Right now, choosing the best AirPods for you can be a pretty confusing process, but new rumors suggest that Apple will remedy this situation soon with the new Apple AirPods 4.
Next month, the company is due to be hosting its iPhone 16 launch party, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has just reiterated in his Power On newsletter that Apple will likely be refreshing its entry-level and mid-range AirPods at that event.
Right now, you can buy the second-gen Apple Airpods (2019) or the third-gen Apple AirPods 3, while the AirPods Pro – the high-end edition of Apple’s in-ear headphones – are only on their second generation. Exactly how you choose between each one – to some, ‘third-generation AirPods’ might sound more advanced than ‘second-generation AirPods Pro’ – isn’t always clear.
But according to Gurman, Apple will update its non-Pro AirPods to their fourth generation. You’ll be able to choose from either a basic set or a higher-priced model with active noise cancellation – as we recently requested in our new AirPods 4 wishlist. There’s also seemingly a good chance that these models could replace both the second and third-generation AirPods entirely, thereby helping to simplify the lineup.
There may still be some short-term complication – Gurman thinks Apple might continue to sell the AirPods 3 for a short time at a discounted price. If that ends up being a limited-time offer until the AirPods 3 are eventually discontinued, it will still mean that the entry-level AirPods will all be on the same fourth generation, making buying a pair a less puzzling situation.
Music to your ears
Why is Apple looking to phase out two AirPods generations in one go? Regulation probably has something to do with it. New EU laws state that companies must offer products with USB-C ports, something that the second and third-generation AirPods do not (they still use a propriety Lightning connector). By updating its AirPods across the board, Apple will be able to swap in a USB-C port on each model, helping it avoid further regulatory scrutiny.
Of course, there will be more to the updates than just a new port. Active noise cancellation is currently limited to the AirPods Pro, but Gurman believes that it will come to the higher-priced fourth-generation AirPods this September. As well as that, this model could also come with a wireless charging case, head gesture controls and improved noise isolation. Beyond that, we might see every model get spatial audio and the ability to wirelessly juice up using an Apple Watch charging puck.
The only question is whether the AirPods Pro will get updated to a third-generation model. The AirPods Pro currently use a USB-C charging case, so the need for change is less pressing. Ultimately, we’ll likely find out about the AirPods Pro – and all the other AirPods models – this September at Apple’s mammoth iPhone launch event.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
