Could this be our first look at the Apple AirPods 3?
This photo (above) – posted by Japanese blog 52audio (via 9to5Mac) – claims to show parts of the AirPods 3, which are expected to arrive in 2021.
Rather than the whole finished product, we can only see the top part of the earphone and the enclosure cover of the charging case. But it chimes with previous reports that claim Apple's next AirPods will look a lot like the AirPods Pro. This was claimed by not just one, but two reputable sources – noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and others cited in a Bloomberg report.
While they may look like the AirPods Pro, they almost certainly won't have their more advanced features, like active noise cancellation. They would sit below the AirPods Pro in the AirPods line-up in terms of features and price, just as the current AirPods do.
Apple is also rumoured to be working on the AirPods Pro 2, which could sport a more rounded shape, as well as the AirPods Max over-ear headphones.
What this leak doesn't do is shed any light on the exact specs or release date of the AirPods 3, however the word on the online street is that they'll launch in the first half of next year – about two years on from the launch of the current, second-generation AirPods. That seems about right to us.
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