Lionell Go, Lionell Go Macahilig Tech 04.15.2021 21:Apr PM EDT

Apple Pencil 3 Leak Reveals Possible Release Date—Airpods 3 Also Coming!

An Apple Pencil 3 leak that recently surfaced on the Chinese microblogging website Weibo revealed that tech giant is set to unveil the third generation of the Apple Pencil soon at the upcoming Spring Loaded event this April 20.

The leak came from Weibo account "Uncle Pan Pan," which doesn't have a solid reputation for sharing precise details about upcoming Apple products. The account, however, was the first to leak photos revealing the new colors of iPhone 12 cases for 2021, as per MacRumors.

AirPods 3 rumors are also going the rounds on Chinese social media, hyping up the story that it might launch along with the new Apple Pencil 3 and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro featuring a mini-LED screen.

Last month, Apple Pencil 3 photos circulated on Twitter. The images, however, couldn't determine the difference of the leaked wireless stylus pen from the incumbent Apple Pencil, apart from being glossy.

Apple Pencil 2 has been around since 2018, following the first generation Apple Pencil which was launched in 2015. The company still sells the two Pencil models as some iPad tablets, such as the iPad mini and the 9.7-inch iPad, are incompatible with Apple Pencil 2, 9to5mac explained.

No further details are currently available, but the Apple Pencil 3 might come with new sensors that are compatible with the 2021 iPad Pro which is anticipated to feature a mini-LED screen for better contrast and brightness. Mini LED displays are already seen on high-end 4K TV models, but their supply may be limited so it would be quite difficult to get the new iPad after its big reveal.

iPad Pro is also anticipated to come with an updated system-on-chip packed with a new Neural Engine, CPU and GPU.

AirPods 3 Looks Similar to AirPods 2

AirPods 3, likewise, looks the same as the AirPods Pro but doesn't come with silicone tips or will not allow attachments like interchangeable tips, based on the leaked photo from Apple Insider. It is also possible that the next generation wearable audio might come with a shorter stem and new chip.

The case of the upcoming AirPods also appears similar to that of the AirPods Pro but sports a flatter profile than the one the AirPods 2 has. Second generation AirPods have been around since 2019, succeeding the original AirPods launched in 2016.

Apple's spring product unveiling used to take place every March, but the tech giant already confirmed that it is happening this month. Company executives are expected to livestream the event straight from Apple headquarters in Cupertino.

While it has been expected that the event will focus on the iPad, the folks at Ars Technica are hoping that Apple will also share a glimpse of what's in store for its laptops, namely the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, as well as the Mac Mini desktop PC.

Apple previously committed to replace the Intel chips inside the whole Mac product line with Apple Silicon. The tech giant might also unveil new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, but this is usually done during the second half of the year.