When the iPhone 7 was released without an audio jack, Apple already had a plan for what to do with this new development. The company bet hard on the wireless earbuds market, to thedismay of wired headphone fans. This play certainly paid off in the long term, as today, if you think about thebest wireless earbuds, AirPods are for sure one of the first models that come to mind.
Nowadays, Apple sells three different models of earbuds:AirPods 2, AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro Gen 2. That being said, all of them are a bit long in the tooth now and prime for an update, which is supposedly coming later this year.
Apple is reportedly prepping 2 budget-friendly AirPods models for September
Both the 2nd and 3rd-generation AirPods are expected to be replaced by new models with improved designs in the fall.
According toa few reports and leaks, we should be expecting a brand-new headphones lineup from Apple, with all the models being replaced by something new. The AirPods Pro should be getting a 3rd gen update, while the AirPods 2 are supposedly going to be replaced by a lower-priced AirPods SE. That leaves AirPods 3 to be succeeded by AirPods 4 as the value proposition of the lineup.
So, with quite the challenging task of keeping the value proposition of the AirPods 3 alive, here are all the changes we’d like to see from the next generation of AirPods.
1Bring ANC to standard AirPods
Noise cancellation is too common to be a ‘Pro’ exclusive
The AirPods 3 are a great option, but their MSRP of $169 is quite a steep asking price for a set of headphones without active noise-cancelling. Thecompetition at this price point, and lower, is regularly equipped with both ANC and transparency modes, so the regular AirPods are quite lacking in this regard.
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Apple’s reasoning for this is the semi-open build of the AirPods 3, but devices such as Galaxy Buds Live or Sony LinkBuds S show that you can get a semi-open build and add ANC to it – so it’s time for Apple to try it out as well.
2Enable Precision Finding
Why just a Pro 2 feature?
One of the great quality-of-life features that the AirPods Pro 2 brought to the table was enabling location not only on the AirPods themselves, but on their charging case as well. This, coupled with a built-in speaker, means it’s much easier to use Find My to locate the case if you happen to lose it somewhere.
How to quickly find your Apple AirPods using Find My
If you misplace your AirPods you may easily track them down or even put them in lost mode using Apple’s built-in Find My app.
We’re seen Find My make its way out of Apple products into smart devices and even the Ember Travel Mug 2+. It’s high time Apple trickled this feature down to the regular AirPods 4. Losing your favorite earbuds really is a pain, so giving the owners of the new AirPods the ability to locate their case much easier would be a great move for Apple.
3Make the USB-C charging switch
Follow the ‘Lightning ditching’ movement
Another welcome change that we’re all waiting for with the AirPods 4 is finally the inclusion of the USB-C port for charging. As Apple continues to embark on its Lightning to USB-C port transition, this feature is more of an almost-certain change that’s coming, as the AirPods Pro 2 are already available with USB-C, so it would be quite unusual if the next generation of regular AirPods still came with an outdated port. Plus, with the newestiPhone 15 line-upandsecond-gen AirPods Pro 2alreadyadopting USB-C ports, it’s easier for users to simply use (and keep track of) just one charger for all Apple (or even Android) devices.
If we get the AirPods Pro 3 soon, I want them to have these 7 features
With Wi-Fi audio, customizable transparency mode, and a dust-resistance rating, the AirPods Pro 3 would be my mainstay.
4Better sound quality
Closer to ‘Pro’ refinements
While the AirPods Pro complements their incredible features with amazing sound quality, regular AirPods could use some refinements. They’re serviceable, but you’re buying them as part of an Apple ecosystem, not really as audiophile-grade audio gear.
Granted, the AirPods 3 made things much better than the AirPods 2, but because of their semi-open design, they still don’t sound that balanced, with quite a big bass falloff.
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We’re hoping that the AirPods 4 will address some of the issues of the previous generations, and deliver not only deeper bass, but also a more balanced sound, more akin to the AirPods Pro line. With the amazing Adaptive Sound andPersonalized Spatial Audiothat the current gen already has, that would make AirPods 4 quite an audio powerhouse.
5Time for water and dust-proofing
IP68 would be great
Right now, all the AirPods models are available with IPX4 water resistance. It means they should withstand accidental splashes of water, but there are no guarantees against dust and debris.
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If the AirPods 4 were equipped with a better water and dust resistance rating, it would make them an ideal choice for your beach-going headphones. Making the m IP67 or IP68 water-resistant would go a long way in making them more versatile and letting you relax by the pool with your AirPods, without worrying about getting them wet.
6Provide better Android support
To truly become a universal earbud
Finally, we arrive at a point that every AirPods list should end with: better support for Android devices. Of course, even now,you can use AirPods with your Android devicesif you want, but you’re missing out on a multitude of features that Apple is keeping as exclusive to Apple-branded devices.
These are features such as Spatial Audio, automatic ear detection or quick pairing, and even really simple things like checking the battery level of your earbuds and their charging case.
The company just intentionally chooses to worsen the quality of their earbuds on Android.
There are some workarounds that you can try out to get part of these features back, but it also means Apple could easily add them in as well. The company just intentionally chooses to worsen the quality of their earbuds on Android.
Making these features available on Android would not only be of great help to people who use both of these operating systems, but would also be welcoming to people who would just like to use AirPods with their Android devices for whatever reason.
