After Beats, Apple to bring heart-rate tracking to AirPods with Pro 3 model

Apple is reportedly preparing to launch AirPods Pro 3 this year, with upgrades including heart-rate monitoring, IR sensors, a new H3 chip, and Apple Intelligence features

Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch its third-generation AirPods Pro later this year. A Bloomberg report outlining Apple’s 2025 hardware roadmap—which includes the iPhone 17 lineup, next-gen Apple Watch models, and a new iPad Pro—also mentions that refreshed AirPods Pro are in the works. The upcoming earbuds are said to feature advanced health-tracking capabilities, including heart-rate monitoring, similar to what Apple introduced with the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.

Earlier, MacRumors spotted references to an unreleased product labelled “AirPods Pro 3” within the developer beta of iOS 26, further hinting that a launch could be on the horizon.

AirPods Pro 3: What to expect

Apple is said to be exploring new health-tracking functions for the next-generation AirPods Pro, expanding on recent innovations introduced with the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. Those Beats earbuds, released earlier this year, feature heart-rate monitoring using optical sensors—technology commonly associated with smartwatches. In contrast, Apple is believed to be testing an acoustic-based method that leverages the in-ear microphones already built into AirPods to measure heart rate non-invasively and without additional sensors.

 

This approach ties into a research paper Apple published in May, where it outlined experiments using an in-house AI model to estimate heart rate from audio signals.

From a design perspective, major changes are not expected, though the AirPods Pro 3 may gain integrated infrared (IR) sensors. These could enhance spatial audio precision and introduce support for hands-free gesture controls.

 

In addition, Apple is reportedly developing a separate AirPods Pro variant equipped with built-in cameras. Such a model could provide environmental awareness to enhance Apple Intelligence features. However, this version is believed to still be in early testing and may not arrive alongside the third generation.

 

Other upgrades likely include a new H3 chip, designed to improve noise cancellation and Adaptive Transparency, while also enabling tighter integration with Apple Intelligence features through a connected iPhone.