AI-Powered Innovations Drive Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, From Fitness Insights To Real-Time Multilingual Communication

In Brief

Apple’s latest hardware event introduced the iPhone 17 series, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and AirPods Pro 3 with AI-powered health tracking and live translation, while offering minimal new updates on AI overall.

Recent hardware event of the technology company Apple placed relatively little emphasis on AI, with the main AI-related developments centered on Apple Intelligence features for live translation and health monitoring

Among the announcements, the company unveiled AirPods Pro 3, an upgrade to its popular wireless headphones. The new model introduces enhanced audio performance, improved in-ear stability, and the strongest iteration of Active Noise Cancellation to date, reducing noise levels by up to twice as much as the previous generation. A notable addition is the integration of health and fitness functions, including heart rate tracking and compatibility with over 50 workout types via the Fitness app on iPhone. This is enabled by a custom-built photoplethysmography sensor that uses infrared light to monitor blood flow, supplemented by motion and location data from the device’s sensors and processed through an on-device AI model. These capabilities also support the new Workout Buddy feature, which generates personalized insights during exercise sessions.

AirPods Pro 3 extend functionality further through integration with Apple Fitness+, allowing users to view real-time performance data such as heart rate, calories burned, and progress within activity rings. In addition, Live Translation has been introduced in beta, enabling hands-free multilingual communication. Using computational audio and Apple Intelligence, the feature allows real-time translation across supported languages, with the option to display live transcriptions on iPhone for participants without AirPods. The system currently supports English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, with Italian, Japanese, Korean, and simplified Chinese expected to follow later in the year. Together, these updates position AirPods Pro 3 not only as advanced audio devices but also as tools bridging health monitoring, fitness tracking, and cross-language communication.

Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Lineup And Slimmest-Ever iPhone Air, While AI Updates Remain Limited

Apple held its latest hardware event this week, unveiling the iPhone 17 series alongside updates for Apple Watch and AirPods. The iPhone 17 introduces a redesigned look that more closely mirrors the Pro line, with a 6.3-inch 120 Hz display and a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera

The Pro models feature a new rear design, with three cameras arranged in a horizontal bar spanning the device, while the Apple logo remains centered over the MagSafe charger

The highlight of the event was the launch of the iPhone Air, Apple’s thinnest phone to date, measuring just 5.6 mm in thickness. Replacing the Plus model, it includes a 6.6-inch screen, ProMotion technology, and eSIM-only functionality.

Apple also introduced the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which adds faster charging, 5G support, satellite connectivity, and an expanded display

In contrast to expectations, the event included minimal discussion of artificial intelligence, with AI references limited to previously announced Visual Intelligence tools, on-device models, and select camera enhancements such as the iPhone 17’s Center Stage feature. Siri was not mentioned, and the absence of new AI initiatives has fueled speculation about whether Apple is falling behind in integrating AI at the same pace as its competitors.