The first iOS 26 beta arrived yesterday, and already it’s been found to hold confirmation of a new product in the works: a reference to ‘AirPods Pro 3’ was discovered in Apple’s code, the second such recent leak.
iOS 26 code explicitly references AirPods Pro 3
MacRumors contributor Steve Moser has discovered that iOS 26 code contains explicit mention of an unreleased Apple product.
The name ’AirPods Pro 3’ was spotted by Moser in code for the first iOS 26 beta.
There are no details on exactly which features the new AirPods will bring, but we have some ideas already.
Remarkably, this is the second software leak that hint at AirPods Pro 3 arriving soon.
Last month, another Apple software release contained the phrase “AirPods Pro 2 or later” where formerly the text simply read “AirPods Pro 2nd Generation.”
And now, iOS 26 even more explicitly confirms AirPods Pro 3’s existence with their full product name.
This leak lends greater support to the prospect of AirPods Pro 3 launching this fall as originally expected.
A vague Ming-Chi Kuo rumor had indicated we might have to wait until 2026 for new AirPods, but that’s seeming increasingly unlikely.
iOS 26 will launch this September, around the middle of the month, and signs point to Apple announcing its new AirPods Pro 3 shortly before that at its big iPhone 17 event.
Do you expect AirPods Pro 3 to launch this year? Let us know in the comments.
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