AirPods Pro 3 Won't Get 'Major' Audio or Active Noise Cancellation Improvements - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

AirPods Pro 3 Won't Get 'Major' Audio or Active Noise Cancellation Improvements

The upcoming AirPods Pro 3 that Apple is expected to unveil tomorrow will not include notable improvements to audio quality or Active Noise Cancellation, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature
Apple's new earbuds will have heart rate tracking, a health-related feature that Apple first introduced with the Powerbeats Pro 2. LED optical sensors will pulse to measure heart rate using blood flow, and if the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ work like the Powerbeats Pro 2, the data will sync with popular fitness apps.

The ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ will also feature an updated design for a better fit, though there are no details on what exactly is going to change. The case is also going to be slimmed down, and it will be smaller like the AirPods 4 case.

News of no significant changes to ANC or audio quality is disappointing. There were some rumors of "much better" Active Noise Cancellation and Gurman himself said the AirPods would include a new H3 chip. New chips typically mean improvements to audio quality and ANC, and we could still get some small boosts, but it sounds like most of the focus will be on the new health feature.

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Wednesday March 18, 2026 7:39 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another six months or so, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component...
imac video apple feature

Apple Released Yet Another New Product Today

Friday March 20, 2026 2:39 pm PDT by
Apple has unveiled a whopping nine new products so far this March, including an iPhone 17e, iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the all-new MacBook Neo, an updated Studio Display, a higher-end Studio Display XDR, AirPods Max 2, and now the Nike Powerbeats Pro 2. iPhone 17e features the same overall design as...
ios 26 4 yellow

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for iOS 26.4

Wednesday March 18, 2026 11:56 am PDT by
Apple provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, which means we're going to see a public launch as soon as next week. The RC versions of the software include Apple's official release notes, giving us final details on what's included in the update. Apple Music - Playlist Playground (beta) generates a playlist from your...

Top Rated Comments

7 months ago
It makes absolutely no sense to have no audio improvements with new tech that has been available over the last three years.

If true, what was a day one purchase for me is now not. Don’t drop the ball Tim Apple.
Score: 76 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7 months ago
Do people really need their headphones to measure their heart rate? I’d expect that most folks interested in that data already have a fitness tracker of some kind. Why can’t AirPods just be great headphones?!
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7 months ago
I sure hope there's something else left unrevealed, cause absent audio / ANC improvements, that is a pitiful upgrade for a full new generation.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7 months ago
Wow, that's really pathetic if true.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gleepskip Avatar
7 months ago
Iterate, not innovate. I'm glad I was able to experience Apple when there were great moments.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
7 months ago
"upgrading" earphones without upgrading audio quality and ANC - why upgrade in the first place? I get the USB-C update on the APP2, but this? to add a heart rate sensor? quite odd at best ...
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: Lifestyle | Mac | Culture | Technology | Education