According to a new rumour, Apple will launch the AirPods 3 next week.

We've long been expecting an update to the AirPods 2 with strong rumours that they will be more like the AirPods Pro in appearance, with a shorter stem but without the active noise cancelling capability or silicon ear tips and with a slightly smaller case.

It also appears that Apple will launch a Hi-res audio version of Apple Music soon with Dolby Audio support and so the announcement of the new AirPods could be timed for that. 9to5Mac found details in the iOS 14.6 beta code that suggests the new higher quality service, probably called Apple Music HiFi. 

iOS 14.6 is already in its third developer beta, so it suggests that version of Apple's mobile OS will roll out reasonably soon. 

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Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)

Great for iOS users who don't mind about elite-level sound too much, the AirPods are now a staple of the in-ear genre.

The latest rumour comes from YouTuber Luke MIani as reported by 9to5Mac via the Apple Track site. While that isn't enough for us to say this rumour is one to be reckoned with, the collection of all the information together means it's likely there will be some movement on this soon. We'll see next week, but the AirPods have become a huge product from Apple and it will want to keep up the momentum. 

We also think Apple Music HiFi is a dead cert launch this year because of Spotify HiFi's impending debut.