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Tomorrow marks Apple’s annual event in September, and all eyes are on the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7. Over the weekend, however, Ming-Chi Kuo announced that Apple was planning Also to announce the long-standing refresh of the AirPods 3 during the event. Based on the rumors we’ve seen so far, there is a real possibility that the AirPods 3 will end up stealing the show.
AirPods = cultural phenomenon
Initially mocked for their design, AirPods have since become a cultural staple over the years. Two years after their release, the AirPods went viral as a hilarious social media meme. The “AirPods for Christmas” meme painted AirPods as a status symbol:
[On Christmas Day,] Twitter was inundated with thousands of tweets featuring AirPods-related humor, with varying themes, though nearly all of them presented AirPods as a symbol of desire rather than something to be mocked. The tweets usually made jokes about how people with AirPods are sort of raised in upper social classes, with lots of references like “I have AirPods now, I’m the CEO”.
AirPods have become as ubiquitous as the iPhone over the past five years, and it’s hard to stress how significant the release of the AirPods 3 – the very first AirPods redesign – will be. This is true not only from a technological point of view, but also in terms of cultural significance. In some context, the original AirPods – which feature the same design that Apple still sells today – were announced alongside the iPhone 7.
While AirPods now have more competition, including from Apple’s own brand Beats, they remain the most popular truly wireless headphones on the market. As a cultural and technological phenomenon, the first major AirPod update in five years could easily eclipse the regularly updated Apple Watch and iPhone.
It will also be interesting to watch over the next few months how Apple markets AirPods 3. In 2017, AirPods were the subject of Apple’s highly anticipated holiday advertisement, and they were the subject of several other high-priced advertising campaigns over the years since then. As long as Apple is able to meet demand this year, expect an equally strong push for the 2021 holiday season.
What to expect from AirPods 3
As rumors have suggested, the AirPods 3 are expected to feature a design similar to the AirPods Pro, with shorter stems and a more rounded ear design. The AirPods 3, however, are expected to lack replaceable ear tips and, instead, will retain the “universal fit” design of the second-gen AirPods 2.
And for fans of the original design of AirPods, you won’t have to store them. Kuo believes Apple will continue to sell AirPods 2 alongside AirPods 3, giving you two different options at the bottom of the AirPods lineup. This makes them a pretty versatile line of AirPods in terms of features, form factors, and price.
For more details on what to expect from the AirPods 3 this year, check out our in-depth guide here.
Conclude
That’s not to say the Apple Watch Series 7 and iPhone 13 will be disappointing updates. The former is expected to add a whole new design with larger screens and new watch faces. The latter is expected to bring new camera features, a smaller notch, ProMotion display technology and much more.
AirPods have become an immensely popular accessory since their initial introduction in 2016 and an increasingly important part of Apple’s business. The AirPods 3 are expected to give the truly wireless earbuds their first major update in five years, and that might be enough to make them eclipse the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7.
What do you think? Could the new AirPods 3 end up eclipsing the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 this year? Let us know in the comments!
Looking to trade in your old AirPods for the new ones? Check out our full guide on how to trade in your AirPods and check out the latest prices from our trade partner!
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