Apple is planning to kick off mass production on the third-generation AirPods next month.
According to Nikkei Asia, the Cupertino company has begun instructing its production partners to ready for the new earphones and has also confirmed that components for a number of other new releases, like the iPhone 13 and MacBook Pro, will also enter into production, signalling a bumper fall release calendar for the company.
We still don’t know when the next-generation AirPods will launch, but considering that they’re entering production next month, it’s all-but-confirmed that they’ll see the light of day later this year. Some had previously reported that Apple would announce AirPods 3 in the first half of the year, but that did not turn out to be true. Instead, releasing them alongside the new iPhone and Apple Watch could prove to be fruitful and significantly increase sales.
It’s thought that the new AirPods 3 will adopt the same design as the current AirPods Pro, albeit with shorter stems. But they’d lack some of the more advanced features that the AirPods Pro include, such as Active Noise Cancellation.
Apple is also working on an upgrade to the AirPods Pro, and is set to remove the stems from the model entirely, similar to the design of the Beats Studio Buds. However, we’re unlikely to see AirPods Pro 2 until at least mid-2022.
Are you excited about the new AirPods? Let us know and check back soon for more.