Next-Generation AirPods Reportedly Already in Production Despite Not Being Announced at Apple Event

While third-generation AirPods were not announced at the Apple Event this week, suppliers have already kicked off shipments of the long-awaited headphones, according to industry sources cited by Taiwanese website DigiTimes.

airpods 3 gizmochina%403x
In a paywalled preview of its report, DigiTimes said the shipments have been "slow," but production being underway is a good sign that the third-generation AirPods will likely be released before the end of the year. There will likely be another Mac-focused Apple Event this year, and the new AirPods could be unveiled then, or they could be announced with a press release through the Apple Newsroom at any point this fall.

The third-generation ‌AirPods‌ are expected to feature a design language similar to the ‌AirPods Pro‌, but without active noise cancellation. However, rumors have conflicted as to whether the new design will include silicone ear tips.

The second-generation AirPods were released in March 2019, priced at $159 with a wired charging case or $199 with a wireless charging case.

Related Roundup: AirPods 3
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: AirPods

Top Rated Comments

Nozuka Avatar
34 months ago
They said we won't see new iPads in this event. Yet there were.

They said the Apple Watch will have a new design. It didn't.

They said they will announce the new Airpods 3. They didn't.

So many inaccurate rumors this year...
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hcherry Avatar
34 months ago
The only thing I legitimately need that wasn't announced at yesterday's event. Though I'm steadily building a case for "needing" a new iPad mini.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dantracht Avatar
34 months ago

The inconsistency is all over the place this year. No idea what is happening.
Perhaps Apple is actually having some success at cracking down some leaks?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Caliber26 Avatar
34 months ago
UGH!!! Hurry up already. My first-gen AirPods are barely hanging by a thread. This was the one thing I was anticipating the most yesterday.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dz5b609 Avatar
34 months ago
According to all the rumors they've been in production for close to a year now, Apple must have warehouses full of them by now.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dantracht Avatar
34 months ago
Will believe it when I see it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Delta Feature

Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone

Wednesday April 17, 2024 9:58 am PDT by
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Friday April 12, 2024 11:11 am PDT by
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...
iOS NES Emulator Bimmy Feature

NES Emulator for iPhone and iPad Now Available on App Store [Removed]

Tuesday April 16, 2024 11:33 am PDT by
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...
iGBA Feature

Apple Removes Game Boy Emulator iGBA From App Store Due to Spam and Copyright Violations

Sunday April 14, 2024 9:22 pm PDT by
Apple today said it removed Game Boy emulator iGBA from the App Store for violating the company's App Review Guidelines related to spam (section 4.3) and copyright (section 5.2), but it did not provide any specific details. iGBA was a copycat version of developer Riley Testut's open-source GBA4iOS app. The emulator rose to the top of the App Store charts following its release this weekend,...
iPhone 15 Pro Action Button Translate

All iPhone 16 Models to Feature Action Button, But Usefulness Debated

Tuesday April 16, 2024 6:54 am PDT by
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...
iGBA Feature

Game Boy Emulator for iPhone Now Available in App Store Following Rule Change [Removed]

Sunday April 14, 2024 8:06 am PDT by
A week after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to permit retro game console emulators, a Game Boy emulator for the iPhone called iGBA has appeared in the App Store worldwide. The emulator is already one of the top free apps on the App Store charts. It was not entirely clear if Apple would allow emulators to work with all and any games, but iGBA is able to load any Game Boy ROMs that...