New AirPods Pro may gain fitness features, fast USB-C charging

Our almost three-year wait for a follow-up to 2019’s AirPods Pro could soon be at an end, and we already have a pretty good idea about what they are going to bring. And thanks to a new report from 52audio, a complete picture of the new earbuds may have emerged.

In a lengthy article posted this weekend, the site says the new AirPods Pro will feature an upgraded version of the H1 chip supporting “self-adaptive active noise cancellation”, along with improved Find My, heart-rate measurement, a heavily modified USB-C charging case, and hearing aid functionality.

The heart-rate feature, which will reportedly “collect and analyze the wearer’s inner ear data,” would be the first health-related sensor for Apple’s earbuds. The sensors may also be able to measure body temperature, but the site says this is unconfirmed. A similar sensor is rumored for the Apple Watch Series 8.

Curiously, the site reports that the overall design appears largely the same as the 2019 model, with some cues taken from last year’s AirPods 3. That stands in contrast to numerous rumors we have heard that claim the new AirPods Pro will remove the stems in favor of a flush design that sits in the ear, similar to the Beats Fit Pro.

52audio

According to 52audio, the biggest upgrade to the AirPods Pro could be the charging case. In addition to the main charging port, which will likely switch from Lightning to USB-C, there will be a small speaker to enhance Find My support and a hearing aid mic connection, though it’s unclear how the hearing aid feature will work.

The site, which has frequently released images of new AirPods models before anyone else, is currently rated as 83.3 percent accurate on AppleTrack. It doesn’t cite or describe (even anonymously) any sources for this latest revelation, so it’s unclear where the site got its information from.

Apple’s new AirPods Pro earbuds are strongly tipped to arrive in the fall alongside the iPhone 14 and nearly two dozen new Apple products. You can keep up with the latest leaks and speculation with our AirPods Pro 2 superguide.