Apple's Plan to Introduce New AirPods Later This Year Reportedly Delayed

Apple's plan to release an updated version of AirPods later this year has been delayed due to the global health crisis, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

AirPods3
This lines up with a recent report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said that mass production of third-generation AirPods will begin in the first half of 2021, followed by mass production of second-generation AirPods Pro between the fourth quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022. Kuo also expects Apple's rumored high-end over-ear headphones to enter mass production at some point in mid-2020.

Kuo did acknowledge rumors of new AirPods coming in the second half of 2020, but he said they are "more likely to be the new Beats model." Last month, leaker Jon Prosser claimed that Apple was planning to release so-called "AirPods X" around September or October with a BeatsX-like design for sports and running.

Apple's second-generation AirPods launched in March 2019, while the AirPods Pro were released at the end of October.

Related Roundup: AirPods 4
Tag: Nikkei
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17's 'Awe Dropping' Accessories

Friday August 29, 2025 8:12 am PDT by
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Awe dropping" event, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of the new accessories rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 17 lineup. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos We take a closer look at Apple's invite for "Awe dropping;" the design could hint at the iPhone 17's new thermal system with ...

Top Rated Comments

roland.g Avatar
70 months ago
My AirPods are 2 years old. Bought them for my wife for Mother’s Day along with a Watch which she loves but she never used the AirPods. After 6 months in a drawer I started using them and have for 18 months or so. Because the mic on traditional wired headphones was on the right ear bud, I use that one for all my calls and rarely listen to music with them. Mostly just for calls and music on the occasional workout. After 18 months of use the right AirPod won’t hold much of a charge at all. The left is ok but not fantastic. Do I buy a replacement right AirPod to get a new battery or wait until a next generation. It is unfortunate these devices have a fairly short life span because of the inherent problem of a high use device relying on a tiny battery. Only so many charge cycles it can handle.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
69 months ago

My AirPods are 2 years old. Bought them for my wife for Mother’s Day along with a Watch which she loves but she never used the AirPods. After 6 months in a drawer I started using them and have for 18 months or so. Because the mic on traditional wired headphones was on the right ear bud, I use that one for all my calls and rarely listen to music with them. Mostly just for calls and music on the occasional workout. After 18 months of use the right AirPod won’t hold much of a charge at all. The left is ok but not fantastic. Do I buy a replacement right AirPod to get a new battery or wait until a next generation. It is unfortunate these devices have a fairly short life span because of the inherent problem of a high use device relying on a tiny battery. Only so many charge cycles it can handle.
My airpods are 2 years old, always used as a pair, and when one of them gets into the red with under 10%, the other still has 39-40%. The difference was already there maybe 15-20% when they weren't a year old, I went to Apple and they said it was "within spec". Bullshizzle if you ask me.

But yeah, such is life with expensive disposable products, because the headphone jack was so bad.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yr Blues Avatar
69 months ago

My AirPods are 2 years old. Bought them for my wife for Mother’s Day along with a Watch which she loves but she never used the AirPods. After 6 months in a drawer I started using them and have for 18 months or so. Because the mic on traditional wired headphones was on the right ear bud, I use that one for all my calls and rarely listen to music with them. Mostly just for calls and music on the occasional workout. After 18 months of use the right AirPod won’t hold much of a charge at all. The left is ok but not fantastic. Do I buy a replacement right AirPod to get a new battery or wait until a next generation. It is unfortunate these devices have a fairly short life span because of the inherent problem of a high use device relying on a tiny battery. Only so many charge cycles it can handle.
Would be nice to have user replaceable battery. Unscrew the cap, stick one in. It's 2020. Must be the financial department still running things.

Companies don't really support renewable products. Planned obsolescence is still a thing.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roland.g Avatar
69 months ago

Assuming the AirPods were in the drawer with full battery, the battery capacity might have degraded slightly since they weren't used at all. " Conversely, if you store it fully charged for an extended period of time, the battery may lose some capacity, leading to shorter battery life." from: https://www.apple.com/hk/en/batteries/maximizing-performance/
Fairly common knowledge that AirPods are not living past 18-24 months. Some are getting longer but not the hoped for 4-5 years.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roland.g Avatar
69 months ago

My airpods are 2 years old, always used as a pair, and when one of them gets into the red with under 10%, the other still has 39-40%. The difference was already there maybe 15-20% when they weren't a year old, I went to Apple and they said it was "within spec". Bullshizzle if you ask me.

But yeah, such is life with expensive disposable products, because the headphone jack was so bad.
I agree but I don’t have an issue with the headphone jack. Use the lighting buds in my opinion if you will suffer wired. I’m not a walk around with Bluetooth in my ear kind of person but I have been using some sort of wireless or CarPlay or car Bluetooth for years. Bought the Dash by Bragi which were the first AirPods style wireless earbuds out and used them till I took over my wife’s AirPods. I just can’t stand pulling a tangled set of headphones out and I don’t want to hold the phone during calls. Usually I am talking and need my hands free or simply prefer the comfort of it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Baymowe335 Avatar
69 months ago

Pipeline too cluttered Timo?
Yeah, he’s probably really worried with all these speculative reports.

Tim actually has a clue what’s going on at Apple.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)