San Francisco, Mar 16 (IANS): Apple is reportedly planning to launch its third-generation AirPods and a new report has revealed that its mass production will begin in the third quarter of 2021.

If mass production doesn't begin until the third quarter of 2021, it would mean that AirPods 3 wouldn't be shipped until later in the year, MacRumors reported.

These next-generation versions of Apple's popular wireless headphones are expected to feature a design similar to that of AirPods Pro. However, to keep costs low, they will not feature active noise cancellation and ear tips.

The third-generation AirPods will feature the same design as the current AirPods Pro with Apple's H1 chip at the core, housed in a new system in a package (SiP) enclosure.

A South Korean supplier is developing the AirPods' new SiP used for the H1 chip, which is said to be a "simple square shape", in contrast to the AirPods Pro SiP, which is "round-shaped like a mouse".

In terms of pricing, the new AirPods maybe 20 per cent cheaper at the launch than the current AirPods Pro priced at $249.