AirPods Pro 3 Won't Get 'Major' Audio or Active Noise Cancellation Improvements

[Jim Boonie]

The upcoming AirPods Pro 3 that Apple is expected to unveil tomorrow will not include notable improvements to audio quality or Active Noise Cancellation, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Apple's new earbuds will have heart rate tracking, a health-related feature that Apple first introduced with the Powerbeats Pro 2. LED optical sensors will pulse to measure heart rate using blood flow, and if the AirPods Pro 3 work like the Powerbeats Pro 2, the data will sync with popular fitness apps.

The AirPods Pro 3 will also feature an updated design for a better fit, though there are no details on what exactly is going to change. The case is also going to be slimmed down, and it will be smaller like the AirPods 4 case.

News of no significant changes to ANC or audio quality is disappointing. There were some rumors of "much better" Active Noise Cancellation and Gurman himself said the AirPods would include a new H3 chip. New chips typically mean improvements to audio quality and ANC, and we could still get some small boosts, but it sounds like most of the focus will be on the new health feature.

Article Link: AirPods Pro 3 Won't Get 'Major' Audio or Active Noise Cancellation Improvements

Welp, there goes my birthday present. Guess I’ll have to find something else.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Guys, calm down, we don't know what's it going to be yet. For all we know, the noise cancellation could become worse.

And if not initially, it usually gets added eventually after purchase

 

[hajime]

I skipped the Back To School promotion because I heard that AirPods Pro 3 would have better noise cancellation than Pro 2.

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[fel10]

Well, damn, i was planing to upgrade but the no sound improvements makes me want to wait for next gen

 

[Apple_Jacks]

I skipped the Back To School promotion because I heard that AirPods Pro 3 would have better noise cancellation than Pro 2.

​

That may still be the case. This is MacRumors after all.

 

[laz232]

bummer, i was hoping to upgrade, but it seems like that's not going to be necessary. i'll wait and see though

Same here (hear?) - if ANC was improved then an instant upgrade from my APP2. Instead of focussing on what headphones should do (audio, microphone (lot of room for improvement) and ANC) - Tim Apple wants to turn it into a toaster-fridge.
I don't need a poorly implemented heart rate monitor - anyone that wants to monitor these things already has a watch for that (I have a Garmin Fenix).

 

[laz232]

Improved audio and noise cancelling wasn’t really needed, they are already great

ANC is ok - not great and microphone quality is still pretty bad.

 

[AdriftAtlas]

No BLE Audio nor LC3 support? For a company that's all about accessibility you'd think they'd support Auracast? Apple must have selective hearing when their bottom line is involved.

 

[Ghost31]

Reminds me of that email that leaked from the VP of apple marketing or something that said something to the effect of giving people the least amount of upgrades as possible in the new products. String everything out. Give people the least apple can give without losing customers. Long as people still buy, they don’t really need to innovate. It was pretty telling.

Same reason we haven’t gotten an AirPods Max 2. But it’s fine. I just take it as i should keep products as long as possible to get the most bang for the buck

 

[svish]

Looks like it will be adding only health features this year and next year's version will have audio quality improvements. Had just bought AirPods 4 last month and not going to upgrade.

 

[Dave245]

If thats the case i might just stick with my Airpods Pro 2, if they can last until the next update, I have had them since the Pro 2 launched.

 

[Big_D]

So, for anyone with AirPods Pro 2 and an Apple Watch or other health tracker there is no need to upgrade...

I'll be sticking with my Pro 2s for now, the quality is good enough for listening to audiobooks and podcasts when walking the dog or riding to work.

 

[Kylo83]

Apple really has become bad, the whole idea of headphones is audio quality, we don’t need health features in headphones, sound quality is why we buy headphones

 

[meridiusuk]

Well I just cancelled my apple Music for tidal a couple of weeks Ago because I am getting into high end audio and Apple have locked there music down meaning no hi res audio on 3rd party high device. Tidal yes you can.

Now that Apple might have not upgraded the AirPods with better audio and ANC and I was also hoping hi res audio on the AirPod 3 pro but if not I might just go for another manufacture like Sony, Bose or even Schenz.

At this rate I prob change my iPhone 14 Pro to an android phone as Apple seems to be loosing the plot big time even there Siri is a shambles.

I don’t know what’s going on at Apple but people will start to lose faith even if they are the biggest company going.

Apple have many opportunities to improve there hardware but they keep dropping the ball more and more every year. It’s not good.

 

[Taq'aix]

It’s hardly surprising, this is Apple under Cook. Year after year, he delivers lame incremental upgrades while showing little care for Apple’s customers.

If there’s no improved noise cancellation, I won’t buy them.

 

[darthbane2k]

If it is smaller like the AirPods 4 case, then it’ll lack MagSafe magnets and will be able to reverse wireless charge.

That’s it. That’s the upgrade. Ugh

 

[darthbane2k]

So in the last few days it’s pretty much confirmed (based on controlled leaks) that…

iPhone 17 series offers nothing new, unless you count the air and a crossbody strap.

Apple Watch won’t have a hypertension sensor at all.

AirPods Pro 3 won’t actually have any audio improvements.

And some people are still in denial about Tim Cook’s leadership of Apple?? He needs to go. This isn’t the Apple of old anymore. They are stale and they play it too safe and way too incrementally.

 

[Kylo83]

So in the last few days it’s pretty much confirmed (based on controlled leaks) that…

iPhone 17 series offers nothing new, unless you count the air and a crossbody strap.

Apple Watch won’t have a hypertension sensor at all.

AirPods Pro 3 won’t actually have any audio improvements.

And some people are still in denial about Tim Cook’s leadership of Apple?? He needs to go. This isn’t the Apple of old anymore. They are stale and they play it too safe and way too incrementally.

Yeah I’m sick of every year minor updates and nothing worth getting excited about

 

[AdriftAtlas]

And some people are still in denial about Tim Cook’s leadership of Apple?? He needs to go. This isn’t the Apple of old anymore. They are stale and they play it too safe and way too incrementally.

A for profit corporation only needs to make a profit, which they are doing. Stale they may be, but are they making a profit in being stale?

 

[titanium69]

We cant say we’re surprised. Apple themselves indicated theyre only interested in bare minimum improvements across generations

 

[aknabi]

As much as I am disappointed by this, I don't see how much better the ANC can get in such a tiny form factor. It's actually remarkable that they work as well as they do.

Well folks like Jabra (who's parent is GN and is in the pro hearing aid space) has better ANC algorithms and tech... Apple is smart in thinking we're close to the top, people cheerlead our brand and care more about it than the innovation so from a margin perspective (which is where Apple's innovation is today) no need to do much.

They're becoming more a luxury brand than a leading tech innovation company... I lived through the first post-Job/Sculley era and it was depressing AF... I'm feeling that Tim is another Spindler with supply chain genius.

Side note: I was going to be ready tonight to watch the reveal and hit buy on the APP3 ASAP... now I realize the rush may be on post presentation on big discounted APP2 so will jump on those before they're sold out after confirming this rumor is indeed true.

 

[Dave245]

We cant say we’re surprised. Apple themselves indicated theyre only interested in bare minimum improvements across generations

When did they say that?

 

[Quasselstripper]

what was a day one purchase for me is now not

Same here!
My AirPods Pro 2 are kinda dated (still with the old lighting port), so I was hoping for a good reason to upgrade.
They have Apple Watch charging though, so I don’t need to bring my lightning cable anyway so it’s not a big bummer.
But would’ve loved to see some big ANC improvements. Three years of development should be enough to make some improvements, no?

Probably YouTube reviews will tell us if we should buy it or not…

 

[firewire9000]

Do people really need their headphones to measure their heart rate? I’d expect that most folks interested in that data already have a fitness tracker of some kind. Why can’t AirPods just be great headphones?!

I was thinking the same, in fact, I remember all the reviews of the Powerbeats 2 and of course everyone had some kind of smart watch with HR sensor.

 

[laz232]

Earlier in the year there was a (credible) rumour that the APP3 wouldn't be released this year contradicting other expectations and rumours.

As a real APP3 update would involve an H3 chip and ANC improvements, knowledge that this was not on track for a 2025 release probably gave rise to the earlier rumour.

What is being released now it a APP2 +/S: a small mid-term upgrade with some slightly different form factor.

Most of the APP customer-base are not tuned into the MR / serious review world and will just go into the Tim Apple Store and buy or order what's newest when they need it. it's therefore better for Apple to release something newer and slightly improved and 90% of the consumers will be none the wiser.