AirPods 3 launch date just leaked — here’s when they’re coming

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Apple AirPods 3 release window tipped for the third quarter of 2021

Apple AirPods 3 leak
(Image credit: 52 Audio)

A new leak suggests we won't be waiting that long for the hotly anticipated AirPods 3, with the follow-up to Apple's wireless earbuds coming later this year.

Specifically,  Taiwanese supplier ASE Technology has started production of optical sensors that will be embedded in the next generation Apple AirPods, according to DigiTimes. 

The DigiTimes report, spotted by MacRumors doesn't provide a specific launch date. But there is a launch window, according to sources cited in the report, that places the AirPods 3 launch sometime in the third quarter of 2021, which would square with a September launch event for the iPhone 13.

At the moment, DigiTimes has only released a snippet of information about the AirPods 3. A full report should follow soon, hopefully with quotes and more details on release date and what features fans can expect.

Even then, this latest tidbit of information falls in line with past rumors about the upcoming earbuds. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, his intel points to mass production starting on the AirPods 3 in Q3 2021 as well. This contradicted past reports by Jon Prosser of FrontPageTech who was predicting a spring release.

As for price, according to Korean website The Elec, eager fans will have to pay a premium to upgrade. The new AirPods 3 are expected to launch at $199, a noticeable jump from the $159 price found with the AirPods 2. 

As for AirPods 3 design, there won't be a complete overhaul, but the new AirPods aren't exactly a rehash either. The AirPods 3 are expected to pull in influences from the AirPods Pro, while keeping largely in-line with the AirPods 2. 

Reportedly, these earbuds won't offer active noise cancellation, though there should be some audio upgrades. Rumored possibilities include more advanced drivers to give a richer sound. Dolby Atmos and spatial audio support also would be great additions. 

According to known Apple leaker LeaksApplePro, the AirPods 3 should have improved battery life. Given that the current AirPods last a little less than 5 hours on a single change, any improvement would be welcome. 

Imad Khan
Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.