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It’s almost time for Apple to announce the iPhone 17 smartphone lineup, but I’m more excited about the possibility of an AirPods Pro 3 announcement. The AirPods Pro 2 are my daily driver earbuds, but there are some features I’d love to see improved in the next model.
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I’ve heard rumors about a complete redesign of the AirPods Pro’s earbuds and charging case, potential live translation capabilities, and temperature sensing, all meant to make the earbuds more useful in your everyday life. But the improvements I have my eyes on are less flashy: stronger adaptive noise reduction, improved heart rate sensing, and better device tracking.
Here’s why these seemingly minor improvements would make a world of difference to me.
1. Smarter adaptive noise reduction
Apple introduced an adaptive noise reduction feature to the AirPods Pro 2 in 2023 with the release of iOS 17. Adaptive noise reduction uses AI-powered algorithms to listen for and process disruptive noises in your environment and deploy an effective amount of noise cancellation to eliminate them.
This feature uses AirPods Pro 2’s advanced H2 processor to operate, and I’m hopeful that an upgraded H3 processor will make it smoother, smarter, and more intuitive. The same audio processing enables Conversation Mode, which pauses your music when the earbuds sense someone is speaking to you.
Also: I tried Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds’ AI noise cancelling, and can’t go back to regular ANC
Adaptive Audio is my preferred audio mode when using my AirPods Pro 2, but it’s not as smooth as Bose’s upgraded algorithm in its QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2. Apple’s Conversation Mode has a small lag between someone speaking and the earbuds picking up their voice.
2. Improved heart rate sensing
Apple first used the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 as the guinea pig for its in-ear heart rate sensing feature, and I believe the product helped Apple acknowledge its shortcomings before implementing it in its flagship earbuds.
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Heart rate sensing on the Powerbeats Pro 2 was defined by connectivity errors, inaccurate readings, and limitations in heart rate tracking while listening to music. Additionally, the feature’s full functionality was limited to fitness apps with paid subscriptions, leaving iOS users who use the Fitness app’s free tier with much to desire.
My hope is that Apple used the subsequent months following the Powerbeats’ release to make the feature more accurate with more specific tracking metrics in the Health app without a fitness app subscription.
3. Enhanced device tracking
The AirPods Pro 2’s charging case contains Apple’s U1 ultra-wideband (UWB) chip inside for precise device tracking. This UWB chip, alongside the one in your iPhone, allows for ultra-precise tracking in the Find My app.
Apple’s upgraded U2 chip, found in the iPhone 15 and newer and the Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2, uses less energy to find devices more accurately over a greater distance range. However, the U2 chip can only operate with ultra-precision at extended distances with other devices with the same chip. Without many physical obstacles, a U2-equipped iPhone could track a U2-equipped AirPods case from nearly 200 feet (60 m) away.
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Essentially, an upgraded UWB chip in the AirPods Pro 3, paired with a U2-equipped iPhone, would allow you to find the earbuds much more easily and quickly, without needing to audibly ping the AirPods case. The upgrade would be great news for people like me who often accidentally wedge the buds between couch cushions.
