AirPods Pro 3 allegedly spotted in Bluetooth codebase update suggesting imminent launch

Apple released the first-generation AirPods Pro in October of 2019 and then updated them in September of 2022. Since then, there has been no generational update for the true wireless earbuds. A new leak, however, suggests that AirPods Pro 3 are still in the pipeline and may be getting closer to launch. Notably, Apple has not shared any information on the next generation of AirPods Pro earbuds.

A report from Macrumors states that Apple has updated its codebase with a new identifier, believed to be for the AirPods Pro 3. Apple uses Bluetooth ID numbers to identify its AirPods and Beats headphones and according to the report, the codebase for device syncing has been updated with a new identifier, ‘8239.’ This does not coincide with any of Apple’s existing AirPods or Beats headphones, suggesting that the new AirPods Pro 3’s are in development, possibly getting close to launch.

The report also points out that while the new identifier could be for the AirPods Pro 3s, it can also indicate a Beats product refresh, so take this information with a pinch of salt.

As mentioned earlier, Apple has not shared any information on the AirPods Pro 3 but rumors suggest that they could be unveiled this year alongside the iPhone 17 series. It is also being speculated that the new models will come with infrared (IR) cameras and with the help of AI, “understand the outside world and provide information to the user,” Mark Gurman via 9to5Mac.

The AirPods Pro 3s are shaping up to be a major upgrade over the now almost three-year-old AirPods Pro 2. They could feature a refined design, improved ANC and audio quality, and since the AirPods Pro 2 brought the Hearing Aid feature, more health-related functionality.