AirPods: New Pros, 5 Series plus new H-chip

After the delivery of the AirPods Pro 3, Apple is working on the next generation of its audio devices. This involves a successor to the AirPods 4, a new sound chip and the question of whether a fourth generation of the AirPods Pro will be added right away. The AirPods Max 2 still seem to be on the list – but it is unclear when.

Second generation of AirPods Pro 3, temperature measurement

As the Business news agency Bloomberg Apple is already working on a new variant of the AirPods Pro, and there were previously indications that some kind of AirPods Pro 3 2G could be released as early as the first quarter of 2026. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, this new version will be similar to the current model, but will also include an infrared camera for the first time to capture gestures. The control via pressure on the “stems” of the AirPods Pro 3 would then possibly be omitted. However, it is unclear whether the cameras will also be suitable for taking pictures.

Bloomberg does not provide any information on this in its report. Apple already sells two model variants of an AirPods generation with the AirPods 4 – with and without active noise cancellation (ANC). Apple is apparently also working on AirPods 5, whose predecessors were released in September 2024. Both the variant with and without ANC will reportedly be updated. Features such as the new heart rate sensor in the AirPods Pro 3 reportedly do not end up in the AirPods 5. For a later variant of the Pro models, a temperature measurement is reportedly planned.

H3 chip and more AI

Apple is also building a new audio chip called H3 with “less latency and better audio quality,” according to Bloomberg. Recently, some users had complained about the changed sound profile of the AirPods Pro 3. Furthermore, Apple wants to make its AirPods more and more AI devices. Currently, you can only call Siri with the earbuds, which is known to have little to do with current chatbots from Anthropic and Co.

Bloomberg does not mention the AirPods Max 2 in its report. It remains unclear if and when Apple will update. Most recently, it was said that there was too little demand for the product line to devote sufficient resources to it. For fans of the devices, this is rather unpleasant, some are already looking for alternatives.