Apple's at it again with the AirPods Pro 3 breadcrumbs.
Newly released iOS 26 code discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser now references "AirPods Pro 3" alongside the current models, buried in a headphone UI framework. It's pretty clear Apple's preparing for something behind the scenes.
This isn't even the first hint we've gotten recently. Last month, Apple sneakily changed references to the second-generation AirPods Pro to "AirPods Pro 2 or later" – despite there being no "later" model available yet. Someone's getting a little ahead of themselves over in Cupertino.
The pattern suggests Apple's gearing up for a fall launch, which lines up perfectly with rumors pointing to a 2025 release. We're expecting a redesigned case (possibly slimmer like the AirPods 4), improved Active Noise Cancellation thanks to a faster audio chip, and some intriguing health features like heart rate monitoring and temperature sensing.
There's even talk of real-time translation capabilities, which would be pretty wild if Apple can pull it off seamlessly.
With all these hints piling up, it's looking more likely that AirPods Pro 3 will make their debut alongside the iPhone 17 series this September. Apple's certainly not being subtle about it anymore.
