Based on various rumors and leaks, it’s clear that the upcoming AirPods Pro 3, which Apple could unveil at the iPhone 17 event on September 9, is moving in a new direction–towards the AirPods 4, which Apple released along with the iPhone 16 series in September 2024.
According to Asher Dipprey and corroborated by Majin Bu, the AirPods Pro 3 charging case will get a size reduction, and the button on the back will disappear. The changes are the same as what Apple did with the AirPods 4. As a result, the AirPods Pro 3 and the AirPods 4 would also be similar in appearance.
Asher Dipprey is a 3D artist who has made product concept renders. He has worked with Jon Prosser, who has reported on Apple leaks and is being sued by Apple for the methods he allegedly used to obtain information about iOS 26. It’s not clear how Dipprey obtained the design information about the AirPods Pro 3.
It’s not clear if the change is merely cosmetic or related to a new, smaller design for the AirPods Pro 3.
The AirPods Pro 3 will replace the AirPods Pro 2, which were released three years ago and later updated in 2023 with a USB-C charging case. Other new features could include live translation, better noise cancellation, and a heart rate sensor.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication Macwelt and was translated and localized from German.
