The upcoming AirPods Pro 3 are expected to serve as the successor to the AirPods Pro (2nd generation), which were released in 2022. The previous generation saw a notable upgrade in September 2024, when Apple introduced hearing aid capabilities through a software update. Now, attention is turning to the third generation of AirPods Pro, with reports suggesting that Apple plans to incorporate several health-tracking features. According to industry analyst Mark Gurman, Apple is currently in the early stages of developing the AirPods Pro 3, which could come equipped with a range of health monitoring sensors.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman outlined some of the anticipated health features for the AirPods Pro 3. These include a temperature sensor, a heart-rate monitor, and “technology that tracks a slew of physiological measures.” If true, this would mark a significant expansion of the AirPods Pro’s capabilities, turning them into a more comprehensive health monitoring device in addition to their current audio functionality. Apple’s push into health-tracking features aligns with the growing trend of wearables offering more advanced health metrics, similar to what we see with the Apple Watch.
However, while the AirPods Pro 3 may offer health features like heart-rate monitoring, Gurman notes that initial internal testing has shown the heart-rate data from these earphones is not as accurate as the measurements taken by the Apple Watch. While the heart-rate readings from the AirPods Pro 3 are close to those of the Apple Watch, they are still slightly off. This suggests that Apple is still refining the technology, with the goal of improving the accuracy of these measurements as development progresses.
Despite the current limitations, the inclusion of health-tracking features in the AirPods Pro 3 signals Apple’s continued commitment to expanding its health ecosystem. With the company already leading the way with the Apple Watch’s health and fitness features, the addition of these sensors to the AirPods Pro 3 could offer users even more ways to monitor their well-being seamlessly throughout the day. As Apple moves forward with this development, it will be interesting to see how these features evolve and whether they will be integrated into other products in the future.