While the AirPods Pro 4 upgrade expected to include cameras isn’t due until 2027, Apple may still have some new AirPods to show us in the very near future.
According to the famed Apple watcher, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (who very much earns his keep at this time of year) Apple plans to update the standard AirPods in 2026. The current AirPods 4 come in two flavours; the standard edition and the more advanced offering with active noise cancelling (ANC) capabilities.
Apple’s last update to non-Pro AirPods came in September 2024, so they’re on track for a refresh. The report from Bloomberg follows the discovery of references to the AirPods 5 in the macOS 26.7 release candidate. However, that report nor this one, brought any indication of how Apple plans to improve upon the previous generation.
AirPods 4 were the first to bring Pro-like features to the original line. The refined design also looked more like the Pros, rather than the original toothbrush head look. As well as ANC – which had previously been exclusive to the AirPods Pro range – AirPods 4 also added Transparency Mode to allow in ambient noise. The case added support for wireless charging too, while also offering a speaker with a chime that plays when you search for them via the Find My app.
How can Apple improve on the AirPods 4? There has to be something, right? Otherwise they wouldn’t be worthy of an update! We look forward to finding out when Apple drops the update, perhaps as soon as the iPhone launch event in a couple of weeks.
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