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 (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...

Top Rated Comments

UltimateSyn Avatar
48 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
48 months ago
Fingers crossed these will have Find My integration that is actually usable.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
48 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
48 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
48 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
48 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)