AirPods Pro and 2nd generation AirPods get a new firmware update

AirPods Pro (Image credit: Daniel Bader / iMore)

What you need to know

Apple has released a new firmware update for the 2nd generation AirPods and AirPods Pro.
Firmware 3E751 should bring performance improvements and bug fixes.

The 2nd generation AirPods and AirPods Pro are getting a firmware update.

As reported by MacRumors, Apple has released a new firmware update for the second-generation AirPods and AirPods Pro.

Apple today released a new 3E751 firmware update for the second-generation AirPods and the AirPods Pro, updating them from the prior 3A283 firmware that was released back in September.

As opposed to software updates, which come with release notes explaining what is included in the update, Apple does not let us know what the purpose of a firmware update is. While they typically do not bring any new features to the AirPods lineup, they will bring some performance improvements and bug fixes.

If you are trying to manually update the firmware in your AirPods, you won't have any luck with that either. Apple mysteriously updates AirPod firmware in the background, so there is no way to tap a button and force the update. However, the update typically occurs when your AirPods and iPhone are charging together, so you can do that to potentially initiate the update.

If you want to learn more about updating your AirPods firmware or how to check to ensure you are on the latest version, check out our article on How to update the firmware on your AirPods.

According to a report from earlier today, Apple is planning to cut AirPods production by as much as 30% in 2021.

Apple is trimming its planned production of AirPods wireless earphones by 25% to 30% this year as intensifying competition dents sales of the U.S. tech giant's fastest-growing product line, sources briefed on the matter told Nikkei Asia.Apple now expects to make between 75 million and 85 million units for 2021, compared with a previous production forecast of 110 million units.

The timing couldn't be better. The company is expected to release AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2 later this year.

AirPods Pro

Bottom line: Finally, a comfortable pair of AirPods with active noise-canceling. What more could you ask for?

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.