While everyone is waiting patiently for the Sept. 14th Apple’s virtual event where the company will debut its new iPhone 13 series, this might also be the time that the company will debut the much-awaited AirPods 3 according to multiple sources across the web.

There has been a lot said about the AirPods 3 since last year considering the fact that Apple didn’t release any TWS earbuds last year but announced the AirPods Max over-the-ear headphones instead. The last time the company released an earbud was in 2019 when it introduced the sleek AirPods Pro with a nice design that has been copied innumerable times by other competitors in the TWS market.

This year, Apple might release the third-generation of the AirPods which could follow in the trails of the AirPods 2 – as some key features may be pulled out of it but won’t look like its predecessors (AirPods 1 and 2) instead, it may feature a shorter stem design with interchangeable ear tips as well as being powered by Apple chip and a smaller charging case.

While there is a clear difference between the standard AirPods and the AirPods Pro, speculative features of the AirPods 3 could affect that balance. Even though we have no idea what Apple is going to eventually release, the naming of the device suggests it could fall in the level of the standard AirPods and lack some “Pro” features. Below is a small table to further clarify this.

Specs comparison: AirPods 3 (rumored) vs. AirPods Pro

It will look similar to the AirPods Pro

Apple will reportedly redesign the new AirPods 3 and despite being on the lower tier, it’ll look quite similar to the AirPods Pro though the former will have a shorter stem – as reported by popular Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Also, a picture of what was reportedly the AirPods 3 was posted on the Chinese audio blog 52 Audio back in February. Twitter account Leaks Apple Pro also posted a photo in March that many have speculated could be the AirPods 3.

One thing both leaks have in common is the shorter stem of the earbuds despite looking quite similar to the AirPods Pro. There will also be some design differences between both devices especially since the AirPods 3 won’t have ANC.

While this will definitely be smaller than the standard AirPods, the removable ear tips will be one of its biggest advantages and since the device will have a high-quality audio output, one can’t expect anything less from the device when it’s released. And as for the charging case, it looks a bit taller than that of the AirPods Pro.

The fact that the device will have changeable ear tips is a good thing and other things I’d like to see on the device is a better battery life considering the fact that other brands are now perfecting the battery longevity of their TWS earbuds. We’ve seen that with rivals such as the Galaxy Buds Pro or even the new Galaxy Buds 2.

Taking on the design aesthetics of the current AirPods Pro, one can suggest the controls of the AirPods 3 might be similar to the Pro earbuds. In this case, we could get the squeeze to skip tracks and so forth. The device may also get an IP68 water resistance.

All told, the AirPods 3 appear to be a cross between the second-generation standard AirPods and the AirPods Pro in terms of design.

Probably going to lack ANC

In terms of audio quality, one thing we’re sure about is the fact that this device may not sound like the AirPods Pro and even if it come close, it may lack the Active Noise Cancellation technology which is one of the few things that separates the AirPods Pro from the standard AirPods released much earlier.

According to the Chinese audio blog 52 Audio, the AirPods 3 could feature Spatial Audio which offer a surround sound effect giving you immersive enjoyment no matter what direction you turn your head.

Aside that, the tight seal provided by the changeable ear tips could offer a better sound quality to the earbuds despite offering nearly the same audio quality as it’s predecessors – the standard AirPods.

What to expect in terms of battery and overall performances

The AirPods 3 could sport Apple’s new chips that will enhance the device and allow for better connectivity as well as high-quality output. What type of upgrade we’re talking about here isn’t mentioned but we could see something that is quite interesting.

But if the jump between Apple’s W1 and H1 chip is any indication, we may see faster connection speeds. The H1 chip also introduced hands-free Siri support to Apple’s second-generation AirPods, so there’s a chance we’ll see other new features in the AirPods 3 as well.

As mentioned above, a better battery life will be a big win for the AirPods 3 considering the competition nowadays and if Apple will be selling the device at a premium price point, then it better have something that can be its main selling point such as better battery life. Five hours is nothing in my dictionary. If Apple could beat towards 7 hours of battery usage under a single charge, then the AirPods 3 might easily oust many of its competitors.

And the price

Even though it’ll fall within the mid-tier in terms of price, its still going to be much more expensive than your average TWS earbuds on the market. The price point may never be up to the AirPods Pro which cost about US$249 depending on your market, the price could be more or less but you’re still going to be paying about US$200 for the AirPods Pro.

As for the new model, it will likely sit at the mid-tier level and report has it the device could cost about US$159 or less. It could be cost lesser than the older standard AirPods especially if we’re to consider the current trend where OEMs are releasing newer and better devices that cost even less than their previous models.

However, everything is still a speculation as the Sept. 14th virtual event is when we’ll know whether Apple really want to release this device and if they do, we’ll see official details of the specifications and so forth.