Originally, Kuo and others had pointed to early spring for Apple’s new headphones. Now, however, Kuo adjusted his estimates. If there is an Apple event later this month, it likely won’t entail Apple’s new truly wireless earbuds, but they are still coming this year.
No Explanation for Delay
Kuo hasn’t said why the AirPods 3 won’t be ready by early spring, but it’s not hard to guess. Everything has been delayed over the past year. While we’ve gotten better at functioning during the pandemic, we’re still not back to “normal” yet. Everything from design to delivery has slowed during the pandemic. We can likely expect product delays from Apple and other companies sporadically until 2022.
The AirPods currently on sale may get a lower price, but Kuo isn’t sure. It’s possible those would cannibalize the sales of the third generation AirPods, and Apple would therefore decide to stop selling the last generation of AirPods.
The new AirPods design will be initially polarizing. Some people have come to love the longer stems of the AirPods. I know people who believe they look better than the pro models. However, I’ve come to appreciate the smaller stems. They fit nicely in my ear and don’t hang as low. Still, you don’t think about them at all when you’re wearing them. The lighter and smaller AirPods 3 should be the same.
Sources:
- Juli Clover, MacRumors
- William Gallagher, AppleInsider
- Peter Ortolani, 9to5Mac