Apple is always working on something, and thanks to recent leaks, we know it's been quietly tinkering away on the next version of AirPods.

The company introduced the second generation of its wireless earbuds, the AirPods, last March. The so-called AirPods 2 come with a new chip, Hey Siri control, 50 per cent more talk time, and an optional wireless charging case. Amazon is already prepping a successor to the AirPods 2, however, which could bring noise cancellation. The AirPods 3, as we call them, could appear this year.

A new iOS 13.2 beta has offered an early look at the design of AirPods 3. As spotted by 9to5Mac, the beta contained an image of these AirPods. It’s a grayscale illustration, but immediately, you'll notice they have ear tips that extend out from the white stems. Presumably, this will allow for a better fit in your ears. The first two AirPods currently slightly rest in your ears and allow in noise.

But, with these new ear tips, Apple's AirPods should also be able to offer adequate noise cancellation. 9to5Mac noticed that iOS 13.2 also mentioned a “focus mode" that can be toggled on or off. Perhaps this is a noise-cancellation feature that can be enabled or disabled by the user?

If you needed more proof that AirPods could imminently receive a major redesign, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman noticed that the leaked AirPods illustration above looks identical to another recent AirPods leak. What do you think? They certainly look similar to us. 

Apple could unveil its next-generation AirPods at an October event, which hasn't been announced yet but is rumoured.