MacRumors

Apple has responded to Facebook's criticism over an upcoming iOS 14 privacy measure — specifically a change that will require users to grant permission for their activity to be tracked for personalized advertising purposes starting early next year.

In a statement provided to MacRumors, Apple said "we believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for our users," adding that "users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not." The options to allow or deny the tracking will be presented in the form of a prompt that appears as necessary when users open apps.

Apple's full statement:

We believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for our users. Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not. App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14 does not require Facebook to change its approach to tracking users and creating targeted advertising, it simply requires they give users a choice.

As part of its response to Facebook, Apple emphasized that it welcomes in-app advertising and is not prohibiting tracking, but simply requiring apps to obtain explicit user consent in order to track users for personalized advertising purposes, providing users with more control and transparency. Apple said tracking can be invasive, and as a result, it believes users have the right to make choices about the permissions they grant to apps.

Apple also highlighted the fact that developers like Facebook will be able to edit a section of the text that appears in the prompt to explain why users should allow tracking, and it provided a screenshot to visualize this.

In the Settings app, users can view which apps have requested permission to track for advertising purposes, and make changes as they see fit. Apple said that if it becomes aware of an app that violates its App Store Review Guidelines in relation to this change, the developer must address the issue or the app will be removed from the App Store.

Apple said that this change has been on its roadmap for years, and that it will apply equally to all developers, including Apple.

Last, Apple noted that it is expanding its privacy-preserving SKAdNetwork ad attribution API, allowing third-party ad networks serving ads across a wide variety of apps to provide ad attribution to developers without knowing the identity of the user. Apple says SKAdNetwork is free to use and that it does not monetize the API.

Facebook's Criticism

Earlier today, in a blog post and a full-page ad published in three major newspapers, Facebook claimed that Apple's tracking change will have a "harmful impact on many small businesses that are struggling to stay afloat."

"We disagree with Apple's approach and solution, yet we have no choice but to show Apple's prompt," said Facebook. "If we don't, they will block Facebook from the App Store, which would only further harm the people and businesses that rely on our services. We cannot take this risk on behalf of the millions of businesses who use our platform to grow."

Facebook said Apple's anti-tracking change is "about profit, not privacy," claiming that small businesses will be forced to turn to subscriptions and other in-app payments for revenue, in turn benefitting Apple's bottom line. Facebook also accused Apple of setting a double standard, claiming that the iPhone maker's own personalized ad platform is not subject to the upcoming iOS 14 policy, a claim that Apple has now denied.

"We believe Apple is behaving anti-competitively by using their control of the App Store to benefit their bottom line at the expense of app developers and small businesses," said Facebook. The company said it would continue to "explore ways to address this concern," including supporting Epic Games in its antitrust lawsuit against Apple.

Apple this week expanded its Look Around feature in Apple Maps to several new U.S. cities, including Denver, Colorado; Detroit, Michigan; and Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Look Around, which was first introduced in iOS 13, provides 3D street-level imagery in cities where it is available, and it is similar to Google's Street View.

At launch, Look Around was limited to a handful of cities, but now it is available in 22 cities and regions around the world. Apple maintains a list on its website, but Maps enthusiast Justin O'Beirne also has a more frequently updated list.

Prior to the expansion in several new U.S. cities, Look Around previously became available in Southern Canada with the debut of the redesigned maps app in the country.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming two days launch of macOS Big Sur 11.1, the first major update to he operating system first launched in November.

Developers can download the ‌macOS Big Sur‌ 11.2 beta using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.

There's no word just yet on what's included in macOS Big Sur 11.2, but it likely includes performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be addressed in the release version of ‌macOS Big Sur‌. We'll update this article if we find anything new in the beta update.

Apple today finally updated its iOS adoption numbers, giving us our first look at official iOS 14 adoption rates. According to Apple's data, iOS 14 is installed on 81 percent of iPhones that were introduced in the last four years.

17 percent of these devices continue to run iOS 13, and two percent run an earlier version of iOS. 72 percent of all iPhones out in the wild run iOS 14, and this category includes devices that might not be capable of running the update.

18 percent in this category run iOS 13, and 10 percent run an earlier version of iOS.

As for iPads, 75 percent of all iPads introduced in the last four years run iPadOS. 22 percent run iPadOS 13, and three percent run an earlier version of iOS.

61 percent of all iPads use iPadOS 14, 21 percent run iPadOS 13, and 18 percent run an earlier version of iOS.

Since releasing iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 in September, Apple has not provided installation numbers until now. Based on Mixpanel estimates, iOS 14 adoption was at 50 percent in October, so quite a few people have installed the update over the course of the last couple months.

Apple today seeded the first betas of new iOS and iPadOS 14.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, two days after releasing the iOS 14.3 update that brought support for Apple Fitness+, AirPods Max, ProRAW for iPhone 12 models, and more.

iOS and iPadOS 14.4 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an ‌iPhone‌ or iPad.

We don't yet know what's included in the iOS 14.4 update, but it likely focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements that weren't able to be included in the iOS 14.3 release. As an 14.x update, it could also introduce new features and functionality.

Once we've downloaded the update and discovered what's new, we'll update this article.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 7.3 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming two days after the launch of watchOS 7.2 with support for Fitness+, cardio fitness notifications, ECG updates, and more.

To install the ‌watchOS 7.3 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the ‌‌‌watchOS 7‌‌‌.3 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated ‌Apple Watch‌ app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.

To update to the new software, the ‌Apple Watch‌ needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌.

There's no word yet on what's new in watchOS 7.3, but it likely includes bug fixes for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the watchOS 7.2 update. If we discover what's new in the software, we'll update this article.

Facebook today in a blog post claimed that Apple's upcoming anti-tracking privacy-focused change in iOS 14 will have a "harmful impact on many small businesses that are struggling to stay afloat and on the free internet that we all rely on more than ever." Facebook has also launched a "Speak Up For Small Business" page.

"We disagree with Apple's approach and solution, yet we have no choice but to show Apple's prompt," said Facebook. "If we don't, they will block Facebook from the App Store, which would only further harm the people and businesses that rely on our services. We cannot take this risk on behalf of the millions of businesses who use our platform to grow."

A refresher on the situation: Starting early next year, Apple will require apps to get opt-in permission from users to collect their random advertising identifier, which advertisers use to deliver personalized ads and track how effective their campaigns were. This will occur in the form of a prompt that shows up when users open apps on iOS 14.

In a list of grievances, Facebook said Apple's anti-tracking change is "about profit, not privacy," claiming that small businesses will be forced to turn to subscriptions and other in-app payments for revenue, in turn benefitting Apple's bottom line. Facebook also accuses Apple of setting a double standard, claiming that the iPhone maker's own personalized ad platform is not subject to the upcoming iOS 14 policy:

1. They're creating a policy — enforced via iOS 14's AppTrackingTransparency — that's about profit, not privacy. It will force businesses to turn to subscriptions and other in-app payments for revenue, meaning Apple will profit and many free services will have to start charging or exit the market.

2. They're hurting small businesses and publishers who are already struggling in a pandemic. These changes will directly affect their ability to use their advertising budgets efficiently and effectively. Our studies show, without personalized ads powered by their own data, small businesses could see a cut of over 60% of website sales from ads. We don’t anticipate the proposed iOS 14 changes to cause a full loss of personalization but rather a move in that direction over the longer term.

3. They're not playing by their own rules. Apple's own personalized ad platform isn't subject to the new iOS 14 policy.

4. We disagree with Apple's approach, yet we have no choice but to issue their prompt. If we don’t, we'll face retaliation from Apple, which could only further harm the businesses we want to support. We can't take that risk.

Facebook tones down its language a bit further into the blog post, claiming that Apple's anti-tracking change is "more" about profit than privacy.

Facebook accuses Apple of making "far-reaching changes without input from the industry and the businesses most impacted" in an effort to push businesses and developers into a business model that benefits the company's bottom line. "The truth is, these moves are part of Apple's strategy to expand their fees and services business," said Facebook.

"We believe Apple is behaving anti-competitively by using their control of the App Store to benefit their bottom line at the expense of app developers and small businesses," said Facebook. "We continue to explore ways to address this concern."

As one course of action, Facebook is now showing its support for Fortnite maker Epic Games' antitrust lawsuit against Apple. Facebook said that it will be providing the court overseeing the case with information on how Apple's policies have adversely impacted Facebook and the people and businesses who rely on its platform.

In the meantime, Facebook has outlined steps that small businesses and other advertisers can take to prepare for Apple's anti-tracking change.

Update: In response to Facebook, Apple created a graphic explaining that Facebook can tell people people why they should allow tracking, and also provided a statement:

We believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for our users. Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not. App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14 does not require Facebook to change its approach to tracking users and creating targeted advertising, it simply requires they give users a choice.

We've covered Apple's response in more detail in a follow-up story.

A group of major U.S. news publishers have joined the Coalition for App Fairness, a collaborative organization set up to highlight issues with Apple, mainly from developers (via TechCrunch).

Digital Content Next, which represents the AP, The New York Times, NPR, ESPN, Vox, The Washington Post, Meredith, Bloomberg, NBCU, The Financial Times, and more, has become the 50th member to join the Coalition for App Fairness.

A number of other European media organizations have already joined the Coalition for App Fairness, including the European Publishers Council, News Media Europe, GESTE, and Schibsted. Digital Content Next is the first to represent the news and media industry in the United States, and accumulatively reaches an audience of over 233 million unique visitors and 100 percent of the U.S. online population.

The publishers believe that Apple "severely impacts" their subscription-based models by serving as an intermediary. In short, the argument postulates that Apple is wrong to force publishers to use in-app payments for subscription services, which, in turn, means that prices have to rise to account for Apple's commission.

"DCN is pleased to join the Coalition for App Fairness working to establish a fair and competitive digital landscape," Digital Content Next CEO Jason Kint said in a statement. "The premium publisher members of DCN enjoy trusted, direct relationships with consumers, who don't expect intermediaries to impose arbitrary fees and rules which limit their ability to consume the news and entertainment they love."

Earlier this year, Digital Content Next criticized Apple's business practices when it halved its commission from 30 percent to 15 percent for video subscription apps. The organization alleges that Apple amended its App Store rules for Amazon specifically, in order to get Amazon's Prime Video app on iOS and tvOS. Publishers essentially wanted the same discounted fee for themselves but were unable to do so, despite the fact that Apple says its App Store rules are applied evenly.

Furthermore, Digital Content Next argues that Apple's fees and Safari's blocking of third-party cookies and tracking workarounds have pushed publishers away from direct audience revenue, such as subscriptions and events. It claims that Apple has instead pushed them toward digital ads where they had to pay a 30 percent commission on earnings.

Publishers have also expressed concerns about Apple News+ limiting revenue, affording "little in the way of direct relationships with readers," and giving "little control over the business," with some publications such as The New York Times, which is part of Digital Context Next, withdrawing from the service entirely.

"Having DCN join the Coalition for App Fairness is a landmark moment for our campaign, and their insight into core issues with the App Store that top outlets face will only make our voice stronger," said Sarah Maxwell, spokesperson for the Coalition for App Fairness, in a statement. "We're excited to work with them to advocate for App Store policies that are fair, hold Apple accountable, and give consumers freedom of choice."

The Coalition for App Fairness was founded by a large group of companies, such as Epic Games, Spotify, Tile, Basecamp, Blix, Blockchain, Deezer, Match, Prepear, ProtonMail, and SkyDemon, many of whom have had major disagreements with Apple over various issues.

The organization describes itself as "an independent nonprofit organization founded by industry-leading companies to advocate for freedom of choice and fair competition across the app ecosystem." The coalition is based in Washington D.C. and Brussels, and aims to lead legal and regulatory changes with regards to what it says are three key issues; "anti-competitive policies," "30 percent app tax," and "no consumer freedom."

Google's Stadia cloud gaming service is now available on iOS through a dedicated web app, which means that it is playable on the iPhone and the iPad for the first time. For those unfamiliar with Stadia, it is a gaming platform that lets you play your favorite video games on any device.

Google was not able to bring Stadia to iOS through a dedicated app because of Apple's restrictions on cloud gaming services, so Google had to find a workaround.

The new progressive web version of Google Stadia is able to be run through the Safari web browser, and it is available in a public beta capacity. Those who want to try it out can visit Stadia.com. It supports all kinds of popular games, like NBA 2K21, DOOM Eternal, Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and more.

Google says that the Safari gameplay experience is still in development, and additional features and performance improvements will be added going forward as it gathers user experience data. The Stadia experience on iOS is similar to Stadia on Android, and the web app supports playing and purchasing games.

Stadia can be added to the Home screen and launched like a traditional app by visiting the website, tapping on the share button, and choosing the "Add to Home Screen" option.

Google first launched Stadia a year ago in November 2019, allowing subscribers to play cloud-based games on compatible laptops, PCs, Macs, phones, and tablets. Stadia requires an internet connection of 10Mb/s or more, and while it's free to use, some games must be purchased. Google also offers Stadia Pro for $10 per month with access to some free games and higher resolution streaming rates.

Google today announced that the Apple TV app will be rolling out to the new Chromecast with Google TV dongle starting early next year, and to more devices powered by the Android TV operating system in the future.

With the addition of the Apple TV app, Chromecast with Google TV users will be able to access Apple TV+ with a subscription, as well as their library of movie and TV show purchases from Apple and content from Apple TV channels.

This marks Google's second partnership with Apple this month, following Apple Music rolling out to Google Assistant-enabled smart speakers and displays like the Nest Audio, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Mini in the United States and select other countries.

The Apple TV app has been rolling out to a wide variety of platforms in recent months, including the PlayStation, Xbox, and Roku.

Nearly a decade ago, Apple launched a new "Giving" program for employees. For every hour an employee volunteers or dollar they donate, Apple says it matches that with a monetary donation to the same organization.

Apple today announced that employees have raised almost $600 million in total donations — and logged more than 1.6 million hours volunteered — for more than 34,000 organizations since the program's inception in 2011. This is on top of the donations that Apple makes each year to non-profit organizations around the world, such as Feeding America.

Apple also announced that it is investing in a "multimillion-dollar annual grant program" in an effort to support organizations "in communities where Apple teams live and work," including food banks, health and social services, youth art programs, and more.

And this holiday season, Apple said it is donating an additional $5 million to support various organizations that are offering COVID-19-related support to communities around the world, ranging from hunger relief to medical care.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Boss Audio and sister brands Planet Audio and Sound Storm Laboratories today are introducing new car stereo head units that include support for wireless CarPlay and Android Auto at a price of just $400. With a capacitive 6.75-inch screen and support vehicle features like a rear camera and steering wheel controls, the new systems offer a solid value for those with older vehicles looking to update to a more modern head unit.

I've had a chance to spend the past couple of weeks checking out the Planet Audio version of the head unit, model PCPA975W, and I've been pretty impressed with its performance and simplicity. While you won't get features like a CD/DVD player or built-in navigation, many users find those features unnecessary when much of that content can be driven straight from their phones.

Back in the early days of wireless ‌CarPlay‌, I was skeptical of its utility, considering the potential for running down the phone's battery and the fact that the car is frequently a good place to plug in and get a bit of a recharge during the day. As I've been able to spend substantial time using the feature, however, I've come to love it. So many car trips are short commutes or errands, and having ‌CarPlay‌ automatically pop up on the dash without having to take my phone out of my pocket is just so convenient.

Between the short trip lengths and Apple's improvements in power management for wireless ‌CarPlay‌, pretty much any battery concerns I had about it have been a non-issue. If I'm taking a longer road trip, I'll certainly plug my phone in, but that's such a small fraction of my trips that it's rarely something I end up doing.

I won't really spend time going over the details of ‌CarPlay‌ itself here, as it's a pretty standard experience that most are familiar with by now, and Apple has steadily improved the experience over the years with features like the Dashboard, revamped Apple Maps, better support for third-party apps, and EV routing.

The new systems from Boss Audio aren't super flashy, but they certainly get the job done, at least as far as I've seen in my testing. User interfaces on both original and aftermarket infotainment systems have long lagged behind those of smartphones in their visual appeal and utility, but they're starting to make some real headway on that front. You won't mistake Boss's interface for that of an iPhone, but it's much better than some other ones I've used, including a previous Boss Audio system I tested just last year.

There's a solid range of connectivity options and supported sources, including terrestrial radio, Bluetooth streaming, USB media, and an AUX input for older iPods and other devices. An external microphone can be routed to a convenient spot like the headliner at the edge of the windshield for optimal performance. SiriusXM is not supported.

The 6.75-inch capacitive display with a resolution of 480x800 takes up the vast majority of the unit's face, and the display is bright and responsive to touch. There's some Planet Audio and model number branding along the bottom of the face, and then a strip of touch controls along the left side. The touch-sensitive buttons support multicolor illumination configured through the head unit's settings, and they offer quick access to a number of functions with a dedicated power/home button to help with navigating the system, a microphone button for activating Siri, up and down volume buttons, and a mute button.

The user interface is simple and easy to navigate, with the radio screen offering a clear view of the currently tuned station, song and other information for stations that broadcast info via RBDS, and a strip with three pages of station preset slots. Onscreen icons offer access to tuning, station scanning, and an EQ that offers various preset sound profiles and the ability to customize your own.

Setup for wireless ‌CarPlay‌ was easy, and all I needed to do was plug my phone into the system over USB, walk through a couple of steps to configure wired ‌CarPlay‌, and then toggle on the option for wireless ‌CarPlay‌. From that point on, I had few difficulties with ‌CarPlay‌. It does take 15 seconds or so for ‌CarPlay‌ to come up on the screen from the time you start the car, and I did have a couple of instances where it didn't automatically pop up, but it was easy enough to manually activate it from main screen on the head unit and the issue was likely related to brief hiccups between handing off between my home Wi-Fi network and the head unit as I departed my home.

For those who don't want to use ‌CarPlay‌ or Android Auto, you can still pair your phone via Bluetooth for phone calls and media, which can be controlled through the head unit.

While $400 is a great value for a system that supports wireless ‌CarPlay‌, it's important to note that that's just for the head unit itself and there will be other costs involved in getting the unit installed in your car. Items like wiring harnesses to interface with your specific car model, modules for integrating with steering wheel controls and the backup camera, and a trim plate to match your car's dashboard will increase the cost. And if you don't feel comfortable doing the installation yourself and need a professional to do it, those ancillary costs for parts and labor could add up to more than the price of the head unit, doubling your costs.

Still, the cost may be worth it for a big upgrade in your driving experience, particularly if you're willing to do a self-install. Recent models have so much functionality packed into their native infotainment systems that it's not really feasible or desirable to swap them out for aftermarket units, but there are still plenty of cars on the road, some even only a few years old, that can certainly benefit from the technology upgrades available in these head units.

Boss Audio is debuting four new models today under its various brands: BOSS Audio BVCP9850W, Planet Audio PCPA975W, Sound Storm Laboratories DD999ACP, and BOSS Elite BE950WCPA. All four models are priced at $400 and they are essentially identical with the exception of branding.

Note: Boss Audio provided MacRumors with the Planet Audio PCPA975W unit and installation services for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Facebook has today attacked Apple in a series of full-page newspaper ads, asserting that iOS 14's privacy changes regarding data gathering and targeted advertising are bad for small businesses (via Bloomberg).

The ads are running in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post, feature the headline "We're standing up to Apple for small businesses everywhere."

Earlier this year, Apple introduced a number of privacy changes that curb the ability of companies like Facebook to gather data on users and target adverts. In ‌iOS 14‌, Apple has made the "Identifier for Advertisers," used by Facebook and its advertising partners for ad targeting, an opt-in feature, providing more transparency for users who would prefer not to be tracked in apps and on websites. The update simply asks users if they want to agree to ad tracking or prevent cross-app and cross-site tracking to provide targeted ads.

‌iOS 14‌ also has a prominent "Tracking" section in the Privacy portion of the Settings app, where users can disable the option for apps to track them altogether. Even if this feature is toggled off, apps must still ask permission to track users across apps and websites owned by other companies, which is a blow to the silent ad-related tracking that has been going on behind the scenes.

Facebook has previously cautioned that Apple's changes would lead to difficulties, not only for its own business model, but also for small businesses who use its platform to advertise. Facebook claims that ads displayed without personalized targeting generate 60 percent fewer sales than ads that do target consumers.

Apple responded to the criticisms after delaying the rollout of the new privacy measures, accusing Facebook of making clear its intent "to collect as much data as possible across both first and third party products to develop and monetize detailed profiles of their users, and this disregard for user privacy continues to expand to include more of their products."

The full-page ads are the latest salvo in the increasingly heated tensions between the companies. Facebook has heavily criticized Apple in recent months, chastising the company's App Store policies, "stranglehold as a gatekeeper," and fees structure. It has also repeatedly leveled accusations of anti-competitive conduct at Apple, such as for disallowing Messenger from being selected as the default on iOS.

With iOS 14.3, Apple introduced App Store privacy labels, which clearly indicate to users how data is collected by apps they may choose to download. Last week, Facebook-owned WhatsApp protested the App Store privacy labels, saying that users may be discouraged from using its app.

Apple on Tuesday released an iOS 14.3 update for HomePod and HomePod mini, which Apple's release notes said included "general performance and stability improvements," but it actually failed to mention a new feature that allows the head of a household to assign primary users to different HomePods in the same home.

‌HomePod‌ can automatically recognize voices to personalize music requests, playlists, and recommendations. However, Apple acknowledges that Siri may not always recognize individual voices. Therefore, the new feature allows you to assign a primary user for each ‌HomePod‌, and when ‌Siri‌ fails to recognize the voice of a user, that ‌HomePod‌ will fall back to the primary user to which it has been assigned and carry out the request. Here's how to access the feature and set it up.

1. Launch the Home app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Press and hold on the ‌HomePod‌ or grouped HomePods that you want to assign a primary user.
3. Scroll down to the bottom and tap the settings button (the cog icon) in the bottom-right corner of the interface.
   
   

4. Under "Music & Podcasts," tap Primary User.
5. Select the person that you'd like to assign as the Primary User of this ‌HomePod‌ or grouped HomePods. Alternately, select HomePod Account to use the default account used for Apple Music and Podcasts when ‌Siri‌ fails to recognize the voice that made the request.

The feature appears to have been added because Apple recognizes that some homes will have multiple HomePods located in different rooms, some in which particular users may reside more than others – such as in a private bedroom, for example. In other words, if ‌Siri‌ fails to recognize their voice, it can still process their personal request.

The new feature in iOS 14.3 was originally spotted by The 8-bit.

Apple's third-generation AirPods, which are expected to adopt the AirPods Pro design but lack noise-cancelling and transparency features, will launch in the first half of next year for around $200, claims a new report from TheElec today.

Not for the first time in the rumor sphere, today's report refers to the earbuds as a "Lite" version of the ‌AirPods Pro‌, but TheElec additionally suggests they will be priced "20% cheaper" than the $249 ‌AirPods Pro‌, which would put them around the $200 price point.

Apple will launch a Lite version of its Airpods Pro wireless earphones without noise canceling feature in the first half of 2021, TheElec has learned.

A person familiar with the matter said the Lite version will be priced 20% cheaper than the normal Airpods Pro which has noise canceling tech.

This is the same price as the current second-generation AirPods with Wireless Charging Case, suggesting the new model would replace them. If so, Apple's AirPods lineup would adopt the ‌AirPods Pro‌ design signature across the board – or at least until Apple releases its second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌, which could look more like Samsung's Galaxy Buds, according to Bloomberg.

Rumors that Apple is working on third-generation AirPods for launch in the first half of next year first surfaced in April 2020 in a note to investors by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo said the new ‌‌AirPods‌‌ will adopt the system-in-package (SiP) used for the ‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌‌‌, and later suggested this will allow for a form factor similar to the ‌AirPods Pro‌, featuring a shorter stem and replaceable ear tips. Kuo also said battery life could be improved, and a lack of noise cancelation features would make the AirPods 3 more affordable.

A South Korean supplier is developing the AirPods' new SiP used for the H1 chip, which is said to be a "simple square shape," in contrast to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ SiP, which is "round-shaped like a mouse," according to TheElec. The supplier will go through Apple's quality review within the year and begin mass production next year, the report adds.