Since their release, AirPods have changed dramatically only once, when the original AirPods Pro came out. Even the release of the AirPods Max over-ears did not have a dramatic impact on anything since this model was not aimed at the general public.
First of all, because of its form factor and secondly, because of the price. Neither the second nor third-generation AirPods, not to mention the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, have changed the balance of power in the market.
All four new products were received by the public, if not coolly, then at least calmly. In Cupertino, they understood the hint from the audience and decided to radically reconsider their entire line of headphones.
What’s new in AirPods 4
According to Bloomberg, Apple is preparing an update for all three lines of AirPods at once. The upgrade awaits both the “classic” and the Pro- and Max-versions. To avoid confusion, the releases will be spaced out, but the company’s goal is to rethink the entire lineup.
AirPods 4 will be the first to go on sale. They will replace two models at once: AirPods 2, which are still in production, and AirPods 3. New Apple headphones will be released in 2024, and in two versions at once. The company does not intend to convert any of them into an analog of AirPods Pro, but at the same time expects to separate the headphones both in price and in capabilities.
The key difference between the more expensive AirPods 4 and the more affordable ones should be support for active noise cancellation. Previously, Apple only used it in AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. First, ANC acted as a means of differentiating the top AirPods models. And, secondly, Cupertino believed that the efficiency of noise reduction in in-ear headphones could not be as high as in earplugs and on-ear solutions.
AirPods 4 charging case
Although the form factor of AirPods 4 will remain the same, both versions of the headphones will receive a new design. It is claimed that their arms will be shorter than those of the previous generation model. Thus, Apple designers want to minimize the likelihood of involuntary knocking out of the ears. It’s difficult to say how much this will affect ease of use, but the headphone case will also be revised. It will have a different appearance than AirPods 3 and a USB-C connector.
The older version of AirPods 4 will have a charging case that includes speakers for retrieval in case of loss, like the AirPods Pro, while the younger version will not. It is planned to be limited exclusively to software support for Latitude. That is, it will be easier to find the case for the headphones, focusing on the application data, but it will no longer be possible to send a sound signal to them so that they point to their exact location.
When will the new AirPods Max be released?
AirPods Max is also planned to be released in 2024. According to Bloomberg’s sources, the headphones will come out in new colors, have a new USB-C connector that will replace Lightning, and a number of new sound features. It seems that this will be the only AirPods model that will not receive a major upgrade in this generation.
However, this is understandable: Apple usually does not offer any revolutionary changes for the sequels of its devices. So you shouldn’t count on a new case and a completely collapsible design, which many were so looking forward to in the original model. But there is virtually no doubt that the new product will still receive support for Lossless sound, like AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, albeit only in conjunction with the Vision Pro headset.
What will the new AirPods Pro 3 be like?
The release of AirPods Pro 3 in Cupertino will be delayed until 2025. This decision was made for two reasons:
- Apple recently released AirPods Pro 2, and its improved version with USB-C and Lossless sound support;
- The release of several TWS headphones at the same time can provoke internal cannibalism of models and damage each other’s sales.
The new AirPods Pro 2025 model year, like AirPods 4, will receive a radical upgrade. First of all, the company will retool the hardware headphones. They will have a new processor that will offer more advanced active noise cancellation, better audio processing, and, likely, a number of health-tracking functions. It’s hard to say what it will be, but there aren’t many options.
AirPods Pro 3 could theoretically offer:
- Shagomer
- Pulse measurement
- Respiratory rate measurement
- Monitoring blood oxygen levels
According to rumors, Apple initially did not plan to move AirPods into the category of health-tracking devices. However, fierce competition from Samsung, Sony, and other manufacturers is forcing it to take extreme measures. Therefore, it is also possible that in AirPods Pro 3 we will see a number of technological innovations, the appearance of which no one even suspects yet.
It is unknown how exactly the design of AirPods Pro 3 will change, but it will clearly be something new. There are rumors that Apple now has several exterior options for future headphones, at least one of which has no arms at all. This option is placed entirely in the auricle and does not protrude from it in any way. This improves the firmness of the fit and reduces the risk of falling out, even during active sports. Time will tell what Apple will choose in the end.
