According to reputable sources, the upcoming headphone model will have two important changes: the H3 wireless sound chip developed by Apple and the micro-missioned infrared camera system.
The H3 chip will provide superior sound quality and lower latency, compared to the H2 chip on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3.
Meanwhile, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that infrared cameras can help headphones identify control gestures in the air, although he has not yet explained how they work. Analyst Kuo also predicts that the new generation AirPods Pro will be more deeply integrated with the Vision Pro mixed reality glasses.
In addition, the infrared camera is said to be able to activate artificial intelligence features similar to Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer iPhone models. However, apart from the two highlights mentioned above, there is currently no other information being disclosed.
It is not yet clear whether the new headphones will be called AirPods Pro 4 or still be in the AirPods Pro 3 series because Apple previously updated AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C charging port and some small refinements without changing the product name.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the new generation AirPods Pro is expected to launch in 2026. If so, it is likely to be a mid-life upgrade for AirPods Pro 3, holding firm the cycle between AirPods Pro generations that Apple has maintained to date.
