Next year’s AirPods lineup could be Apple’s biggest ever

Apple just launched new AirPods Pro 3, but yet another AirPods model is rumored to arrive next year, expanding the lineup to be bigger than ever.

Rumored AirPods Pro 3 with built-in cameras would expand Apple’s lineup

If you’ve followed Apple for long, you know that the company once preferred to focus its efforts on making fewer, more streamlined product offerings.

In the last decade especially, as its user base has grown substantially, so too has Apple’s lineup of different versions of each product.

When buying a new iPhone, for example, there are so many choices available: iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and even the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are still around.

This trend of expanding each product lineup is coming to AirPods next.

Rumors indicate Apple is preparing a new AirPods Pro model with IR cameras built in, likely for AI-related uses such as visual intelligence.

One leaker says these will be a higher-end version of AirPods Pro 3.

So rather than replacing the brand new AirPods Pro 3—which would be a surprise move, since Apple usually keeps models around several years—the camera-equipped model will be a new SKU altogether.

We saw a similar move when AirPods 4 launched in two versions: one with ANC, the other without.

Apple adding yet another new AirPods model means the 2026 lineup will be bigger than ever, including:

• AirPods Pro 3 with cameras (perhaps they’ll be branded “with AI”)
• AirPods Pro 3
• AirPods 4 with ANC
• AirPods 4
• AirPods Max

These five different options show Apple following its tried and true pattern of expanding a product lineup to offer choices at many price points.

Though some might wish we could go back to the days of Steve Jobs’ famous 2×2 product grid, clearly Apple’s current strategy has been a hit for the company and consumers alike.

What do you think of Apple expanding the AirPods lineup with a new Pro model? Let us know in the comments.

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