has now reportedly been echoed in a new timeline …

While 9to5Mac has not been able to independently verify the existence of the timeline, a Korean chip industry source has tweeted a screengrab of what is said to be a Jeff Pu report.

Jukan Choi posted a table showing HomePad launching this year, but AirPods Pro 3 not until 2026.

References to AirPods Pro 3 have been spotted in the iOS 26 developer beta.

Whenever they do land, the new model is expected to include a heart-rate monitor for the first time, enabling the in-ear headphones to serve as an alternative to an Apple Watch for collecting health data. Apple has already debuted this tech in the Powerbeats Pro 2. We’re also expecting improved active noise cancellation.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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