According to AppleInsider, Kuo said that Apple has scheduled for the production of the AirPods 3 for the aforementioned time window. This also serves as a retraction to a previous prediction he made, when he thought that the new AirPods will launch in the first half of 2021. That being said, he did not explain the reason behind the later-than-expected production of the TWS buds.

If this is accurate, then that’s one less thing to expect in the rumoured upcoming Apple event next week. Naturally, if the Apple AirPods 3 will only enter production in Q3, an announcement next week would be too early. Instead, it would probably be showing up with the iPhone 13, assuming it remains a year-end announcement. But at any rate, Apple has yet to say anything about the upcoming event, or indeed the AirPods 3. If an event is indeed being planned for next week, we should hear about it pretty soon. (Source: AppleInsider)

Apple AirPods 3 Will Only Enter Production In Q3  Analyst Says - 1