AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 3 | Latest Rumors and What to Expect This Year

Apple’s AirPods Pro have become a huge success, but that’s not a big surprise as the AirPods Pro brought new features and benefits that many were begging for, including Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, and better battery life. All of that packed in a smaller, sleeker design.

But it seems like Apple is planning to take the AirPods Pro one step further this year. Rumors for the second-generation AirPods Pro are already here and, if they’re all true, we’ll get a new set of AirPods Pro like nothing we’ve seen before from Apple.

Not only that, but the regular next-generation AirPods will also see some big changes, although they won’t be as high-end as the AirPods Pro.

Here’s all that we know about Apple’s so-called AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 3.

AirPods Pro Like We’ve Never Seen Before?

Arguably, the biggest visual difference between the AirPods and the AirPods Pro is the stem. As you already know, the AirPods Pro feature a shorter stem than the regular AirPods. Even though not everyone liked it, most people were pleased with the smaller design and the interchangeable ear tips.

But according to Bloomberg, Apple will use shorter stems for the next-generation AirPods, and the AirPods Pro will feature an entirely different design.

The rumors are saying that Apple is working on a new AirPods Pro design with no stem at all. Instead, they’d look similar to the earbuds from Samsung and Google.

Additionally, the AirPods Pro case would be different as well. The case would be 46mm tall and 54mm wide, making it a bit taller and narrower than the current case.

Easier Said Than Done

A new design for the AirPods Pro would be great, and would really make them stand out from other Apple products, but Apple is reportedly having issues making the new design a reality.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is having a hard time integrating the Noise Cancellation, antennas, and microphone into the smaller casing. Because of this, it’s possible that Apple ultimately decides to put a stem on the AirPods Pro, but it would continue to be a small one.

This could also delay the AirPods Pro’s release date. Fortunately, there aren’t any rumors about this, which means we can still hope to see the AirPods Pro launch on time. But more on that later.

New Chip, Same Features?

Rumors are also saying that Apple will implement a new chip in the AirPods Pro 2. The current-generation AirPods are powered by the H1 chip, which helps with Siri voice commands and faster switching between devices.

Sadly, we still don’t know what new benefits the H2 chip would bring, or if it’s even going to be called H2 chip, so we’ll have to wait to speculate what new features could be included.

Besides the new chip, it seems like Apple won’t have any major new features in the new AirPods Pro. Instead, the company will improve what’s already great about the current AirPods Pro, like better battery life and a faster pairing to an iPhone.

Also, we should expect some major improvements to the Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode features because of the new design.

Other than that, there aren’t many rumored new sound features, although there is one health feature that we’re excited about.

New Light Sensors

Since last year, there have been rumors about new ambient light sensors coming to the next-generation AirPods. We don’t know which AirPods will have the new sensors specifically, but it’s likely that we’ll see them in the AirPods Pro.

But what are these light sensors for? Well, Apple could use these sensors to detect and track various health features, such as heart rate, or even help measure blood oxygen levels, similar to what we’ve seen in the Apple Watch 6.

We haven’t heard much from this, but a health feature integrated into your AirPods would take them to the next level and make them stand out from the competition.

What About the Regular AirPods?

As we mentioned before, Apple is reportedly working on a new generation of AirPods. The AirPods 3 should have some major changes in its design.

As we said, the third-generation AirPods will feature a design similar to the current AirPods Pro, with a shorter stem and additional ear tips to adjust them to your ear.

That being said, Apple isn’t planning on adding Noise Cancellation. This feature will continue to be exclusive to the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. However, Apple may integrate a Transparency Mode because of the AirPods’ new design.

Not only that, but it’s possible that the AirPods will have two different listening modes, one for ear tips and one without, so people who love the current AirPods design can still have the same experience.

The AirPods case would be similar to the current design, but a bit smaller. The AirPods case should be 0.6mm less wide and 0.8mm less tall, giving it a similar shape to the current AirPods Pro case.

Price and Release Date

There aren’t rumors pointing at a specific release date yet, but we should expect them pretty soon.

Rumors from last year suggested that Apple might release the second-generation AirPods Pro at the beginning of 2021, which obviously hasn’t happened yet. However, there’s still the possibility that Apple releases them at the end of March or in April.

If Apple releases the new AirPods and AirPods Pro around the same time the current generations came out, then we should expect the third-generation AirPods to be announced by the end of March and the second-generation AirPods Pro to be released in October or November.

As for the price, it’s highly likely that Apple won’t change the cost of the next-generation AirPods Pro. If that’s the case, the new AirPods Pro 2 should sell for around $249.

The regular AirPods might be slightly more expensive than the current generation. Some rumors say these new AirPods will cost around $200.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]