A new set of renders claims to showcase the design of the upcoming third-generation AirPods, which could be announced during a rumored Apple event later this month.
The renders were shared by Gizmochina, which claims to have received the renders from a "supplier." The images depict AirPods with a shorter stem, similar to the AirPods Pro, and a smaller charging case. This information lines up with reporting from Bloomberg which states that the design of the new AirPods takes inspiration from the AirPods Pro, although they will lack certain Pro features such as Active Noise Cancellation.
The renders should be taken with a grain of salt. However, the images were shared by the Twitter account @Duanrui1205, which has in the past shared accurate information, possibly adding validity to them. The renders also fall in line with alleged real-life images of the upcoming AirPods, which show them with a smaller stem and replaceable ear tips.
Just this week, Chinese leaker "Kang" reported that Apple is planning to hold its long-awaited spring event on March 23. That event is expected to headline AirTags, new iPad models, and possibly the updated third-generation AirPods. Apple is also working on second-generation AirPods Pro, which are rumored to be more compact by eliminating the stem and adopting an earbud design similar to the Galaxy and Google Buds.
Saturday April 11, 2026 9:14 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
CarPlay Ultra...
As we wait for WWDC to kick off next Monday, Apple today announced the winners of its annual Apple Design Awards, recognizing apps and games for their innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement.
The 2025 Apple Design Award winners are listed below, with one app and one game selected per category:
Delight and Fun - CapWords (App) and Balatro (Game)
Innovation - Play (App) and PBJ -...
Saturday April 11, 2026 9:07 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the AirPods Max 2 received more attention, Apple also released a second pair of headphones last month: Nike Powerbeats Pro 2.
Nike Powerbeats Pro 2 are the same as the regular Powerbeats Pro 2, except they have a two-tone design consisting of black and Nike's signature Volt neon green-yellow color. The headphones were released on March 20 in the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K., and a ...
Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4.
There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...
For the last several months, Apple has been working on interoperability changes that are set to be implemented in the European Union to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Apple is developing AirPods-like pairing and notification forwarding for third-party wearables.
Testing on these features started back in iOS 26.3 and continued in iOS 26.4, but the options have not yet launched. Apple is ...
Saturday April 11, 2026 9:14 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
CarPlay Ultra...
I think this actually is the design so without replaceable ear tips. Which also would differentiate them from the Airpods Pro besides no ANC.
The replacable ear tips rumor always was a bit weird to me, would have meant Apple completely vacating the non-invasive buds which they've always had and that a lot of people love.
It sucks the standard version won't come with silicone ear tips. the 1/2 gen made my ear hurt when wearing for a prolonged time, so I went for the pro.
Not all of us like those silicone ear tips so this version is for us, you can have the Pro's.
It sucks the standard version won't come with silicone ear tips. the 1/2 gen made my ear hurt when wearing for a prolonged time, so I went for the pro.