New AirPod Pros: What We Know So Far

A Major Update in the Works

The wait for new AirPod Pros may be months away, but the documentation circulating through the U.S. patent offices reveals that Apple is cooking up something exciting for its high-end earbuds. Unlike the last major update, it’s not just about swapping out the Lightning port for USB-C.

A Patent for Future AirPods Pro Features

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Apple a patent for possible future AirPods Pro features. According to Patently Apple, a long-standing, legacy leaker, Apple filed a patent for AirPods with "a texture exterior surface for input" and a "textured exterior surface" for controlling functions on another device. The textured exterior surface is multi-directional and can accept input commands, including swipe gestures.

New Vent and Ear Fitting Process

The patent also depicts a new vent for the AirPods Pro that helps minimize wind noise and determine whether the AirPod is adequately fit for active noise cancellation. This could be related to an "ear fitting process." It’s possible that Apple will lead out of the gate with new ANC calibration technology when it launches the AirPods Pro 3. The current generation AirPods Pro 2 already showed us what it could do with the addition of the Hearing Health feature alongside the launch of the iPhone 16.

Speculation on Augmented Reality and Cameras

There’s speculation that these new gestures and tactile parts of the AirPod Pros will help users immersed in augmented reality (or maybe even reality reality). This is because other rumors have circulated about the AirPods Pro having cameras embedded inside for spatial awareness. This was sparked off in a Bloomberg newsletter a few weeks ago after a mention of "camera-equipped AirPods" were on the way.

View the Patent

If you’d like to peruse the patent through the PDF, click here. It’s about 22 pages long and features interesting diagrams, like the one embedded here. Most of the patent describes the technology that enables the calibration of in-ear headphones. But it’s also confirmation that it should be no surprise if Apple refreshes the AirPod Pros later this year. It is time.