Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 officially go on sale in a few short days, but buyers will also need to pick up a new iPhone Air or iPhone 17 to be able to use one specific new feature.
That’s according to a 9to5Mac report that points out that using the AirPods Pro 3‘s new U2 item-finding chip will will need to have a new 2025 iPhone to make proper use of it.
The AirPods Pro 3 support improved precision location finding thanks to the new U2 chip and while that chip is also in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 families of devices, Apple says that the improved 1.5x Precision Finding functionality will be limited to newer models.
Compared with AirPods Pro 2. Improved Precision Finding works with AirPods Pro 3 paired with iPhone Air or iPhone 17 models; availability varies by region.
Just how improved the Precision Finding will be when using a new iPhone remains to be seen. We also know that finding the AirPods Pro 3 will still be possible using older iPhones, so the degree of difference in the real world is up in the air.
As mentioned, the new AirPods Pro 3 will go on sale on Friday, September 19. That’s the same date that Apple will release the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple will also release the new Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3.
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