Key Takeaways
- 3rd gen AirPods are a solid upgrade that features the AirPods Pro’s design, water resistance, and Spatial Audio at a lower price point.
- Changes to the 4th gen AirPods could include: upgraded chip, improved battery life, potential touch screen on charging case, and USB-C charging.
- It’s best to wait for the 4th gen AirPods release to either get the latest features or save by getting the 3rd gen at a lower price.
The 3rd generation AirPods look more like AirPods Pro than their first and second-gen predecessors. The change to a smaller, more compact form factor was welcomed by most, but a tad disliked by others. Still, the most crucial difference — the lack of silicone ear tips — remained an AirPods Pro exclusive. Unlike the introduction of the 2nd generation AirPods Pro with XS ear tips, I was an AirPods user exclusively. I found the silicone ear tips on AirPods Pro to be suffocating for my ears, making for an uncomfortable experience, leading to becoming the owner of all three iterations of AirPods.
AirPods are easily one of Apple’s best-selling product lines, making them a Fortune 500 in their own right. Despite their success, are the third-generation AirPods still a good buy in 2024, or should you wait until the 4th generation refresh?
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AirPods (3rd generation)
A solid update
Apple / Pocket-lint
AirPods (3rd generation)
- Battery Life
- 6 hours, 30 with case
- Wireless?
- Yes
- Brand
- Apple
- Noise Cancellation
- Yes
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth 5.0
- IP rating
- IPX4
- Charging type
- Lightning, MagSafe
- Chip
- H1
The 3rd generation AirPods are a substantial improvement from their predecessors. On top of having the physical appearance of AirPods Pro, they introduced water-resistance and Spatial Audio at a more affordable price. These small buds feature touch capacitive stems for playback controls, along with up to 6 hours of listening time with just the pods, and up to 30 with the charging case. While initially released with only lighting, 3rd generation AirPods were later refreshed with a charging case supporting MagSafe — however, USB-C is still lacking. AirPods (3rd generation) retail for $179 with MagSage and $169 without.
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AirPods (4th generation) rumors
Nothing too revolutionary
The 3rd generation of AirPods was released in 2021 and is coming up on its third birthday in October, so they’re certainly due for an update. AirPods (4th generation) are expected to come out sometime this fall, likely along with new iPhones, making for an exciting buying season. Interestingly, we may see two new versions of AirPods — a revision to the current 3rd generation and a new AirPods SE type of offering at a lower price point.
With any luck, AirPods will integrate more features similar to AirPods Pro but at a more affordable price.
New AirPods will likely include an upgraded processor, graduating from the H1 to the H2 chip found in the AirPods Pro (2nd generation). An upgraded chip would allow for better battery life, improved audio quality, and possibly new features. With any luck, AirPods will integrate more features similar to AirPods Pro but at a more affordable price, like 5.3 Bluetooth connectivity, Find My improvements with an integrated U1 or U2 chip, and touch-control volume controls.
AirPods (4th generation) may receive minor changes, including a shorter stem, which would be an interesting idea to physically differentiate AirPods from AirPods Pro. Perhaps the single most significant change to AirPods could be the addition of a touchscreen, which is rumored to potentially be added to the charging case. While the touchscreen is iffy, to say the least, we can surely expect the charging case to switch to USB-C.
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Buy now, or wait?
Ideally, wait — if you can
If you need an immediate replacement pair of earbuds, the 3rd generation AirPods are a fantastic option, and you definitely won’t regret buying them. However, if you can wait, we’re hopefully only a few months from a potential refresh — but how substantial this refresh will be is still up in the air.
Regardless, waiting for a refresh either lets you buy the latest and greatest or save a little by picking up a pair of 3rd generation AirPods at a better price. I do recommend waiting — until the fall, if you can — but if nothing comes by, then you may want to buy a 3rd generation or continue waiting for the ever-pending refresh.
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