AirPods Pro 3 features
While Apple has steadily added new features to AirPods Pro 2 over the past several years, they’re missing a few hardware features that were introduced with AirPods 4 and the Powerbeats Pro 2. Additionally, rumors suggest some new features may be coming to the 3rd-gen earbuds as well.
Heart-rate sensor
In February, Apple announced the Powerbeats Pro 2, which brought the H2 chip as well as an optical heart-rate sensor for continuously measuring heart rate during a workout and tracking throughout the day. The feature has been rumored for the AirPods Pro 3 as far back as December 2024, when Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported that Apple was working on in-ear heart rate monitoring for the AirPods Pro 2. So it’s likely AirPods Pro 2 will have the same sensor as the Powerbeats Pro 2.
When we reviewed the Powerbeats Pro 2, we noted that battery drain was an issue when using the sensor during workouts, the sensor only tracks workouts with specific apps, and it automatically turns off when an Apple Watch is connected. We expect Apple will fix those issues when the feature arrives on AirPods Pro 3.
Temperature sensor
Apple debuted a temperature sensor on the Apple Watch Series 8, and rumors claim Apple will be bringing it to the AirPods Pro 3 next. While the Apple Watch tracks nightly skin temperature readings to track menstrual cycles and help give users insight into overall well-being, an in-ear tympanic temperature sensor could be able to take on-demand temperature readings.
H3 chip
Apple introduced its H2 audio chip with the AirPods Pro 2 in 2022, and it’s likely the new model will have an H3 chip. That could enable better noise cancellation, improved audio quality, and better battery life, among other features.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 have a built-in heart-rate sensor that could be coming to the AirPods Pro 3.
Foundry
IR cameras
In July 2024, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple was developing AirPods with IR cameras for “in-air gesture control to enhance human-device interaction.” He reiterated the claim in May 2025, but reported it wouldn’t arrive until 2026, so it’s unclear if this is a feature for AirPods Pro 3 or a later mode.
Improved battery life
The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 offer up to 8 hours of listening time when active noise cancellation is active, compared to 5-6 hours for the AirPods Pro 2. The new H3 chip possibly coupled with a larger battery, will reportedly bring longer battery life for the AirPods Pro 3.
Live translation
As part of the iOS 26 update, Apple is bringing live translation capabilities to the Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps to automatically tranlsale spoken and written text in real-time. We first heard aout the feature when it was previously rumored to be coming to AirPods, so it’s notable that Apple left its earbuds off the list of compatible devices. Persistent rumors claim that live translation will be a marquee feature of the AirPods Pro 3. However, a 9to5Mac report in September claims the feature, while still in development, might not be ready for launch.
iOS 26
Several new features are coming to AirPods Pro with iOS 26 and will be present on the new model, including:
Pause when sleeping: If you’re using AirPods and fall asleep, a new feature will automatically turn off playback so the battery won’t run down.
Studio-quality recording: When you use your AirPods with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you’ll be able to record in higher sound quality and enjoy clearer calls.
Camera remote: Users can press and hold the AirPods stem to take a photo or start and stop a video recording on iPhone or iPad.
