In 2021 Apple launched two new AirPods models: the AirPods Max and the AirPods 3. But the Pro model is still waiting for a successor. 2022 is finally here!
At the end of 2020, “Bloomberg” published a report that Apple could be working on the 2nd generation AirPods Pro. Since then, the rumors about the new design and functions of the headphones have intensified. TECHBOOK summarizes all information.
When can we expect the AirPods Pro 2?
So far, nothing is officially known about the release date of Apple’s AirPods Pro 2. In the meantime, however, rumors of a publication in autumn 2022 are intensifying. Among others, the industry expert and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who was well informed in the past, is predicting a start in the second half of the year:
According to the analyst, Apple didn’t do itself any favors by offering both the AirPods 2 and 3 models at the same time. Accordingly, demand would now fall well short of expectations. Maybe Apple would then react to the AirPods Pro 2 and no longer offer the predecessor at the same time. In general, a presentation together with the new iPhone in September 2022 is conceivable.
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New chip for even more functions
According to the Bloomberg report, the AirPods Pro should get a new chipset. So far, the AirPods Pro have used the H1 processor that Apple launched in 2019. The H1 supports Bluetooth 5.0, so a newer version could come with the current Bluetooth 5.2 standard and thus be even more energy-efficient.
In addition, the chip should enable fitness tracking directly via the headphones for the first time in an AirPods model. Improved motion sensors should be installed for this, which can recognize and track workouts accurately. There are already sports headphones with an integrated heart rate monitor, for example from Bose and Jabra.
Both Bloomberg and the aforementioned Ming-Chi Kuo name Luxshare Precision Industry as the manufacturer of the new headphones.
Are the 2nd Gen AirPods Pro getting a new design?
The AirPods Pro 2 could come without the stem, previously a distinguishing feature of Apple earbuds, according to Bloomberg. Since their introduction in 2016, the wireless earbuds have been equipped with this idiosyncratic design to stand out from the crowd. Since then, however, many manufacturers have copied the stem design. In the AirPods Pro, the stems even have their own function. If you press them together between two fingers, the active noise canceling (ANC) switches on or off.
Although Apple could do without this function in the second generation, the AirPods Pro should still come with ANC. Without the stems, however, the design would be more in the direction of the Beats Studio Buds presented in 2021, which also come from Apple. According to Bloomberg, however, the company has problems installing the hardware in the smaller case. Changes in the design are therefore still possible.
According to Bloomberg expert Mark Gurman, the AirPods Pro 2 also finally appear to be coming with a lossless playback feature. This could significantly increase the audio quality. Incidentally, in the same report, Gurman mentions the possibility that the AirPods Max could launch in new color options. So far, the over-ear headphones are available in five different color versions. However, it is not known whether such plans also exist for the AirPods Pro 2.
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How reliable are the AirPods Pro 2 predictions?
Previous reports by Bloomberg reporters Gurman and Debby Wu about new AirPods models turned out to be mostly accurate. The predictions for the AirPods 3 were correct in almost all respects. The same goes for the AirPods Max, which Bloomberg got right about – name aside.