The AirPods 3 are one of the rumored Apple headphones for 2021.
When will we see the Apple AirPods 3? With nearly two years having passed since the last iteration of Apple’s true wireless earbuds, the AirPods (2019), there are naturally already murmurs of another updated model coming our way. While there were rumors of the Apple AirPods 3 crashing into the market before 2020 was out, they never materialized – and now everything is pointing to a 2021 release. As well as reports claiming that a third iteration of the Apple AirPods are definitely in development (along with the second generation of the Apple AirPods Pro), we’ve also heard rumors that components for the earbuds are already being shipped to manufacturers. According to Bloomberg, which spoke with people familiar with the plans, the AirPods 3 could include motion sensors for fitness tracking and integration with Apple Fitness Plus, along with noise reduction. Since the original Apple AirPods launched in 2016, the true wireless earbuds have dominated the headphones market, becoming an icon of the company’s slick design customs and user-friendly technologies. They weren’t perfect, though – and in 2019, the upgraded AirPods (or AirPods 2, if you will) were furnished with Apple’s H1 chip, which brought with it faster pairing times, longer battery, and a cool hands-free ‘Hey Siri’ feature. These second-gen true wireless earbuds were a definite improvement upon their predecessors – but they were still easily eclipsed by the likes of the Sony WF-1000XM3, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1, and Apple’s own AirPods Pro in 2019. While we’re still waiting for official confirmation from Apple that it will be launching the AirPods 3 this year, here’s everything we know so far, plus a wish list of all the features we want to see from the company’s next true wireless earbuds. While we have a few ideas about the specs we might see with the new earbuds, an official AirPods 3 release date still eludes us. Rumors that they would launch at the Apple Spring Forward event in April have now been proven wrong, so we’re looking to later in 2021 as a potential AirPods 3 release date. According to Bloomberg, the AirPods 3 are currently in development, and we can expect the earbuds to be announced before the end of 2021. We thought they may be launched at WWDC 2021 – instead, Apple announced a slew of upgrades for the existing AirPods range. It was probably too early to be hopeful, anyway. We’ve now heard that the AirPods 3 may start rolling off production lines in Q3 2021, according to a new rumor, which would likely mean it will launch alongside the iPhone 13 range during the usual release window for Apple phones (around September). The new info comes courtesy of noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who reportedly asserted that the company will start producing new AirPods models in the ‘third calendar quarter of 2021,’ according to in an investor report seen by AppleInsider. That theory of a joint launch with the iPhone 13 has now been backed up by another source. The same rumors align with further reports claiming several Apple suppliers have already begun shipping substrate components (aka circuit boards) for various upcoming Apple products, including the AirPods 3. A paywalled DigiTimes report (via MacRumors) also alleges that Taiwanese supplier ASE Technology has started production of optical sensors for next-generation AirPods, slated to launch in the third quarter of 2021. In any case, a 2021 release seems likely now that we’ve seen more leaked photos of the AirPods 3, showing off a AirPods-Pro style design, following the first images of the Apple AirPods 3 from 52audio. As for new AirPods Pro earbuds, Japanese blog MacOtakara had alleged that the AirPods Pro 2 would arrive in April 2021 alongside the iPhone SE 3 – though neither appeared at the company’s Spring Loaded Apple Event in April. Bloomberg’s sources are now saying that the AirPods Pro 2 will be released in 2022, which seems much more likely than a 2021 release date. The Apple AirPods 3 are expected to be cheaper than the AirPods Pro, which cost $249 / £249 / AU$399, possibly costing the same as the current AirPods (2019) with Wireless Charging Case. That would set their price at $159 / £159 / AU$249. Saying that, it’s possible that they could be more expensive, particularly if Apple adds more premium features like active noise cancellation and support for Spatial Audio. Whether there will be a cheaper version with a standard (non-wireless charging case) remains to be seen – though with Apple’s focus on wireless charging with the iPhone 12, it doesn’t seem likely. New images of what could be the upcoming wireless earbuds have surfaced online, potentially giving us a good look at the next Apple earbuds. The images were posted to Twitter by LeaksApplePro, and show off what looks like a pair of AirPods with shorter stems, backing up previous rumors that the next AirPods would take some style cues from the noise-cancelling AirPods Pro.
