Apple is reportedly kicking off mass production of the AirPods 3 as soon as next month, according to a report by Nikkei Asia. They will do so alongside other devices, including an updated iPhone and redesigned Macbook Pro.

Early rumours pointed to 2020 as the launch of the new pods, but those were inevitably pushed back when the whole world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ongoing global semiconductor shortage has undoubtedly had an effect on production too. Following rumours suggested an early 2021 release but with most of July already behind us, that hasn’t proved to be too accurate.

It makes more sense for Apple to release the new AirPods along with the new iPhone which we should be learning more about in September.

AirPods but make them shorter

Leaked renders of the new pods show off a shorter stem design. They’re also supposed to sport soft silicone ear tips bringing them more in line with the look of the AirPods Pro, although you wouldn’t say so from the picture.

Speaking of which, there have also been rumours of the pro pods getting a refresh and doing away with the stem altogether to make them look like Samsung’s stemless beans but we will likely only see those next year.

Source: MacRumors