The article doesn’t even mention the change in AirPods’ “one-size fits most” design. Most people I know have refused to go past 2nd gen due to the new fit.
Exactly, my wife mentioned just last week that she doesn't like her AirPod 3's due to the fit, and that she's considering asking for a new pair of 2's this Christmas instead. Glad to hear they might be going back on that design change, for her sake.
But curiously, Gurman says that neither is likely to include replaceable silicone ear tips; we’ll probably get the same one-size-fits-most, open-air design that the standard AirPods have always had.
My issue is that the article doesn’t address that Apple changed the physical design of the AirPods with Gen 3 so it sits in the ear or more accurately falls out of the ear differently. It is a completely different ear design when compared to the Gen 1&2 AirPods or wired EarPods.
2021 Apple AirPods Announcement
The new design of AirPods is lightweight and contoured, sitting at just the right angle for comfort and to direct audio into the ear.
As an owner of the AirPods 1 and the Pro, I absolutely agree.
Personally even with the changeable tips I’ve had issues with fit and staying in over a short period of time, so this just feels like further backwards in functionality, configurability, and comfort.
Well, it’s still a rumor at this point, so who knows what’s actually going to happen. If they actually do that, I’m going to stick with my current buds until they die. If buying second hand buds doesn’t work out, I may have to go back to Bose or Sennheiser.