AirPods Pro 4 and AirPods 5 tipped for a big chip upgrade — here's why

A pair of Apple AirPods Pro 3 — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

As the dust settles on a very successful AirPods Pro 3 launch, Apple already seems to be looking to upgrade the whole family with a new chip. In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Marc Gurman reports that Apple is working on the H3 chip, the successor to the H2 chip that powers its current AirPods models.

The H3 was pegged for launch with the AirPods Pro 3, but to everyone's surprise, they're powered by the tried and true H2 chip from the previous model. So why are the AirPods of the future likely to need this new chip?

Standalone intelligent earbuds

With the AirPods Pro 3, Apple gave us Live Translation. It's a clever system, letting you chat with people speaking other languages while your buds translate what they're saying.

Except the buds aren't doing it — your phone is. The AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods 4 simply aren't clever enough to do the AI work on their own. If Apple wants buds that can process AI requests without relying on a separate device, it's going to need a new chip.

So, in comes the H3. According to Gurman, Apple is currently working on the H3 chip for a future pair of AirPods Pro 3. Alongside potential AI upgrades, the new chip should also offer better audio quality and improve audio lag.

Apple is also reportedly working on a new pair of budget buds in the AirPods 5, the sequel to (as you might have guessed) the AirPods 4. It would be strange to see those launch alongside the H3 chip, something generally reserved for the Pro buds, but we've been surprised before.

Gurman doesn't think we're going to see the heart rate sensors of the AirPods Pro 3 on board, but we might get other health features, "including a temperature reader."

He does, however, think that we might see camera modules in the buds. Those will aid their AI powers in some way, apparently — although we'll have to wait to see them first. And, as always, we're not really sure when that's going to be.

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Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.

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