New AirPods and AirPods Max Launching in 2024, Updated AirPods Pro Coming in 2025

Apple plans to begin a major overhaul of its AirPods lineup starting next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

airpods school
The standard AirPods and the AirPods Max will see a refresh in 2024, while the AirPods Pro will be updated in 2025. For the AirPods and ‌AirPods Pro‌, Apple will update the design of the earbuds and the case, while also improving audio quality.

When the AirPods are refreshed, Apple will phase out the second-generation and third-generation models, offering two fourth-generation models at different price points instead.

Both of the fourth-generation AirPods models will look like a cross between the current AirPods and the ‌AirPods Pro‌, with Apple introducing shorter stems. The higher-end version of the standard AirPods will feature Active Noise Cancellation, a feature that has thus far been limited to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ and the ‌AirPods Max‌.

Fit will be "improved," but it is unclear if Apple plans to add silicone ear tips. As for the case, it will gain speakers for Find My alerts, similar to the current ‌AirPods Pro‌, and a USB-C charging port.

The ‌AirPods Max‌ will see the inclusion of a USB-C port for charging purposes instead of a Lightning port, and Apple will also debut new colors. No other notable features are expected at this time.

In 2025, the ‌AirPods Pro‌ will be updated with a new design and a faster chip, plus the earbuds could get some previously-rumored hearing health features. Rumors have suggested Apple is working on functionality that would let the ‌AirPods Pro‌ collect hearing data and better serve as a hearing aid replacement.

There is no clear word yet on when in 2024 and 2025 we might see AirPod refreshes, but Apple typically introduces new models in the latter half of the year around when new iPhones come out. Gurman says that the AirPods will come out "later next year" and the ‌AirPods Max‌ will come out "around the end of next year."

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Max, AirPods Pro
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

2007 iPhone

Apple Discontinuing This 18-Year-Old iPhone Feature

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:51 pm PST by
The end of an 18-year era is on the horizon for the iPhone. Apple reportedly plans to announce a new iPhone SE as soon as next week, and the device is expected to feature a full-screen design with Face ID, instead of a Touch ID home button. That means Apple will no longer sell any new iPhone models with a home button, for the first time since the original iPhone launched. The home button...
oppo find n5 fingers

World's Thinnest Foldable Phone Launches Next Week

Monday February 10, 2025 3:05 am PST by
Oppo has confirmed a February 20 global launch for its Find N5, which the company claims is the world's thinnest device in the foldable phone category. The phone is expected to be re-branded as the OnePlus Open 2 in the US. The Chinese vendor has been teasing the device in the last few weeks, touting its waterproofing and nearly invisible display crease, and highlighting its thinness by compa...
m2 macbook air blue

M4 MacBook Air Release Continues to Appear Imminent

Monday February 10, 2025 10:56 am PST by
There continue to be signs of a new MacBook Air with an M4 chip, indicating that we could see the machine launch in the not too distant future. A private account on X today shared the identifiers that the MacBook Air will use, and those identifiers correspond to the M4 chip. According to the source, both the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 15-inch MacBook Air will be equipped with Apple's...
sequoia

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.3.1

Monday February 10, 2025 10:11 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.3.1, a minor update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that came out last September. macOS 15.3.1 comes a few weeks after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. Apple has also released macOS 13.7.4 and macOS 14.7.4 for those who are...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.3.1

Monday February 10, 2025 10:04 am PST by
Apple today released watchOS 11.3.1, a minor update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.3.1 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.3.1 can be downloaded by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple

Apple Increases Mac Trade-In Values for a Limited Time

Sunday February 9, 2025 3:53 pm PST by
Apple today increased its estimated trade-in values for select Mac models in the United States, with the full changes outlined below. Apple says the extra trade-in credit for select Macs is available with the purchase of an eligible new Apple device through April 2. The trade-in values increased by between $10 and $50. Model New Value Old Value MacBook Pro Up to $925 ...
Powerbeats Pro 2 Orange

Powerbeats Pro 2 Given to Customer Early, Expected to Debut Tomorrow

Monday February 10, 2025 7:42 am PST by
Apple's long-awaited Powerbeats Pro 2 are finally expected to be announced this Tuesday. Ahead of time, one lucky Walmart customer was able to get their hands on the earbuds early, according to a since-deleted Reddit post over the weekend. A leaked image of the Powerbeats Pro 2 in Electric Orange "My local Walmart had them in the cage," the Reddit user explained. "I asked if I can buy them...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.1 With Bug Fixes

Monday February 10, 2025 10:09 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.1 comes two weeks after Apple released iOS 18.3. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iPadOS 17.7.5 for those still running...

Top Rated Comments

Wokis Avatar
17 months ago
Hope they keep one variant without the rubber tips.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcmehrtens Avatar
17 months ago
I have been biding my time for AirPods Max 2. Really hoping Gurman is right about 2024—and hoping Apple doesn't disappoint!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
17 months ago
Finally, the rumored new Airpods Max



Attachment Image
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NoGood@Usernames Avatar
17 months ago

Maybe they'll finish the design of the AirPod Max for the second generation so they're not just dull, nondescript aluminum shapes.
Every time I see the AirPods Max the first thing that pops into my head is: Ciabatta Rolls ?

They have the same general shape/size and I just can't shake that each time I see them!

Attachment Image
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zimmy68 Avatar
17 months ago
I was scratching my head why they didn't make the original AirPods Max USB-C.
Made no sense to me at the time.
Now they are calling that a feature???
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SactoGuy18 Avatar
17 months ago
Watch for the possibility that the next AirPods Max gets two U2 chips. Reason: Lossloss Audio transmission over Ultra Wideband (UWB), which has way more bandwidth than Bluetooth 5.3 using AptX or LDAC codecs.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)