Apple plots its way to AirPods Pro, with instant translation maybe

AirPods are coming, speculation claims

Apple is preparing to introduce AirPods Pro 3, promising improved audio, noise cancellation and more. Will this be a star turn at WWDC?

What’s the whisper?

The story is that a new string of code has been identified in a recent Apple software release which contains a tiny reference that hints at new models.

You see, whereas before the code referred to ‘AirPods Pro 2^ndGeneration’, it now says ‘AirPods Pro 2 or later’, which implies more to come as it means the code has been built to also work with subsequent releases. Apple often needs to put hooks into its code for forthcoming products, but these changes aren’t always easy to spot.

This is, admittedly, slum evidence on which to claim the new AirPods Pro are in any way imminent, but it remains a big hunt that the new hardware is heading off the drawing board and into your ears.

What do we expect from AirPods Pro 3?

AirPods Pro are arguably Apple’s most popular product after iPhone, so the new models matter. The most interesting speculation concerning the forthcoming model is the possibility of additional health tracking features. We’ve also been primed to expect a new design in the charging case and of the earbuds themselves.

In a little more detail, Bloomberg claims we can expect a new design with a faster H3 chip. It is also possible that you’ll be able to use them while wearing gloves, thanks to a patented new tech Apple has disclosed. You will, of course, also get USB-C on the case, active noise cancellation will improve, and the audio output will get even better.

But the health features will be hugely important. The heart rate tracking of the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 is likely to come to these new AirPods, and Gurman has previously claimed heart rate monitoring for health and fitness may also appear, as may in-ear temperature sensors.

Better than health

There’s another feature I think will be really popular, if it does appear real-time translation. A March report claimed the devices will be able to auto-detect the language you are listening to and translate into your ears, using the Translate app. While that translation is only one way, it should help – and it will make for a compelling product announcement that demonstrates how Apple seeks to put together actionable and quite profoundly transformational AI tools.

You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, and Mastodon.