Are AirPods 3 still worth buying?

Key Takeaways

• The 3rd gen AirPods are a solid improvement that combines the design of AirPods Pro, water resistance, and Spatial Audio at a lower price.
• Changes to the 4th gen AirPods could include: an improved chip, improved battery life, a possible touch screen charging case, and USB-C charging.
• It is better to wait for the release of AirPods type 4 to get the latest features or save by getting the type 3 at a lower price.

The third generation AirPods look more like AirPods Pro than their first and second generation predecessors. The change to a smaller, more compact form was welcomed by many, but a tad disliked by others. However, the most important difference — the lack of silicone ear tips — remained the exclusive AirPods Pro. Unlike the launch of the second generation of AirPods Pro with XS ear tips, I was only an AirPods user. I found the silicone ear tips on the AirPods Pro pressed against my ears, creating an uncomfortable feeling, which led me to own all three AirPods.

AirPods are one of Apple's best-selling product lines, making them Fortune 500 in their own right. Despite their success, are the third-generation AirPods still a good buy in 2024, or should you wait until the 4th generation refresh?

AirPods (third generation)

A solid review

The third generation of AirPods is a big improvement from its predecessors. In addition to the physical appearance of AirPods Pro, they introduced water resistance and Spatial Audio at a very affordable price. These little buds feature capacitive touch controls for playback control, and up to 6 hours of listening time with just the pods, and up to 30 with the charging case. While it was released with lighting only, the third-generation AirPods were later updated with a charging case that supports MagSafe – however, USB-C is still missing. AirPods (third generation) sell for $179 with MagSage and $169 without.

AirPods (4th generation) rumors.

Nothing much changes

The 3rd generation of AirPods was released in 2021 and will reach its third birthday in October, so they should be updated. AirPods (fourth generation) are expected to come out sometime this fall, likely alongside the new iPhones, making for an interesting shopping season. Interestingly, we can see two new versions of AirPods — an update to the current third generation and a new version of the AirPods SE offering at a lower price.

With any luck, the AirPods will include many of the same features as the AirPods Pro but at a more affordable price.

The new AirPods will likely feature an improved processor, upgrading the H1 to the H2 chip found in the AirPods Pro (second generation). An improved chip could allow for better battery life, improved sound quality, and possibly new features. With any luck, AirPods will include many of the same features as AirPods Pro but at a more affordable price, such as Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, Find My improvements with an integrated U1 or U2 chip, and touch volume controls.

AirPods (fourth generation) may receive minor changes, including a shorter stem, which would be an interesting idea to physically separate AirPods from AirPods Pro. Perhaps the single most important change to AirPods would be the addition of a touchscreen, which is rumored to be added to the charging case. While the touchscreen is iffy, to say the least, we can expect the charging case to switch to USB-C.

Buy now, or wait?

Ideally, wait — if you can

If you need a quick replacement for earbuds, the third generation of AirPods is a great choice, and you won't regret buying them. Well, if you can wait, we're hopefully only a few months away from a potential update — but how big this update will be is still up in the air.

Either way, waiting for an update allows you to buy the latest and greatest or save a little by picking up third-generation AirPods at a better price. I recommend you wait — until the fall, if you can — but if nothing happens, you might want to buy a 3rd generation or keep waiting for the ever-pending update.