AirPods Pro 3 due Sept event with smaller case and touch controls

Apple is expected to unveil the AirPods Pro 3 at its September product event, and early leaks suggest the company will lean on design cues from last year’s AirPods 4 by shrinking the charging case and replacing the rear physical pairing button with touch sensitive controls. The changes were reported this week by leakers Asher Dipprey and Majin Bu, while Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has said new AirPods Pro hardware is likely to arrive this fall.

According to posts on the social platform X attributed to Dipprey and corroborated by Majin Bu, the AirPods Pro 3 charging case will be smaller than the current model and will drop the familiar rear setup button in favor of a capacitive or tap area on the front of the case. Majin Bu, citing conversations with accessory manufacturers, added that the front touch panel could provide additional functions such as playback and volume controls and that the lanyard loop will remain. Other reports picture the earbuds themselves becoming slightly more compact to fit a reduced case volume.

Not all accounts agree on how much the case will change. Some sources describe a modest size reduction similar to the AirPods 4 case, while others who inspected...