Apple AirPods 3: Release date, rumours, specs and price

Apple announced the second generation of its wireless earphones, the AirPods, in March 2019 with a new chip, Hey Siri control, 50 per cent more talk time and an optional wireless charging case.

The second gen AirPods miss a couple of rumoured features though. Will these features come to the AirPods 3 instead? Here's everything we know so far.

• New Apple AirPods vs old Apple Airpods: What's the difference?

Quick summary

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims Apple is working on a future version of the wireless earphones that will get noise cancellation and water resistance.

The Apple AirPods 3, as we will call them in this feature, were initially rumoured to appear later this year. But, Gurman then claimed it was more likely to be 2020 and, as they failed to appear during Apple's iPhone 11 launch event, he is probably right.

In truth though, the conflicting reports make things a little hazy. And there are claims of two new AirPods models, to muddy waters further.

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Apple AirPod 3 specs: What we want

It's still early days for the Apple AirPods 3 given the second-gen models have only been around a matter of months, but here are the specifications we would like, and expect, to see on the next Apple AirPods that weren't included in the Apple AirPods 2.

• Noise cancellation
• Water resistance
• Fitness tracking features
• Further talktime improvements (longer battery life for the AirPods themselves)
• More control customisation

Apple AirPod 3 rumours: What's happened so far?

Here's everything that has happened so far regarding Apple's next AirPods.

18 October 2019: Apple AirPods Pro tipped for launch in next two weeks

According to a report from China Economic Daily and its sources in the "supply chain", the AirPods 3 will be called AirPods Pro to match the iPad Pro and iPhone 11 Pro naming convention and they will launch by the end of October 2019.

The report says they will sport noise reduction technology, although it's not yet known at what extent it will work. 

7 October 2019: Renders of AirPods 3 appear

Ben Geskin has offered a render of what the Apple AirPods 3 might look like based on previous leaks. The render uses the greyscale image found in the iOS 13.2 beta, showing silicone tips and a shorter arm. 

Geskin also points a silicone cover for the third generation headphones, available on Amazon already.

AirPods 3 / Pro is confirming more and more... Here's Protective Silicone Cover for AirPods 3rd Gen on Amazon https://t.co/bPBkoDMIl5 pic.twitter.com/ipXKpUS8TL

— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) October 7, 2019

2 October 2019: Previous leak of AirPods 3 could be spot on

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has tweeted saying: "Looks like the AirPods 3/Pro leak from a few months ago was dead on." The image below his tweet shows the prototype model spotted by 52audio.com.

Looks like the AirPods 3/Pro leak from a few months ago was dead on. https://t.co/WU2XYXhtz6

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 2, 2019

2 October 2019: This is what Apple's AirPods 3 look like

An image has appeared in the iOS 13.2 beta that shows a greyscale design of what could be the AirPods 3. Spotted by 9to5Mac, the image shows a shorter stem and ear tips.

The site also spotted a "Focus Mode" that can be toggled on or off. It is not currently clear what this is but it could be referring to the noise cancelling feature expected on the AirPods 3.

12 September 2019: AirPods 3 prototype supposedly spotted in the wild after Apple event

An apparent prototype model of the next-generations of AirPods was spotted in the wild by Leakspinner showing what appears to be a smaller, slightly different shaped AirPods case sitting on the back of a phone.

We'd take the leak with a big pinch of salt for now though, especially given the number of replica AirPods out there, there's nothing to suggest these are the real deal at all.

10 September 2019: Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Apple Watch launched, no sign of new AirPods

Apple unveiled several devices during its September "Special Event", including the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 5 and a new 10.2-inch entry-level iPad. However, there was no sign of the AirPods 3.

That doesn't mean they definitely won't appear in 2019, with the company also traditionally holding an October event each year, but that'll be more likely dedicated to MacBook and/or iPad Pro business.

22 August 2019: Apple iPhone 11 'Pro', Watch Series 5 and AirPods 3 details revealed in new report

A report on Bloomberg claimed people familiar with the matter revealed that Apple is working on the next generation of AirPods and it was said they could arrive before the end of the year.

Gurman says in the same report that water resistance and noise cancellation features are both expected - something he has said will be coming to the next AirPods before.

9 July 2019: Analysts predict AirPods 3 will arrive by end of 2019 with waterproofing

Analysts from Wedbush claim Apple is planning to release the third generation of AirPods before the end of 2019. It's claimed they will offer design enhancements in terms of waterproofing but they will also see a price increase.

5 June 2019: Apple announces some new AirPods enhancements that'll arrive with iOS 13

With (presumably any) AirPods, Apple says that if you upgrade to the upcoming iOS 13 then Siri will be able to read incoming messages through your earphones as soon as they arrive, from Messages or any SiriKit-enabled messaging app (so yes, that includes WhatsApp). 

There will also be a new audio sharing feature that means you can watch a movie or share a song with a friend by simply bringing a second pair of AirPods close to iPhone or iPad. We don't know if this feature will be exclusive to AirPods or whether it will work with other Bluetooth devices. 

• Apple iOS 13 features, news, and release date

24 April 2019: AirPods 3 with noise cancellation to arrive before end of year

Digitimes reported that a third generation of Apple AirPods would arrive before the end of the year with noise cancellation.

Meanwhile, a separate report saw Ming-Chi Kuo predict we would see two new AirPods models ship at the end of 2019 or beginning of 2020. One of the models will apparently have a new design, as has been claimed before. The other model is predicted to offer the same design as the current model.

20 March 2019: Apple working on future AirPods, due 2020

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman tweeted that the second Apple AirPods were due to go on sale last year, and that Apple is working on a future version with noise cancellation and water resistance.

Gurman claimed the next Apple AirPods were originally due to be announced later this year, though he now expects them to arrive in 2020.

3 December 2018: Apple AirPods 3 to get new design

Renowned Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo said the 2020 Apple AirPods will come with an "all-new design".

He didn't offer any further details, but Kuo was right about the AirPods 2 offering a new chip, wireless charging case and Bluetooth 5.0.

25 June 2018: More evidence appears for noise cancellation

Bloomberg claimed the AirPods in 2019 would bring noise cancelling, citing sources familiar with the matter. Supporting this, a Barclays report claimed Apple would use physical analogue methods, as opposed to active noise cancellation.

Water resistance was also claimed by Bloomberg, though for sweatproofing rather than swimproofing and the publication also suggested Apple is looking for ways to add a heart rate monitor, as well as increase the range of the AirPods.

7 July 2017: Further patents suggest fitness tracking tech for AirPods

Patently Apple reported on another patent specifically showing a in-ear AirPod with a biometric sensor. The site also found reference to the addition of EKG sensors, impedance cardiography sensors, and more fitness-tracking technology into the wireless earphones.

20 March 2017: Apple files patents for earbuds with biometric sensing

Apple filed three patents for three different headphones, with references to "earbuds with biometric sensing". A note in the patent suggests built-in biometric sensors would make contact with the small bit on the inside of your ear, allowing them to collect heart rate, temperature and VO2 information via a photoplethysmogram sensor (PPG).

The patents also suggest noise cancelling thanks to microphones that can block external sounds. Varying levels of noise cancellation were suggested, meaning the headphones could let some external noise in, useful in situations like riding a bike in traffic. 

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