Apple planning a multi-year launch for AirPods Pro 3, says leaker

More last-minute leaks have started to arrive as Apple is about to host its 'Awe Dropping' event in a day's time. While the AirPods Pro 3 are highly expected to launch during the event, new details from the rumor mill suggest that Apple is working on a multi-year or two-phased launch for its flagship wireless earbuds.

A Weibo leaker, who goes by the name Instant Digital, said that Apple will launch the AirPods Pro 3 in the second half of the year. Apple will follow up next year with a second, upgraded version of AirPods Pro 3, featuring one key difference: a tiny infrared camera.

This corroborates a recent post from supply chain analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, who said that a "more significant hardware upgrade with the IR camera-equipped model is anticipated in 2026." The Weibo leaker's post offers more clarity on the launch schedule, suggesting that the upgraded version will not be called AirPods Pro 4.

Looking back a few pages in Apple's history, it's unlikely the iPhone-maker will maintain just a year's gap between AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Pro 4. Apple launched AirPods Pro in 2019, followed by AirPods Pro 2 in 2022. The company has since pushed a platter of new updates, including USB-C support, dust resistance, Hearing Aid, and the ability to turn AirPods into a camera remote.

It was previously reported that the infrared cameras on the upcoming AirPods Pro will power air gestures. If it turns out to be true, it would be a step up from the head gestures Apple introduced on the AirPods Pro 2.

Apple might ditch the pressure-based squeeze controls seen in the current models for air gestures, as per the leaker, who added that Apple might charge a premium for the next year's advanced version of AirPods Pro 3, possibly exceeding $280.

It remains to be seen whether the Cupertino giant sells both models side-by-side. It won't be a first for the company as it's already doing the same with AirPods 4, which were launched in two variants last year.

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Posted Tuesday 9 September 2025 at 1:59 pm AEST (my time).

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