The design and release date of the AirPods 3 could be revealed by expert predictions. The refreshed earbuds will reportedly debut at WWDC, not this week's WWDC.

The news, reported by AppleInsider, comes from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He claims that the next generation of AirPods will be available in exactly one year and will debut at WWDC in 2021.

The biggest change could come in the new form factor, which Kuo compares to the AirPods Pro. These were Apple's first earbuds with gel tips, a popular and effective feature for comfort and sound quality. Otherwise, we will probably see another all-plastic design, with the exception of the "hair dryer" shape found on Apple's high-end buds.

What exactly the AirPods 3 are, however, remains unclear. The name suggests that it will be the successor to the current AirPods, but it may actually be the same product as the AirPods Lite, which is rumored to be a cheaper version of Apple's earphones.

Kuo predicts that despite the drop in sales during the global lockdown, older models of the existing AirPods will continue to sell during that time. He cites Apple's inventory clearance efforts and Apple's recent back-to-school deal that offered free AirPods along with other eligible devices as reasons why Apple will have no problem making room for the new generation of AirPods.

Kuo predicts a 28% increase in AirPods sales starting in 2021, due in part to upgrade demand from existing AirPods users, but also due to the iPhone 12. He has previously claimed that Apple will not include wired EarPods in its phone boxes this year, which means people will be more inclined to invest in Apple earbuds.