Rumors suggest Apple will upgrade its flagship noise-canceling earbuds later this year. Here's everything I know about the AirPods Pro 3 and the upgrades I'd like to see.
With Apple typically updating one of its AirPods models every year and the AirPods Pro due for an upgrade, we're seeing plenty of chatter that Apple will release its 3rd-generation AirPods Pro 3 sometime in 2025. Last year, we got the all-new AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Canceling. However, all of us anticipating the arrival of the AirPods Max 2 were disappointed when Apple only refreshed its premium over-ear headphones with USB-C charging and new colors. So who knows we'll get, especially as companies navigate the impacts of the Trump tariffs. All that aside, here are the latest AirPods Pro 3 rumors and what improvements I'd like to see. Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2025 Rumored AirPods Pro 3 release date MacOS Rumors recently spotted a post on X from a tipster called Kosutami who said Apple was planning to launch the AirPods Pro 3 and AirTag 2 in May or June of this year. That seems unlikely, given that Apple has previously launched next-generation AirPods alongside new iPhones in the fall. One exception was the AirPods Max, which was announced on Dec. 8, 2020, or about six weeks after the iPhone 12 was released. While anything is possible, it seems more likely that the AirPods Pro 3 will arrive at the same time as the iPhone 17 in September. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who's usually a more reliable Apple whisperer, has said the AirPods Pro 3 will have a new design and feature heart-rate monitoring like Apple's new Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 -- but they're still months away from being launched. Will Trump tariffs affect the AirPods Pro 3? The Trump administration temporarily spared smartphones, laptops and certain other electronics from its reciprocal tariffs. But headphones weren't included on that list, so as it stands, the AirPods don't appear to be exempt from those extra import fees. According to an article that Reuters posted on April 4, the AirPods would be subject to a 39% price hike to cover the tariff costs. But that number is…