The AirPods 3, the successor to the hugely popular AirPods 2, is expected to arrive in the third quarter of this year. Despite some reports suggesting that Apple might launch the AirPods 3 at a rumoured March 23 event, the earphones might be delayed since they are not ready for mass production yet, says analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The report comes from 9to5Mac where the analyst suggests that the mass production for AirPods 3 is likely to commence in the third quarter of this year. He further says that the AirPods 3 is not yet ready for mass production and could still be under development. This might also mean that the AirPods 3 will be launched alongside the 2021 iPhones, just like the original ones.
Furthermore, Kuo's report suggests that the company will see a decline in shipments, from 90 million in 2020 to 78 million in 2021 for the AirPods range, owing to the increasing competition. The AirPods 2 will remain on sale alongside the AirPods 3 as a more affordable alternative.
The AirPods 3 is rumoured to feature a design with smaller stems, similar to the AirPods Pro. It could also come with optional silicone air tips to help with passive noise cancellation. However, unlike the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 3 will not feature Active Noise Cancellation.
