The world of Apple analysts and leaks is torn if we have to expect Airpod Pro 3 to arrive this year or not. Some say they will appear, and some say that they come next year with cameras assisted in AI.
Well, there is more smoke from the fire “launch in 2025” because there is a reference to “Airpods Pro 3” by its name hidden in certain audio interface elements of the iOS code 26.
This has been spotted by a Macrumors contributor, and is hot in the heels of a reference in iOS 18 to a functionality supported “AirPods Pro 2 or later”, even if there is nothing later than AirPods Pro 2 … so far.
(If the name iOS above seems confusing, it is because Apple goes from the name of its operating systems according to the version number according to the year, except that they are named for the year After The software will in fact be published. Come on, continue, everything is super clear!)
The strong index for a launch in 2025 again
Apple tends to launch new AirPods at the end of the year, probably during a September event, during which it will also launch the iPhone 17. Or maybe it will also be the iPhone 26, which knows.
In any case, if there are references in the code of iOS 26, it is a strong indicator that Airpod Pro 3 arrives this year, because if they arrived next year, we could be more likely to see the references in first following Code of the year.
None of this is guaranteed, of course – Apple could work more than a year with these code references … but I do not suspect.
I think there is a good chance that more references in the code will be identified as the developers are digging there, and that we will probably see AirPods Pro 3 later this year.
Do not worry if you recently bought AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 or AirPods 4 with ANC – You are not left behind. Apple has unveiled two new useful features to come on these models in iOS 26 during its Keynote WWDC 2025.
If you want to know more about Apple’s development processes, consult our interview with the main vice-president of Apple software engineering, Craig Federight, and Apple’s global vice-president of Marketing Greg Joswiak-including what really happened with the launch of Apple Intelligence and II Siri Trismé.
To watch
