Apple might be bringing a heart-monitoring trick to its next AirPods. We’re talking about the AirPods Pro 3, rumored to land in 2025. This isn’t just a minor upgrade. It suggests Apple is serious about health features beyond the Apple Watch.
This heart rate monitoring isn’t entirely new for Apple. They put similar tech into the Powerbeats Pro 2 earlier in 2025. That device uses a clever optical LED sensor. It flashes over 100 times each second. This helps it track blood flow and get your heart rate. All that data then shows up in your Fitness app during a workout. Later, it syncs right to the Health app on your iPhone.
It’s the same type of sensor used in the Apple Watch. This brings up an interesting question for many users. If you’re wearing an Apple Watch, do you really need your earbuds tracking your heart rate too? The Powerbeats Pro 2 actually prefers the Watch’s data if both are used together. It’s highly likely the AirPods Pro 3 will do the same. This makes us wonder about the true value of this feature in the earbuds. We’ll have to watch closely to see if other exciting new features emerge.
Of course, heart rate tracking isn’t the only thing expected. We hear the next AirPods Pro will also get better sound quality. Active noise cancellation should see upgrades too. Plus, expect a fresh new design.
The original AirPods Pro 2 came out in September 2022. They got a small update with a USB-C charging case in September 2023. Now, rumors point to the AirPods Pro 3 launching in September 2025. This would probably happen alongside the new iPhone 17.