AirPods 3 won’t enter production until Q3 2021

Apple won’t begin mass production on the third-generation AirPods until Q3 2021.

Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that despite leaks surrounding the release of the next-generation AirPods, they won’t be available until much later in the year.

Several leakers have suggested that the company will hold an event on March 23 to show off new hardware including the new AirPods, but this has now been quashed by Kuo, with him revealing that the new earphones are “simply not ready for public release just yet.”

Kuo’s report is focused on AirPods shipment predictions, which reveal that the company will see a decline in sales this year, following increased competition from rival brands. In 2020, the company shipped around 90 million AirPods – this will fall to around 78 million in 2021.

According to Kuo, Apple might decide to keep the second-generation AirPods on the market following the launch of AirPods 3 to offer a cheaper, entry-level product for consumers.

Apple last updated the AirPods range in 2020, releasing the AirPods Max. The company is expected to sell around one million units of the $549 over-ear headphones this year.

Are you disappointed to hear that AirPods won’t be coming soon? Let us know and check back soon.

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