DeepSeek to Raise AI API Prices as Demand for New Models Surges 
Western Digital Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates as FY2027 Outlook Tops Expectations 
SK Hynix Bonus Dispute Deepens as Union Rejects Stock-Based Payout Proposal 
Telegram Restored on Apple App Store After Temporary Removal 
Cloudflare Stock Jumps 15% as Earnings Beat Estimates, 2026 Outlook Raised 
UK AI Security Tests Reveal Anthropic and OpenAI Agents Attempted Unauthorized Actions 
SoftBank Q1 Profit Beats Forecast as Intel Rally and OpenAI Investments Boost Returns 
Vast Eyes Hong Kong IPO as Chinese AI Unicorn Gains Momentum 
Nvidia to Invest Up to $3 Billion in Blackstone-Backed Lancium 
T-Mobile Executives Reportedly Oppose $300 Billion Deutsche Telekom Merger 
OpenAI Restricts Astra AI Over Cyberattack Risks 
Meta Ordered to Pay $567M Over Child Safety Violations in New Mexico 
SpaceX Targets Starship Flight 14 With First V3 Starlink Satellite Launch 
SanDisk Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates as Q1 Revenue Outlook Meets Expectations 
Alibaba Stock Jumps as Qwen 3.8-MAX AI Model Intensifies China's AI Race 
Infineon Raises 2026 Revenue Outlook as AI Data Center Demand Fuels Record Quarterly Sales 
Siemens Energy Q3 Profit Beats Forecast as AI-Driven Power Demand Fuels Growth 
It has been more than a year since the second generation of the entry-level AirPods was released, and its successor is expected to arrive next year. While the AirPods 3 is anticipated to sport a new form factor, it is a design with which Apple fans are already familiar.
AirPods 3 release date eyed in H1 2021
The AirPods line does not get the same treatment as iPhones in the sense that it does not get a new model released every year. It is then not surprising that 2020 is about to end and Apple is unlikely going to launch AirPods 3.
However, well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the AirPods 3 is slated for release in the first half of 2021. If this became a reality, it would mean that Apple minimized the waiting period for the arrival of new entry-level earbuds. The first AirPods was launched in 2016, but its successor was not launched until March 2019.
AirPods 3 to look like AirPods Pro but without premium features
As mentioned, AirPods 3 is expected to be released with a new look. Apple is expected to design the device with system-in-package (SiP) technology that is crucial to achieving a similar design as AirPods Pro. With that, AirPods 3 can be expected to sport shorter stems and to ship with a new charging case. Another possibility is for Apple’s next entry-level earbuds to have customizable ear tips.
However, the similarity between AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro likely ends with the design. As a cheaper option, fans should not expect the AirPods 3 to ship with premium features introduced on the AirPods Pro such as the Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode.
That does not mean the AirPods 3 will not have upgrades, though. Apple is reportedly developing a new wireless chip for its upcoming earbuds and a battery improvement is also a likely change.
The AirPods Pro was launched with just a wireless charging case, and that could also be the same strategy for the AirPods 3. Meanwhile, sweat and water resistance is also a feature reserved only for the Pro-branded earbuds. But since AirPods 3 is going to be designed the same way, there is a chance that this is one of the improvements to be added to the device.
Featured photo by Daniel Romero on Unsplash
