Apple is preparing the third generation of AirPods for release this month. The company will reportedly hold an event on March 23 to release several new products, the AirPods 3 happen to be among them. The company last updated the AirPods in 2019 by adding a new H1 chip for improved battery life and hands-free “Hey Siri” support.
The new upcoming AirPods have been leaked by @gizomchina. The images show a design similar to the AirPods Pro – smaller stems and slightly different driver area cutout. Apple released the AirPods Pro in late 2019 and they became an overnight success. The higher price of the AirPods Pro at $249 (USD) did not stop people from investing in them.
The regular AirPods sell for $159 in the US, however users can also opt for the wireless charging case combo for $199. The AirPods Pro offers active noise cancellation and silicone tips for better outside noise blocking, for an additional $50. The design of the AirPods Pro is an improvement over the regular AirPods with shorter stems which looks better than the long stem of the regular AirPods.
The design of the AirPods first generation and the AirPods second generation is the same. The differences between the two are only internal. The AirPods 3 appear to be the major design overhaul the AirPods were pending. The case of the upcoming AirPods will also be similar to the AirPods Pro – smaller and more compact.
The AirPods 3 will reportedly have Spatial audio, similar to the AirPods Pro. However, the upcoming redesigned AirPods will not have active noise cancellation as it will continue to be reserved for the more expensive “Pro” version for the foreseeable future.
Apple continues to release new products with the AirPods branding. The most recent addition AirPods Max, while expensive at $549, has been popular.
