https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/24/18196566/apple-new-airpods-2019-hey-siri-ios-12-rumor

Apple’s first beta for iOS 12.2 contains strong evidence that we’re nearing an AirPods hardware refresh. As reported by 9to5Mac, the beta includes a setup interface for “Hey Siri” that mentions hands-free voice commands on AirPods — a feature that isn’t available with the current, first-generation pair of truly wireless earbuds. No other leaks about new AirPods have (yet) been uncovered in the iOS beta released earlier today. The original AirPods hit shelves over two years ago.

But there have been rumors of an updated set for months. Bloomberg reported last June that Apple was preparing a slight AirPods revamp with a new chip and “Hey Siri” support for release by the end of 2018 — probably to hit the holiday shopping rush. That obviously didn’t pan out, but this new iOS tidbit suggests Apple is still preparing for their launch, and it might be coming rather soon.