Redesigned AirPods Expected to be Announced During Monday's 'Unleashed' Apple Event

After their lack of appearance at Apple's September event, updated third-generation AirPods can be expected to be unveiled during next week's "Unleashed" Mac-focused event, according to a leaker.

10
Rumors had initially indicated that the new AirPods would ship alongside the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 announcement last month, but the new earphones failed to materialize. AirPods are best equipped with the ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch, adding fuel to speculation their release was somewhat imminent.

Now, as Apple has confirmed its likely last event of the year for this coming Monday, October 18, all the indications suggest that new AirPods will also be announced alongside redesigned MacBook Pros. Weibo leaker @PandaIsBald, which accurately reported the launch of the baseline ninth-generation iPad for Apple's last event, has claimed that alongside "M1X" Macs, the third-generation AirPods with an updated design will also be announced.

airpods 3 1
The third-generation AirPods will be the first significant design change to the AirPods line since the AirPods Pro in 2019. The new AirPods will replace the existing second-generation AirPods in the line and feature an updated redesign that takes inspiration from the higher-end ‌AirPods Pro‌, but without "Pro" features like Active Noise Cancelation.

The refreshed AirPods are expected to take design cues from the ‌AirPods Pro‌ and leaked schematics and images but appear to confirm those design changes. However, what remains unclear is whether the new AirPods will feature silicone ear-tips, like the ‌AirPods Pro‌, or feature the same in-ear design as the first and second-generation AirPods.

Previous reports suggested that Apple's second planned event for the fall would focus on new Macs and iPads. Surprisingly, Apple announced an updated iPad mini and baseline ‌iPad‌ during its September event, leaving the upcoming "Unleashed" event to be wholly focused on the Mac.

The new highly anticipated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros will feature better performance, a new design, and a mini-LED display that could feature ProMotion, allowing for a 120Hz variable refresh rate. Apple is also likely to announce a date for when macOS Monterey will launch to the public.

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

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...

Top Rated Comments

TopToffee Avatar
49 months ago

Is the selling point of these going to be mainly their price? Or why wouldn't one always get the Air Pods Pro instead?

You answered your own question.
He didn't really. Some people (myself included) can't stand rubber tipped earbuds - it's the reason my wife inherited my AirPod Pros (despite me loving the features) - the weird ultra-enclosed echoey, vibration-y feeling is really uncomfortable.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
49 months ago
So many people are waiting for this product! Let’s go!!!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
49 months ago

However, what remains unclear is whether the new AirPods will feature silicone ear-tips, like the AirPods Pro, or feature the same in-ear design as the first and second-generation AirPods.
Please keep the silicone away from this line, if someone wants that they can get the Pro. A choice here is good.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DMG35 Avatar
49 months ago
My wallet is going to be destroyed after Monday's event.....
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WWPD Avatar
49 months ago
"Unleashed" obviously Apple is releasing a groundbreaking, revolutionary dog training app.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PsykX Avatar
49 months ago

They will come with a body temperature sensor.
They will come with a body sensor to detect if your body is ready to buy more and more Apple products.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)