AirPods 3 Ready to Launch and Likely to Be Announced at Apple Event Next Week, Analyst Says

Apple is hosting a virtual event on Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with rumors widely suggesting the event will be focused on redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a faster version of the M1 chip, brighter mini-LED displays, and more.

airpods 3 gizmochina%403x
In an investor note with Wedbush today, shared with MacRumors, analyst Dan Ives said third-generation AirPods will likely be announced at the event as well. The new AirPods are rumored to feature a similar design as the AirPods Pro, but without Active Noise Cancellation, and they could have improved sound quality and some other new features.

The third-generation AirPods have already been manufactured and are ready to launch, according to Wedbush's supply chain checks, which increases the likelihood that they will be announced during the Apple Event next week.

Earlier this week, an account on Chinese social media platform Weibo known as @PandaIsBald also claimed that third-generation AirPods will be announced at the Apple Event next week. Last month, the same account accurately revealed that Apple would announce the ninth-generation iPad at its September event.

This would be the first update to the standard AirPods since the second-generation AirPods were released in March 2019. The second-generation AirPods are priced at $159 with a wired charging case and at $199 with a wireless charging case.

An update to the AirPods Pro is not expected until next year.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
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 2025 Thumb 1

10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025

Friday April 11, 2025 4:14 pm PDT by
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...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone Resolutions Leak With Under-Screen Camera Tipped

Monday April 14, 2025 3:12 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold") will feature two screens as part of its book-style design, and a Chinese leaker claims to know the resolutions for both of them. According to the Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station, the inner display, which is approximately 7.76 inches, will use a 2,713 x 1,920 resolution and feature "under-screen camera technology." Meanwhile, the...
iPad Pro iPadOS

iPadOS 19 Will Be 'More Like macOS' in Three Ways

Sunday April 13, 2025 6:43 am PDT by
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...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
Apple Vision Pro with battery Feature Blue Magenta

Vision Pro 2 Rumored to Have Two Key Advantages Over Current Model

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:15 am PDT by
Apple is working on a new version of the Vision Pro with two key advantages over the current model, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Specifically, in his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is developing a new headset that is both lighter and less expensive than the current Vision Pro, which starts at $3,499 in the U.S. and weighs up to 1.5 pounds. Gurman said Apple is also...
Apple Bristol Current

An Apple Store in the UK is Permanently Closing Later This Year

Monday April 14, 2025 7:33 am PDT by
Apple has confirmed that it will be permanently closing its retail store in the heart of Bristol, England, and there is no replacement in sight. Apple Bristol in 2023 Apple Bristol will be closing its doors on Saturday, August 9, due to redevelopment plans at the Cabot Circus Shopping Centre, and the adjacent Bristol Shopping Quarter. According to news reports, and a building application, the ...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

Waiting for the Perfect MacBook Pro? 2026 Might Be the Year

Thursday April 10, 2025 4:19 am PDT by
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...

Top Rated Comments

UltimateSyn Avatar
46 months ago
Are these the same analysts who said MacBook Pros were coming at WWDC?

Edit: Yes. https://www.macrumors.com/2021/06/03/new-macbook-pros-at-wwdc-wedbush-analyst/
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ApplesAreSweet&Sour Avatar
46 months ago
Fingers crossed these will have Find My integration that is actually usable.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
46 months ago
I hope they didn’t ruin the fit and feel from gen 1/2

I also hope they don’t decide these should now be $199 to start, while leaving gen 2 there at $159...

...which now that I say it out loud..
..feels EXACTLY like what bean counter Tim will do

:mad:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Caliber26 Avatar
46 months ago
I hope this redesign doesn’t result in the new AirPods being uncomfortable to use, or the kind that have a hard time staying in the ear. The original design is already so well established, they should’ve kept it and just shortened the stem.

Fingers crossed.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
46 months ago
I hope so. I’ve been holding off on buying AirPods for a few months now because of the rumored update.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Raaasmus Avatar
46 months ago
I liked the native integration but I will most likely never buy those consumables again :(

One of my AirPods 1 only plays for a minute before shutting off and wanting me to put it back into the case. Yes, I have tried all of the techniques I found on the web and it has the latest firmware. The battery is not replaceable and for someone in my corner of Europe there is also no swap service. Paying almost full price for replacement pods is also not something I would consider. It becomes a service of AirPods for 4 years for 200€+ at that point.

This time instead of AirPods Pro for 249€ I opted for Sony WH-1000XM4 for 300€ that can be used as wired headphones if the battery no longer holds a charge. I know, AirPods are earphones and the WH-1000XM4 are headphones but the price range is the same.

My first iPhone, the 3GS, still turns on and works after all these years.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)