We do n’t have to explain why you might want AirPods . Apple ’s take on straight wireless earbuds revolutionized the market and have sold in massive numbers ever since . You see them in the ear of reporters , coworkers , and celebrities all the time — peculiarly in our age of distant workplace and rapid climb meetings .
The substantial interrogative sentence is , should you buy onenow , or will you be disappointed when a new manakin is unblock in just a few weeks ? Here ’s what we know , and what we recommend .
update 09/01/23 : A honest rumour says Apple may update AirPods with USB - coulomb charging cases atApple ’s September 12 event . If that interest you , you might desire to wait .
AirPods: Pricing and specs
Last update : October 2021
The third - multiplication AirPods start at $ 179 and take several design cues from the AirPods Pro . They have shorter stems and a touch - sore click surface area on the stem , just like the AirPods Pro . The charge case is shorter and wide and supports wireless charging and MagSafe ( in addition to charging via the Lightning connector ) .
The new AirPods feature a unexampled number one wood design for better auditory sensation , and support Spatial Audio with top dog tracking in patronage television apps , just like AirPods Pro . They do n’t have rubberized tips or noise - cancel technology like the AirPods Pro , though . Apple arrogate the battery will last for six hour , an hour longer than second - contemporaries AirPods .
2nd - generation AirPods still uncommitted at the new low price of $ 129 . This Mary Leontyne Price does not admit the wireless bearing grammatical case , which is no longer usable .
AirPods (3rd generation)
AirPods: Why you should buy
If you ’re looking for basic , non - Pro AirPods , you have two choice . The newfangled and improvedthird - coevals AirPodsare now available at a fair terms of $ 179 , which is actually less than the $ 199 Leontyne Price of the 2d generation with the wireless charging case let in . Given the footstep of new AirPods releases , we expect this model to stick around for a pair long time before it ’s updated again .
If you do n’t give care about throw the latest role model , the 2d - generation AirPods just get a $ 30 price deletion , so they ’re more affordable than ever . What ’s more , they ’re oftentimes on sale for around $ 99 , which is somewhat low-cost .
AirPods (2nd-generation)
AirPods: Why you should wait
The best cause to waitress is because you do n’t see any good tidy sum decent now – AirPods are frequently available at a deduction as long as you do n’t grease one’s palms from Apple , so you would n’t have to wait too long for the next one to come around .
One other possible reason to wait – if you ’re looking for cheaper AirPods , Apple is aver to be work on just such a thing . But there ’s no confidential information of when they the so - forebode ‘ AirPods Lite ’ might be released , and not a caboodle of corroboration for that news report yet , so you should believably just count for 3rd - gen AirPods on sale .
A recent rumor projects that Apple will make AirPods with USB - ampere-second charging , rather than Lightning , available at its September 12 event . It ’s not clear to which AirPods models this might apply , or if they ’ll have any other changes . If a USB - C charging case interests you , wait might be a good melodic theme .
Macworld recommends: BUY/WAIT
The third - generation AirPods are already starting to see some minor deduction , and the second - gen models just got a price slash . Whichever model you ’re interested in , you should go forward and grab a pair . It ’s also going to be a while before we get fourth - generation AirPods , so your the third - gen AirPods wo n’t be obsolete soon .
If you really require a USB - C charging vitrine ( rather than Lightning ) , wait for the September 12 event to see if there ’s anupdate to the AirPods . If such a thing does n’t matter to you , you ’re in all probability safe buying AirPods now .
