Third-Generation AirPods Again Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2021
Apple's third-generation AirPods have once again been rumored to be launching in the first half of 2021, according to DigiTimes.
The claim comes in a paywalled preview of an upcoming report indicating that Apple's supply chain partner Inventec will only account for 20% or less of assembly orders for the new model. Apple has multiple assembly partners for its AirPods in addition to Inventec, including Luxshare and Goertek.
Inventec unlikely to grab major orders for next-gen AirPods
Inventec will still be among the assemblers of Apple's next-generation AirPods slated for release in the first half of 2021, but may account for 20% or less of the total orders demanded, according to industry sources.
The early preview of the report will be filled out with more detail tomorrow, and we'll update this article with any other notable information.
Several sources including noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have indicated that the next-generation AirPods should launch in the first half of next year.
Kuo most recently indicated back in June that he expects the new AirPods to have a similar design to the AirPods Pro, although they would presumably lack some of the more advanced features such as active noise cancellation found in the more expensive AirPods Pro. The shift to an AirPods Pro-like design may have contributed to early confusion about an "AirPods Pro Lite" model.
As for the AirPods Pro earphones themselves, rumors have indicated second-generation models could debut in the second half of 2021.
Popular Stories
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then.
We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025.
iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
A new report from The Information today reveals much of the internal turmoil behind Apple Intelligence's revamped version of Siri.
Apple apparently weighed up multiple options for the backend of Apple Intelligence. One initial idea was to build both small and large language models, dubbed "Mini Mouse" and "Mighty Mouse," to run locally on iPhones and in the cloud, respectively. Siri's...
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we catch up on the latest iOS 19 and watchOS 12 rumors, upcoming devices, and more.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
Detailed new renders from leaker Jon Prosser claim to provide the best look yet at the complete redesign rumored to arrive in iOS 19, showing more rounded elements, lighting effects, translucency, and...
A common complaint about the iPad Pro is that the iPadOS software platform fails to fully take advantage of the device's powerful hardware.
That could soon change.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS."
Gurman said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like a Mac" in three ways:Improved productivity
Improved multitasking
Improved app window management...
Apple's current struggles with Apple Intelligence and Siri began in early 2023 when AI head John Giannandrea sought approval from CEO Tim Cook to purchase more AI chips for development, according to a new report from The New York Times.
Cook initially approved doubling the team's chip budget, but CFO Luca Maestri reportedly reduced the increase to less than half that amount, and instead...
Apple plans to release its delayed Apple Intelligence Siri features in the fall, according to a new report by The New York Times.
In early March, Apple said that it was going to take longer than expected to roll out the more personalized Siri experience, and that these features would be rolled out "in the coming year." Subsequently, Reuters reported that the Apple Intelligence...
It was a big week for leaks and rumors in the Apple world, with fresh claims about iOS 19, the iPhone 17 Pro, and even the 20th anniversary iPhone coming a couple of years from now.
Sources also spilled the tea on the inner turmoil at Apple around the Apple Intelligence-driven Siri revamp that has seen significant delays, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
iOS ...
