We’ve heard plenty of reports about the Apple’s next true wireless, with some even suggesting a May 2021 release. New reports from more reputable sources indicate they’re not far off from release.

Prior rumours about Apple’s upcoming true wireless had indicated an early 2021 release date. Current rumours peg them as launching alongside the iPhone 13 in September.

Here are the latest leaks and rumours about the AirPods 3. Although we shouldn’t expect them to be called that when they’re finally announced…

The new AirPods are thought to be coming in September 2021.

This date is shared by a number of reputable sources, with Bloomberg indicating the new AirPods will arrive this year with a few changes, too.

Apple prognosticator Ming-Chi Kuo was right in his claim the AirPods 3 wont’ be be unveiled in early 2021 and his crystal ball appears to be one the better ones out there as indicated they true wireless were slated to go into mass production in Q3 of 2021. A report from Nikkei Asia states the earbuds are in production right now.

That would put the earbuds ahead of the AirPods Pro 2 in the production schedule, lining them up for release alongside the next iPhone.

Further fuel to the AirPod/iPhone 13 fire comes through a paywalled report on DigiTimes found by Macrumours. It says that suppliers such as Suppliers including Semco, LG Innotek, Kinsus, Unimicron, Nan Ya, Zhen Ding and AT&S “have all kicked off their BT substrate shipments for Apple’s next-generation products including the Apple Watch, AirPods and iPhone, which all adopt SiP modules”.

We’ll likely find out if they’re right when Apple holds it next event, probably in September 2021.

The 2nd-gen AirPods (with the wireless case) were £199 / $199. We expect the AirPods 3rd gen to fetch a similar price, with the 2nd-gen either removed from sale or knocked down to become the entry level offering.

Though the Beats Studio Buds fulfil that affordable true wireless and noise cancellation that’s not expected to be a part of the new AirPods spec sheet. Perhaps Beats will become the entry-level audio offering?

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the AirPods 3 could boast a different look. If true, that would be biggest redesign since the true wireless AirPod range first appeared.

Kuo believes that the AirPods 3 will have a similar form factor to the AirPods Pro, and that’s backed up by Bloomberg.

A leak from early 2021 revealed one new design. Spotted by MacRumors, the render concept had ear-tips attached, with the suggestion they could be attached or detached.

Another image surfaced on Japanese website 52audio. It’s of an earbud that looks similar to the AirPods Pro, and it is this model we reckon Apple will launch in September.

Another image has since popped up offering a third take. From the bulbous housing and what looks like a slightly shorter stem, what’s missing is an ear-tip. Both LeaksApplePro and Gizmochina have uncovered similar looking renders.

It seems as if Apple has been testing out different designs, but which one will Apple end up choosing?

The charging case also appears to have been tweaked to make it wider and curvier. That gives us hope the battery life could be extended beyond 24 hours.

And what about colours? It’s been a bugbear that Apple only ships the AirPods in a glossy white finish that attracts dirt. With the AirPods Max available in several different colours – and more potentially on the way – could the same beckon for the AirPods 3?

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, as well as adopting the Pro’s design, the AirPods 3 will include the ANC earbud’s SiP technology. SiP stands for system-in-package chip solution, and this could reduce the amount of space the circuit componentry takes up for more features to be put in.

Active noise cancellation is not expected. If that is of interest then there’s the Beats Studio Buds as alternative.

Apple announced lossless quality audio for Apple Music earlier in 2021, but if the new AirPods continue support for AAC then it’s unlikely they’d be able to handle lossless audio.

Patently Apple found a patent about AirPod sensors that gather information about orientation and measurements from the accelerometer. Info from the AirPod will be used in conjunction with an iPhone to supply “the user with coaching and feedback while evaluating user performance of a head movement routine or other exercise routine.” A scenario for this would be striking a yoga pose or training in a gym.

We’ve heard about features such as ambient light sensors that could provide biometric feedback. This would also lead into the health-related features circulating around the AirPods for the past few years.

Battery life is another area that could be upgraded. Other rumoured features include a pressure relieving system designed to reduced discomfort over extended listening sessions, and a new audio test function to determine whether the quality of the earbuds’ sound requires adjusting.

The feature was leaked by Twitter user Fudge, and the image below seems to depict a new phone holder with an attachment for the AirPods pointed towards the iPhone microphone. From there it can assess whether there’s an issue with the AirPods’s audio quality.

That’s all we know about the AirPods 3. If the rumour is true that they’ll be launching September 2021 alongside the new iPhone 13, then we’d expect more leaks, rumours and speculation as the next Apple launch event nears.