New AirPods Expected to Launch in Third Quarter as Production Gets UnderwayTaiwanese supplier ASE Technology has started production of optical sensors for next-generation AirPods slated to launch in the third quarter of 2021, according to industry sources cited in a paywalled
DigiTimes story preview today.
![" width="1157" height="651" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-788642](https://images.macrumors.com/article-new/2021/03/airpods-3-1.jpg)
The full report has yet to be published, so there are no further details at this time, but the timeframe lines up with information shared by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who earlier this month claimed that third-generation AirPods
will enter mass production in the third quarter of the year. The quarter runs from July through September.
Kuo previously said the third-generation AirPods would be released in the first half of 2021, and a series of
leaked photos and
renders certainly made it seem like a launch was imminent, but this no longer appears to be the case.
The third-generation AirPods are expected to have a similar design as the AirPods Pro, including shorter stems, but without silicone ear tips or active noise cancellation, allowing for a lower price. The second-generation AirPods retail for $159 with a wired charging case or for $199 with a wireless charging case, while the AirPods Pro run $249.
Apple released the second-generation AirPods in March 2019, followed by the AirPods Pro in October 2019.
<strong>Update:</strong> The full report
has been published.<div class="linkback">Related Roundup:
AirPods</div><div class="linkback">Tags:
digitimes.com,
AirPods 3</div><div class="linkback">Buyer's Guide:
AirPods (Don't Buy)</div>
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New AirPods Expected to Launch in Third Quarter as Production Gets Underway