Full AirPods 3 Feature Breakdown: Everything Rumors Say We Can Expect

It would be great if the charging case could receive tap-based controls (such as when in one's pocket).
 
MacRumors said:
Pressure relief system with vents brought over from the AirPods Pro, designed to equalize pressure within the ear to relieve discomfort when using the ‌AirPods‌ for a long period of time.
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What would be the purpose of the pressure relief system if they’re not in-ear devices? I assume the new version won’t seal to the ear canal as before. The AirPods Pro do seal, so this is a very much appreciated feature on the pros.
 
DCstewieG said:
Am I the only one who likes the tapping for control? Especially in winter when I can put my hat over my ears and still control them even wearing gloves.

I never understood the complaints that it’s painful pressing them into your ear, they take really light taps.
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Errr hate tapping my ears, its always between painful and irritating towards my ear drums, I always prep myself mentally before i tap my airpods. So glad to see it go.
 
I've been excited for these for a while. My gen 1 Airpods won't last a full hour meeting. Though a lot times I use that as an excuse to cut meetings short 😁
 
DCstewieG said:
Am I the only one who likes the tapping for control? Especially in winter when I can put my hat over my ears and still control them even wearing gloves.

I never understood the complaints that it’s painful pressing them into your ear, they take really light taps.
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I absolutely agree, I much prefer tapping to the more fiddly squeeze buttons. That was one of the reasons I returned the AirPods Pro and went back to my AirPods 2. The other problem with the squeeze buttons is both buds do the same thing, whereas with the regular AirPods I can have the left one go back a track and the right one forward. Trying to squeeze that little stem three times to go back while I’m on exercise equipment takes too long and forces me to stop. Tapping is over right away and doesn’t interrupt my session. Hopefully the rumours are wrong and tapping is still available.


DavidLeblond said:
The mics on both of my barely a year old Gen 2 AirPods stopped working. Not sure I'm up for paying for these things annually though.
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I’m on my third set of AirPods 2 and all three sets were replaced after microphone failure. I think it’s a design flaw given how common it seems to be.
 
MacRumors said:


With Apple's third-generation AirPods believed to be arriving alongside the iPhone 13, which is just a few weeks away, we have compiled all of the coherent rumors from our news coverage to build a full picture of the features and upgrades coming to the company's next-generation wireless earbuds.


fake-airpods-3.jpg


AirPods 3 clones in a clear case, reportedly showing the next-generation design.
​

It is worth noting that the rumors below are aggregated from our coverage from a wide range of sources, including leakers, analysts, and publications. The reliability of each source varies, so some of the rumored features may be taken with a pinch of salt.

Nevertheless, the overall view of the third-generation AirPods rumors gives a good idea of many of the upcoming upgrades and what users can largely expect from the true wireless earbuds when they are officially revealed in the near future.

  • AirPods Pro-like design with shorter stems and a larger in-ear shell.
  • Shorter, wider charging case, with a similar design to the AirPods Pro's charging case.
  • No replaceable ear tips, according to images of early Chinese counterfeits that show no sign of silicone tips nor any space for them within the charging case. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman initially claimed last year that the third-generation AirPods would feature replaceable ear tips like AirPods Pro, but this is now questionable in light of the design of the counterfeits and other purported supply-chain renders.
  • Next-generation wireless chip, replacing the Apple H1 headphone chip. It is the same chip expected to come to the second-generation AirPods Pro, will feature a smaller System-in-Package and could offer improved efficiency, longer range, and better performance.
  • Force sensor controls on the stems like the AirPods Pro, replacing the tap-based controls of the first and second-generation AirPods.
  • Pressure relief system with vents brought over from the AirPods Pro, designed to equalize pressure within the ear to relieve discomfort when using the ‌AirPods‌ for a long period of time.
  • Charging case with Qi wireless charging as standard, with no need to upgrade to a higher-spec charging case.

It would also not be unreasonable to expect the next-generation AirPods to feature improved sound quality and better battery life, but there have been no rumors about these aspects thus far.

The entry-level AirPods are expected to continue to forgo higher-end features such as Active Noise Cancelation and Transparency to remain clearly differentiated from the AirPods Pro. This may also explain the continued absence of in-ear silicone tips.

airpods-3-1.jpg


Apple's second-generation AirPods launched in March 2019, making them almost two and a half years old. If these new features do come to the third-generation AirPods, the new model could shape up to be a worthwhile upgrade for many users. 52audio believes that the new ‌AirPods‌ will be priced at $150.

Most indications seem to be pointing to Tuesday, September 14 as the most likely event date for the announcement of the third-generation AirPods and iPhone 13 models, and we could see event invites go out as soon as next week.

Article Link: Full AirPods 3 Feature Breakdown: Everything Rumors Say We Can Expect
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I did not like that they dropped the tap feature in the airpod pros. Bummer they’re doing the same to the standard AirPods if true.
 
BulkSlash said:
I absolutely agree, I much prefer tapping to the more fiddly squeeze buttons. That was one of the reasons I returned the AirPods Pro and went back to my AirPods 2. The other problem with the squeeze buttons is both buds do the same thing, whereas with the regular AirPods I can have the left one go back a track and the right one forward. Trying to squeeze that little stem three times to go back while I’m on exercise equipment takes too long and forces me to stop. Tapping is over right away and doesn’t interrupt my session. Hopefully the rumours are wrong and tapping is still available.




I’m on my third set of AirPods 2 and all three sets were replaced after microphone failure. I think it’s a design flaw given how common it seems to be.
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My microphones barely work on my airpod2’s I guess it’s a common problem lol
 
These seem nice. I could get behind these. I have the pro’s but am allergic to the silicon tips. I’ve purchased some other tips but they aren’t nearly as comfortable.
 
Octavius8 said:
Audio quality improvements?. Hi-res audio support?. Reasons to upgrade, besides a clear case?
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Hi-Res audio (lossless at least) is a limitation of Bluetooth itself. You can stream lossless, you can stream compressed high-res, but current Bluetooth standards just don’t have the ability to handle the bandwidth demands of both lossy and high-res.

I am curious if they’ll have better Spatial Audio on this new model.
 
Hopefully these don’t look like the pros. My pros fall out of my ears every 2 seconds just doing casual things like eating or standing up.
I could run, box and ride my bike with the regular AirPods no problem.
 
Sadly, the design of AirPods and the (previously) bundled iPhone earbuds doesn’t stay put in my ears — like, not at all. I can get them in there if I jam them in pretty hard but they don’t stay for long.
 
Removing the tap is huge step backwards. A button causes the pod to shift and requires more time and dexterity. No benefit over tapping.
 
DavidLeblond said:
The mics on both of my barely a year old Gen 2 AirPods stopped working. Not sure I'm up for paying for these things annually though.
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If the mics have stopped working, take them into Apple. They might give you a replacement even if it’s over a year old. i would definitely be doing that!
 
Apple failed at "Force sensor controls" - The AirPods Pros and their loss of Tap Controls are the biggest Apple Fail in Apple History! Period. If this rumor is true, Apple needs to GTF out of sunny Cupertino and try using AirPods with Gloves, Hats, Mittens, Hoodies, Helmets, Holding ski poles, tangled in a Covid mask or when Siri doest work (always). The AirPods can skip or pause sound hands full by tapping your head on wall! Show me a killer feature anywhere that beats that. The loss of tap controls would be the ultimate tech fail.
 
I also like the design or the regular AirPods better. Both the tap controls ( set on left ear as play pause and on the right ear as skip song) as well as the fact that they don’t seal my ears is great. Moreover, with Siri reading messages, reminders, allowing to answer calls with your voice, I really don’t miss the stem controls. I am also lucky enough to live in a quiet place. No noise cancellation needed.

My only real question is: will the non pro AirPods support spatial audio?
 
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