The Apple AirPods 3 appear to be finally ready for launch, and could arrive in May alongside the much-anticipated MacBook Pro 2020.
Jon Prosser, a regular and reliable leaker of Apple news, broke the news on Twitter. The two products were likely intended for a March release, the time of year that Apple tends to hold a product launch event. However, because of complications rising from the coronavirus pandemic, this event was only rumored and was never even officially announced.
- Apple AirPods 3 price, release date, specs and leaks
- The iPhone 12 we really want just got hit by a major delay
- Just in: AirPods 3 design just leaked — here's when it's coming
New AirPods (which were supposed to be at the March Event) are now ready to go.Probably alongside the MacBook Pro next month.April 19, 2020
We're hoping that the AirPods 3 (also potentially called the AirPods Pro Lite) will get some new features, but still retail around the $159/£159 - $199/£199 mark like the AirPods 2, depending on whether you want a wireless charging case or not. The customizable tips of the AirPods Pro would be a very welcome addition, but it's rumored that the new AirPods won't have the Pros' active noise cancellation feature, which makes sense if Apple wants to keep the price down.
We may also see a new Apple H-series chip, the processor the company uses in its wearables, which would add even more features. The H1 chip that debuted in the AirPods 2 reduced power consumption while also allowing the buds to listen out for Siri wake words for hands-free digital assistant usage.
MacBook Pro 2020 release date
As for the new MacBook Pro, we're expecting the 2020 refresh of the smaller model to get the newest 10th gen Intel CPUs, and for the display to see a size increase from 13 inches to 14 inches, mirroring the transformation of the 15-inch model into the 16-inch MacBook Pro last year.
But what we're really looking forward to is the expected addition of Apple's Magic Keyboard, the higher quality replacement for the Butterfly Keyboard used on the past few generations of MacBooks.
Later this year we'll hopefully see Apple's first wireless headphones, potentially called the AirPods Pro Max, and the AirPods X fitness-focussed earbuds. These are currently expected in September, around the time the iPhone 12 will likely appear. They will help round out Apple's new wider-ranging audio strategy.
