Next-Gen AirPods Pro in Development With H3 Chip, AI Enhancements, and Health Sensors [Report]

With the new AirPods Pro 3 just launched, Apple is already deep into development on its successor, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The company's silicon team is reportedly working on a new H3 chip aimed at reducing lag time and improving audio quality for a future version of the high-end earbuds.

In his latest newsletter to subscribers, Gurman notes that the bigger goal is to turn AirPods into full-fledged AI devices. In that vein, Apple has reportedly been exploring the idea of embedding cameras into the device, a detail that aligns with a previous report on Apple's long-term hardware roadmap. The company is also looking to add more health features, including a temperature reader, building on the heart rate sensor that just debuted in the AirPods Pro 3.

Gurman says Apple is also developing the AirPods 5, which will mark an update to its entry-level and mid-tier earbuds. He doesn't anticipate the heart-rate sensor will come to this line yet, keeping the advanced health tracking as a key differentiator for the Pro models for now.


The just-released AirPods Pro 3 are now available to order on Amazon and feature a redesigned charging case, a heart-rate monitor, and support for live conversation translation.

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