A huge AirPods redesign again said to be coming this fall

Airpods 3 Leak (Image credit: Gizmochina)

What you need to know

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says we should expect Apple to announce new AirPods this fall.
Re-worked AirPods have been rumored for some time, with a launch around the same time as iPhones now seemingly in the cards.

Apple looks set to refresh its AirPods as soon as this fall, as had previously been rumored. This time it's Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reporting that we should expect the earbuds to be made available around the same time as the iPhone 13 lineup.

According to Gurman's latest Power On newsletter, the redesigned AirPods will be the biggest change the earbuds have seen since their introduction so many years ago. They're long overdue some love, and rumors already have them sporting a new AirPods Pro-like redesign. Talk of some sort of health-related features has also been seen in recent months, although that seems less likely at this point.

A report last month said that the new AirPods would begin production this month as Apple readies itself for a launch. That launch now seems more likely than ever, with September now the expected timeframe.

While the new AirPods will look more like AirPods Pro, with shorter stems and a new design, they won't get the same active noise cancellation (ANC) feature that makes the latter so compelling. While AirPods Pro can be a costly option, there are often deals to be had. Be sure to check out our list of the best AirPods Pro deals before placing any orders.

Apple's next few months are already looking busy with new iPhones, Apple Watches, and even new Macs and iPads set to join the AirPods refresh before the end of the year. Buckle up!

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.