Apple’s next-gen AirPods roadmap was just leaked by Bloomberg

In a new report by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, the journalist believes Apple will update most AirPods models in 2024, focusing on the entry-level model and the Max option.

Regarding AirPods 4, Gurman says Apple learned with the poor sales of the third-generation model, and it will phase out all previous wireless earbuds being sold altogether.

In its place, Apple will launch two AirPods 4 models with USB-C that will have short stems, but one of them will feature noise cancellation and the other won’t. This better model will get an updated charging case with speakers for Find My alerts and a non-replaceable eartip. The entry-level version won’t have ear tips at all.

For the AirPods Max, Apple will update these headphones with USB-C and new colors, although the journalist doesn’t expect many other changes. That said, it will likely get the H2 chip for audio and possibly the second-generation ultrawideband for Precision Find.

AirPods Pro 3, on the other hand, is expected to get a redesign and new chip by 2025, in addition to health features. As previously reported by Bloomberg, the 3rd-generation Pro model might offer two big health-tracking features: temperature measurement and the ability to help diagnose hearing issues via a built-in hearing test.

In July, Gurman said:

The company is working on a new hearing test feature that will play different tones and sounds to allow the AirPods to determine how well a person can hear. The idea is to help users screen for hearing issues, not unlike how the Apple Watch ECG app checks for heart problems. The hearing test could ‘Sherlock’ — or make irrelevant — existing apps like Mimi. (Apple held a meeting with its developers a few years ago.)

With this report, it means Apple will have a packed year for its AirPods, as a Max update is long overdue, and the base models should help Apple sell even more models. Below, you can learn everything we know about when to expect new wireless earbuds and headphones from Cupertino.