Apple AirPods 3 launch may be delayed due to coronavirus outbreak. According to Nikkei sources, Apple is considering shifting some hardware production from China to Vietnam.

According to previous rumors and reports, Apple's next-generation earbuds were scheduled for release around the second half of this year and were likely to be released along with the iPhone 12. However, the coronavirus crisis has reportedly reduced demand for the AirPods, causing Apple to reduce production of the earphones, effectively delaying the production of the AirPods 3.

With COVID-19 affecting manufacturing in China, Apple is shifting some production to Vietnam in a move to diversify its manufacturer supply chain. Such a move will take time and could be another factor disrupting the AirPods 3 schedule. [the release of the AirPods 3 may be delayed for a few weeks, or the next generation earbuds could be released as early as 2021.

However, analyst and Apple oracle Ming-Chi Kuo recently reported that the third-generation AirPods will begin mass production in early 2021, meaning the AirPods 3 may not appear this year. Kuo still expects Apple to release AirPods in some form this year, but it is worth noting that they may instead be budget-oriented Beats headphones.

It is not certain whether Kuo's prediction takes into account new delays or Apple's plans to move production from China to Vietnam. However, we may see the AirPods 3 in early 2021 at the earliest, and September 2021 at the latest.

Nothing was said about production of Apple's AirPods Studio over-ear headphones, which are rumored to go into production in mid-2020. And the second-generation AirPods Pro earbuds are still a ways off, with Kuo saying they are expected to appear at some point in 2021 or 2022.