Apple may launch the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong, contradicting earlier predictions of a much sooner release.

Pu's Apple product timeline (via @jukanlosreve) comes as a bit of a surprise. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in February that new AirPods with heart rate monitoring were "months away," suggesting a late 2025 launch at the earliest. Code references to AirPods Pro 3 were also recently unearthed in the iOS 26 beta by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser.

That said, in a recent Ming-Chi Kuo report, the analyst said AirPods may not see significant updates until 2026, when he expects IR camera-equipped AirPods to enter mass production. However, it was not clear if Kuo was writing about the standard non-Pro AirPods, and the analyst did not respond to requests for clarification.

Historically, Apple has launched significant AirPods updates alongside new iPhones, so a September event – likely shared with the upcoming ‌iPhone‌ 17 series – was thought to be the most plausible window. A 2026 release would mark four years since the AirPods Pro 2 debuted in September 2022.

Pu's product roadmap shows Apple focusing on other hardware in 2025. The analyst expects the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year, which is no real surprise. More notably, he predicts that Apple will also release its rumored HomePad tablet this year – though he offered no more specific date.

For 2026, Pu forecasts the AirPods Pro 3 launching alongside the Apple Watch Series 12 and a refreshed Vision Pro. Looking further into 2027 and beyond, he anticipates blood monitoring capabilities coming to Apple Watch and the debut of "Vision Air" and smart glasses.

The AirPods Pro 3 are expected to feature significantly improved active noise cancellation and heart rate monitoring, similar to the recently announced Powerbeats Pro 2. Apple last updated the AirPods Pro line with a USB-C charging case in September 2023.

Source: Macrumors