Are you planning on buying a new pair of AirPods but are not sure which AirPods model is the latest and greatest? Well, you are not alone, Apple’s AirPods lineup can be confusing to someone who does not follow Apple news closely.
That’s why we are here to help. Read to learn about the latest AirPods models, when they came out and when is Apple expected to replace them with newer models.
What are the newest AirPods Pro?
AirPods Pro is probably the most popular AirPods model. They are certainly our favorite due to their sleek in-ear design, noise-cancellation features, excellent battery life, and more.
Currently, the newest AirPods Pro are the AirPods Pro 2nd generation. The second generation of AirPods Pro was launched on September 23, 2022, and Apple currently sells them in its stores, online stores, and other marketplaces.
AirPods Pro 2nd Generation costs $249 although you can get them for as low as $179.99 from websites like Amazon.
So while the AirPods Pro 2nd generation is the latest model of AirPods Pro right now, Apple at some point will launch AirPods Pro 3, which will end up replacing the current model.
Since Apple updates AirPods Pro models every three years, we can expect Apple to release AirPods Pro 3rd generation around September 2025.
| AirPods model | Release date |
| AirPods 4 | September 2025 (Rumored) |
| AirPods 3 (Latest) | October 26, 2021 |
| AirPods 2 | March 20, 2019 |
| Original AirPods | December 13, 2016 |
What are the newest AirPods?
The 3rd Generation AirPods or AirPods 3 are currently the latest AirPods that you can buy from Apple. These are available on Apple Stores, online store, and other marketplaces.
3rd Generation AirPods or AirPods 3 was launched on October 26, 2021. While these AirPods replaced the second-generation AirPods or AirPods 2 Apple continues to sell the older generation alongside AirPods 3 at its stores.
You can buy AirPods 3 for $169 ($139.99 on Amazon) while the AirPods 2 are available for $129 ($79.99 on Amazon).
The original AirPods came out in 2016, AirPods 2 came out in 2019 and AirPods 3 came out in 2021. By that logic Apple could have released AirPods 4 last year in 2023, however, the company has not done so yet. It is rumored that AirPods 4 could launch in fall 2024.
| AirPods Pro model | Release date |
| AirPods Pro 3rd Generation | Fall 2024 (Rumored) |
| AirPod Pro 2nd Generation USB-C (Latest) | September 22, 2023 |
| AirPods Pro 2nd Generation Lightning | September 23, 2022 |
| AirPods Pro | October 30, 2019 |
What are the newest AirPods Max?
AirPods Max are Apple’s most premium headphones. AirPods Max only has one generation so any AirPods Max you see today is the latest model of AirPods Max.
AirPods Max came out on December 25, 2020. A new model dubbed AirPods Max 2 is rumored to launch in the second half of 2024 or the first half of 2025.
AirPods Max costs $549 however you can get it for a discounted price of $449 on Amazon.
