Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 with ‘much better’ ANC and AirPods 4 (with no ANC) could be announced ‘soon’

Just in case you were wondering what Apple might be planning to unveil on September 9 apart from the iPhone 16 quartet that’s been making headlines every week for the last few months, a new X rumor seems to suggest two different additions to the AirPods roster are also in the cards.

First and foremost, Kosutami Ito claims that “new AirPods Pro” are coming “soon” with “much better” digital ANC compared to the current edition of Apple’s best wireless earbuds. 

Second but just as important (if not more so) for the company’s cash-strapped fans, the “AirPods 4th generation” are also expected to break cover “soon” with no active noise cancellation and no word on features or capabilities at all right now.

While the social media tipster doesn’t spell out the potential launch schedule of these AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3 for his followers, there are only a couple of windows during which Apple could announce the two products “soon.” One is of course the aforementioned September 9 event made official just yesterday with the intriguing (but vague) “It’s Glowtime” tagline and the other a separate product launch ceremony that may or may not happen in October.

The AirPods Pro 2, mind you, were originally unveiled alongside the iPhone 14 handset family in September 2022 before receiving a USB-C refresh in, you guessed it, September 2023. The non-Pro AirPods 3, meanwhile, saw daylight in October 2021, so it’s probably wise to consider both the September and October 2024 possibilities for the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3 announcement as similarly realistic.

And yes, we realize that the name Kosutami Ito might not ring as many bells or sound as reputable as Mark Gurman or Ming-Chi Kuo, but as X leakers go, this is neither the most trustworthy account out there, nor the shadiest. In short, there’s a good chance Apple will indeed unveil two new pairs of earbuds “soon”, even if it’s probably not smart to take that prediction for granted… just yet.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.