SoftBank and Intel Partner to Develop Next-Generation Memory Chips for AI Data Centers 
Jensen Huang Urges Taiwan Suppliers to Boost AI Chip Production Amid Surging Demand 
SpaceX Pushes for Early Stock Index Inclusion Ahead of Potential Record-Breaking IPO 
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Acquires xAI in Historic Deal Uniting Space and Artificial Intelligence 
Sam Altman Reaffirms OpenAI’s Long-Term Commitment to NVIDIA Amid Chip Report 
TSMC Eyes 3nm Chip Production in Japan with $17 Billion Kumamoto Investment 
Global PC Makers Eye Chinese Memory Chip Suppliers Amid Ongoing Supply Crunch 
SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off 
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge 
SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates 
AMD Shares Slide Despite Earnings Beat as Cautious Revenue Outlook Weighs on Stock 
Tencent Shares Slide After WeChat Restricts YuanBao AI Promotional Links 
Nvidia, ByteDance, and the U.S.-China AI Chip Standoff Over H200 Exports 
Nintendo Shares Slide After Earnings Miss Raises Switch 2 Margin Concerns 
Baidu Approves $5 Billion Share Buyback and Plans First-Ever Dividend in 2026 
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
