AirPods 3 Ready to Launch and Likely to Be Announced at Apple Event Next Week, Analyst Says

Apple is hosting a virtual event on Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with rumors widely suggesting the event will be focused on redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with a faster version of the M1 chip, brighter mini-LED displays, and more.

airpods 3 gizmochina%403x
In an investor note with Wedbush today, shared with MacRumors, analyst Dan Ives said third-generation AirPods will likely be announced at the event as well. The new AirPods are rumored to feature a similar design as the AirPods Pro, but without Active Noise Cancellation, and they could have improved sound quality and some other new features.

The third-generation AirPods have already been manufactured and are ready to launch, according to Wedbush's supply chain checks, which increases the likelihood that they will be announced during the Apple Event next week.

Earlier this week, an account on Chinese social media platform Weibo known as @PandaIsBald also claimed that third-generation AirPods will be announced at the Apple Event next week. Last month, the same account accurately revealed that Apple would announce the ninth-generation iPad at its September event.

This would be the first update to the standard AirPods since the second-generation AirPods were released in March 2019. The second-generation AirPods are priced at $159 with a wired charging case and at $199 with a wireless charging case.

An update to the AirPods Pro is not expected until next year.

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

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Alleged iPhone 17 Pro Antenna Design

Two All-New iPhone 17 Colors Seemingly Confirmed

Monday August 25, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple will offer the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max in a new orange color, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman made the claim in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, adding that the new iPhone 17 Air – replacing the iPhone 16 Plus – will come in a new light blue color. We've heard multiple rumors about a new iPhone 17 Pro color being a shade of orange. The ...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Five Things to Expect From Apple's 'Awe Dropping' September 9 Event

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
Apple today announced its "Awe Dropping" iPhone-centric event, which is set to take place on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. There are a long list of products that are coming, but we thought we'd pull out five feature highlights to look forward to. That Super Thin iPhone - Apple's September 9 event will see the unveiling of the first redesigned iPhone we've had in years, ...
awe dropping event

Apple Event Announced for September 9: 'Awe Dropping'

Tuesday August 26, 2025 9:01 am PDT by
Apple will hold its annual iPhone-centric event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, according to an announcement that went out today. The event will start at 10:00 a.m., with select members of the media invited to attend. At the September 2025 iPhone event, Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 lineup, which includes an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. It...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Apple Event Logo Hints at Two iPhone 17 Pro Features

Wednesday August 27, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
Apple's logo for its upcoming September 9 event hints at two rumored iPhone 17 Pro features, including new color options and a vapor chamber cooling system. Of course, this is all just speculation for fun, as we count down the final days until the event. New Colors Last month, Macworld's Filipe Espósito reported that orange and dark blue would be two out of the five color options...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3: Four Key Design Changes Anticipated

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:05 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022 other than a shift from Lightning to USB-C, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will launch AirPods Pro 3 later this year, and apart from new features like heart rate monitoring, we're also expecting a few design changes. The fourth‑generation AirPods offer useful clues to Apple's design cues for ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 12 New Features

Sunday August 24, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be unveiled in a few more weeks, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman corroborated a rumor that iPhone 17 Pro models will be "available in an orange color." Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are...

Top Rated Comments

UltimateSyn Avatar
51 months ago
Are these the same analysts who said MacBook Pros were coming at WWDC?

Edit: Yes. https://www.macrumors.com/2021/06/03/new-macbook-pros-at-wwdc-wedbush-analyst/
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ApplesAreSweet&Sour Avatar
51 months ago
Fingers crossed these will have Find My integration that is actually usable.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
51 months ago
I hope they didn’t ruin the fit and feel from gen 1/2

I also hope they don’t decide these should now be $199 to start, while leaving gen 2 there at $159...

...which now that I say it out loud..
..feels EXACTLY like what bean counter Tim will do

:mad:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Caliber26 Avatar
51 months ago
I hope this redesign doesn’t result in the new AirPods being uncomfortable to use, or the kind that have a hard time staying in the ear. The original design is already so well established, they should’ve kept it and just shortened the stem.

Fingers crossed.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
51 months ago
I hope so. I’ve been holding off on buying AirPods for a few months now because of the rumored update.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Raaasmus Avatar
51 months ago
I liked the native integration but I will most likely never buy those consumables again :(

One of my AirPods 1 only plays for a minute before shutting off and wanting me to put it back into the case. Yes, I have tried all of the techniques I found on the web and it has the latest firmware. The battery is not replaceable and for someone in my corner of Europe there is also no swap service. Paying almost full price for replacement pods is also not something I would consider. It becomes a service of AirPods for 4 years for 200€+ at that point.

This time instead of AirPods Pro for 249€ I opted for Sony WH-1000XM4 for 300€ that can be used as wired headphones if the battery no longer holds a charge. I know, AirPods are earphones and the WH-1000XM4 are headphones but the price range is the same.

My first iPhone, the 3GS, still turns on and works after all these years.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)