March 16th must feel like an eternity to the millions of Apple fanboys awaiting the release of the new AirPods 3 wireless earbuds. With the event three weeks away, some leaked photos have surfaced that seem to suggest that the new AirPods 3 will borrow some technology from the Apple AirPods Pro.
We can’t verify the authenticity of the photographs, but there are some items that make the images feel legitimate. Take a look at the design and you’ll notice a few similarities with the more expensive AirPods Pro.
The leaked image above, posted by 52audio (via Macrumours), is purportedly the new design in its final stage of development. It might be real. It might just be a fancy rendering of the new AirPods 3. We really won’t know until Apple unveils them.
A few questions do remain.
Will Apple’s active noise-cancelling technology still be used only for the pricier AirPods Pro, or will the folks in Cupertino decide to deliver the new AirPods 3 with the technology to raise the bar for the competition. There is no shortage of competition in the wireless earbud category with some great products from Sennheiser, Cambridge Audio, and HiFiMan at the moment.
The leaked image provides a small degree of clarity in regard to the new charging case; the industrial design would seem to suggest that Apple has gone back to the future with a design that pays tribute to the original AirPods case. As long as it stays closed, and properly charges each earbud…Apple could stick these inside a plastic banana.
Apple has not provided any insight on the pricing for the new model that will become a runaway (just the way things are) best-seller at a time when interest in wireless earbuds and wireless noise-cancelling headphones has never been higher.
