Technologies

Apple’s Flagship AirPods Pro 3 Could Launch This Year: Here’s What I’d Like to See

Rumors suggest Apple will upgrade its flagship noise-canceling earbuds later this year. Here’s everything I know about the AirPods Pro 3.

With Apple typically updating one of its AirPods models every year and the AirPods Pro due for an upgrade, we’re seeing plenty of chatter that Apple will release its 3rd-generation AirPods Pro 3 sometime in 2025. Last year, we got the all-new AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Canceling. However, all of us anticipating the arrival of the AirPods Max 2 were disappointed when Apple only refreshed its premium over-ear headphones with USB-C charging and new colors. So, we can only wait and speculate. Here’s a look at the latest AirPods Pro 3 rumors and what improvements I’d like to see.

Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2025

Rumored AirPods Pro 3 release date

MacOS Rumors recently spotted a post on X from a tipster called Kosutami who said Apple was planning to launch the AirPods Pro 3 and AirTag 2 in May or June of this year. That seems unlikely, given that Apple has previously launched next-generation AirPods alongside new iPhones in the fall. One exception was the AirPods Max, which was announced on Dec. 8, 2020, or about six weeks after the iPhone 12 was released.

While anything is possible, it seems more likely that the AirPods Pro 3 will arrive at the same time as the iPhone 17 in September. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who’s usually a more reliable Apple whisperer, has said the AirPods Pro 3 will have a new design and feature heart-rate monitoring like Apple’s new Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — but they’re still months away from being launched. New

New temperature and heart-rate sensors

With the Powerbeats Pro 2 getting the aforementioned heart-rate sensors, it now seems more likely that the AirPods Pro 3 will get them, too. I’m not sure how useful that feature is, especially if you already own an Apple Watch. However, Apple likely has grander plans for its buds’ heart-rate monitoring and is still fleshing everything out, using the Powerbeats Pro 2 as a bit of a guinea pig.

Several tech outlets picked up on another Gurman report mentioning the possibility of temperature sensors and other physiological measurements coming to the AirPods. Both he and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also reported that Apple was working on adding infrared cameras to future AirPods. Kuo’s report suggested that the IR cameras could be used for everything including in-air hand gesture detection, enhancing spatial audio or detecting environmental changes for software, including Apple Intelligence. Don’t expect to see any of that camera tech in the AirPods Pro 3, but maybe the AirPods Pro 4 will get it.

AirPods case with touch screen display

The rumored feature I find most intriguing is an interactive touch display in the AirPods Pro 3’s charging case that acts as a remote control. With Apple filing a patent for it back in 2022, the rumor has been kicking around for a while, and several AirPods knockoffs with touchscreens have shown up on Amazon in recent months. Also, last year JBL released three new Live 3 earbuds, including the Live Beam 3, as a follow-up to 2023’s Tour Pro 2 earbuds, which featured a color touchscreen in their case. All the new Live 3 models feature a 1.5-inch LED touch display in their charging cases, so the feature appears in competing earbuds.

I don’t know what the odds are that the AirPods Pro 3 will get a charging case with a touchscreen, but some changes to the charging case are likely, with some saying the case may shrink a bit. If nothing else, the physical Bluetooth pairing and reset button should get swapped out for a hidden touch-capacitive «button» like the one found in the AirPods 4’s case.

Given that Apple made two versions of the AirPods 4, I could see it making two versions of the AirPods Pro 3 — a more premium model with some extra features like a touchscreen in the charging case and a step-down version that cuts them out.

Improved AirPods Pro 3 performance with H3 chip

The AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 and Powerbeats Pro 2 are all powered by Apple’s H2 chip. Rumor has it that the AirPods Pro 3 could get the new H3 chip, presuming Apple sticks with its current earbuds/headphones chip nomenclature. Adding a more powerful, energy-efficient chip along with tweaks to the design of the buds’ acoustic architecture and microphones could lead to several performance improvements, including enhanced sound quality, upgraded active noise canceling and better voice-calling performance. We could also see slightly better battery life.

I don’t expect a huge jump in performance, but the AirPods Pro 3 could sound a little clearer with better bass definition than their predecessor. Their noise canceling may be more proficient and able to muffle a wider range of frequencies. Also, when it comes to voice calling, the buds will likely do an even better job of picking up your voice while reducing background noise.

The AirPods Pro 2 and Powerbeats Pro 2 are ultralow-latency and can even do lossless audio when paired with Apple’s pricey Vision Pro headset. From what I’ve been told, the reason the AirPods Pro 2 and Powerbeats Pro 2 are able to do true lossless audio with the Vision Pro headset is that the buds and headset sit only a few inches apart, making for an extremely short wireless connection that can reliably transmit lossless audio. There’s been talk of Apple coming up with a solution to bring lossless audio to next-gen AirPods when paired with your iPhone. I hope the AirPods Pro 3 has a lossless audio option when connected to the latest iPhones, iPads and Macs, but I’m not counting on it.

Live translation feature for AirPods Pro 3 (and maybe AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4)

Lately I’ve encountered several no-name Chinese earbuds on Amazon with live translation features, so it wasn’t a huge surprise when Bloomberg recently reported that the AirPods Pro 3 may be adding live translation via Apple’s Translate app with the release of iOS 19 this fall. The iOS Translate app already has fairly robust translation capabilities, but the report talks about how Apple plans to simplify the translation experience with the feature built into its earbuds, as well improve the iOS Translation app. (For those who can’t access Bloomberg’s content behind its paywall, MacRumors has a synopsis of the report).

Since this is more of an iPhone/iOS 19 feature, with the translation of what you say played through your iPhone’s speakers for others to hear, live translation seems pretty likely to come to the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, both of which are equipped with Apple’s H2 chip and have plenty of processing power. Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 might also get the live translation feature.

My AirPods Pro 3 wishlist: Better sound quality and one key feature

I don’t care too much about some of these rumored extra features, like heart-rate monitoring and temperature sensing. I’m more excited about any enhancements to the buds’ design and performance upgrades across the board.

I’ve previously written about how I’d like to see all new AirPods get a case that turns into a Bluetooth transmitter to wirelessly stream the audio from inflight entertainment to the buds. A few true wireless earbuds, including the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 and Elite 10 Gen 2, Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 and Poly Voyager Free 60 Plus, have charging cases that act as Bluetooth transmitters. With the included cable, you simply connect the case to the 3.5mm port in your seat’s console or armrest and you’re good to go. I don’t expect the AirPods Pro 3 will get this feature, but I sure wish they would.

I’d also like to see Apple add a set of extra large eartips. I barely get a tight seal with the AirPods Pro 2’s current large tips and could really use an XL tip for my left ear, which is slightly different from my right (I have tested a variety of third-party foam tips). When Apple released the AirPods Pro 2, it added a fourth extra small ear tip for those with smaller ears. The challenge to adding a fifth XL tip is that the charging case would have to be able to accommodate a slightly larger ear tip. Since getting a tight seal is so important for optimizing sound quality and noise-canceling performance, it would behoove Apple to offer that fifth XL tip for those who require bigger eartips for that reason.

Read more: The One Feature I Wish Apple Would Add to All New AirPods

Technologies

Roblox Rolls Out Age-Verification Requirement for Chat Amid Child Safety Criticism

The age-verification tool estimates a player’s age to put them into a specific group before they can chat online.

Roblox, the online gaming platform that has been under fire due to child safety concerns, has introduced age-verification software that uses facial scanning to estimate the age of players.

The system is currently voluntary, but by the first week of December it will be a requirement in Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand in order for players to chat with others online. By early January, players in all Roblox markets, including the US, will be required to use the software if they want to engage in chats with other players. Roblox said it has also launched a Safety Center hub with information for parents and parental control tools.

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Roblox says the age-verification system is being put in place to limit contact between adults and children, which has been a chief concern among child-safety advocates.

However, while some experts expressed optimism about Roblox’s changes, they disagreed on whether the new features go far enough for the platform and whether Roblox’s reputation can be repaired.

How it works

Roblox’s new age-verification feature takes a 3D scan of a player’s face, using a webcam or a mobile device’s camera, to estimate the person’s age. Based on that estimate, a player can use online chat with other players in their age group.

In a video about the software, Roblox says it immediately deletes captured images or video after the age check is complete.

The age check is performed by a vendor of Roblox called Persona.

Once they complete the check, players are grouped into the following age categories: under 9, 9–12, 13–15, 16–17, 18–20, or 21 and over. The company said that those under 9 won’t be allowed to chat without parental permission. The chats won’t be strictly limited to those age groups, necessarily. Roblox said players «can chat only with peers in their group or similar groups, as appropriate.»

A representative for Roblox said in an email to CNET that the technology should not be considered facial recognition because it’s not being used to identify a particularly person, only to estimate their age.

The company said it’s also taking measures such as restricting media sharing among players and using AI to monitor chats.

Ongoing controversy

One of the aims of the launch, which was first announced in the summer, was to address criticism that the platform has not adequately protected underage Roblox players. The criticism comes at a time when Roblox is more popular than ever, having broken its own records this year for the number of players on its platform at the same time. It’s estimated to have about 380 million active monthly users.

Roblox is currently facing dozens of lawsuits related to claims of sexual abuse and child exploitation from families of children who played Roblox. It is also the target of investigations or lawsuits from states including Florida, Texas, Louisiana and Kentucky.

Roblox was dealt a setback earlier this month when a California judge declined the company’s motion to move one of these suits into private resolution.

The company says its safety features are moving beyond what other game platforms offer to protect minors.

According to a corporate post about the safety features: «Roblox is the first online gaming or communication platform to require facial age checks to access chat, establishing what we believe will become a new industry standard.»

The online streaming platform Twitch is also introducing an age scan feature, but so far only in England.
In response to the Roblox and Twitch changes, Anna Lucas, online safety supervision director at the British regulatory agency Ofcom, said, «We’re pleased that children will be better protected from harmful material and predators on Twitch and Roblox. Under the UK’s online safety laws, platforms must now take steps to keep kids safe, and we’re ensuring they meet their responsibilities. There’s more to do, but change is happening.»

What’s next for Roblox?

Experts CNET spoke with in areas including child privacy and safety, online marketing and tech viewed the steps Roblox is taking as positive, But there’s wide disagreement on whether the company is going far enough with its protections.

«Roblox’s new age-verification tools are encouraging, but from a parenting standpoint, they’re just one part of the safety puzzle,» said Dr. Scott Kollins, a clinical psychologist and chief medical officer at Aura, an online safety app. «The real question for families is whether these features meaningfully improve kids’ day-to-day experience on the platform. Age verification is a step forward, but children still need guardrails and clear explanations about how online interactions work.»

Kollins said that active parenting needs to take place before kids log on to Roblox in addition to the company designing its product with safety in mind.

Stephen Balkam, founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute, called the age-verification «a hugely important step» in the direction of making Roblox a safer platform. He said he hoped other online platforms might follow Roblox.

«My only hope is that in the long term, Roblox’s age assurance methods become interoperable with other gaming and kid-focused sites and platforms, so parents and kids only have to go through the verification process once,» Balkam said.

Like Kollins, Balkam emphasized the importance of parental involvement, since no site is entirely safe.

«Set family rules, use parental controls and have regular conversations with your kids,» he said. «So, no, don’t ban Roblox, but use their industry-leading tools and keep the lines of communication open and your kids should be able to have a fun and creative time.»

Liability and trust

Some experts also view the changes as a way to mitigate the company’s reputational damage and address legal challenges.

The age verification is «not a silver bullet,» said Paromita Pain, associate professor of media studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

«Even a very strong safety revamp doesn’t erase that record, but it does give Roblox a narrative: ‘We heard you, we’re now at or above industry standard, so future risk is sharply reduced,’ » Pain said.

The moves, Pain said, could rebuild trust, but many parents will see age checks as coming too late. Pain said that the company should adopt independent audits of child-safety practices, make its parental and teen controls stricter by default and commit to «safety by design» by making systemwide changes on private servers and environment designs.

The current changes won’t fix things for Roblox, she said. «Only sustained, independently-verifiable changes—and probably some large settlements—will do that.»

Technologies

Waymo Is Going Fully Autonomous in 5 New Cities. Everything to Know About the Robotaxi

Here’s everywhere the self-driving company operates and where it’s headed soon.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 19, #422

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 19, No. 422.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition features a blue category that I think is a real stumper, unless you’re familiar with one certain phrase. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Splish-splash.

Green group hint: Hoopsters.

Blue group hint: Get in shape.

Purple group hint: Vroom-vroom.