Where Apple miscalculated: what's wrong with AirPods 3 and why they're not selling well

Apparently, AirPods 3 did not become the hit that Apple had hoped for. Occupying the price segment between AirPods 2 and the premium AirPods Pro, the new wireless headphones costing $169 "are not selling well." This is stated in a new report by Bloomberg.

"Instead," Business Insider reports, "buyers are either saving money and buying an older model or spending money on the more equipped AirPods Pro. Apparently, experts believe that the advantages of the third model were not so attractive as to convince people to pay an additional $40.

Why don't customers like AirPods 3?

AirPods 3 has a new design and some advantages over AirPods 2, including sweat resistance and support for Apple's spatial audio, which simulates surround sound, with head position tracking.

In addition, they have a skin recognition sensor that allows the headphones to determine whether they are in the ear or not.

Although the Bloomberg report does not specify what prompts buyers to choose other models, much indicates that the problem is the new design.

The fact is that the part of the earbuds inside the ear in AirPods 3 has a different shape, slightly larger than in AirPods 2. This caused mixed reviews on social media regarding the fit of the headphones.

In particular, people complained that they were not holding on properly. At the same time, Apple has repeatedly reported that when developing the shape of AirPods 3, they conducted extensive research on the shape of the ears and took thousands of pictures of them.

However, along with dissatisfied reviewers, there are a fair number of those who claim that the opposite is true, and the headphones fit perfectly.

In general, Apple's AirPods are still a huge success and have become a kind of status symbol. According to Bloomberg, they are the most popular wireless headphones in the world, occupying more than 30% of the market today.

What will Apple do in the near future?

The update of the current line of Apple wireless headphones is not far off.

"At the end of next year, the company plans to discontinue AirPods 2 and AirPods 3 and replace them with two new fourth-generation variants that will look like "a mix of the third-generation AirPods and the Pro model," Bloomberg reports.

The prices for the gadgets will be similar, but, according to the report, they may be further differentiated.

Reportedly, the new AirPods will be equipped with USB-C charging, similar to the iPhone 15 and second-generation AirPods Pro. AirPods Pro and Max will also receive updates.