Apple plans to launch second generation AirPods Pro in the first half of 2021, according to unidentified industry sources cited by the Taiwanese publication DigiTimes in a report focused on the flash memory vendor Winbond.
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From the report:
Winbond is also expected to be among the NOR flash vendors for Apple’s next-generation AirPods Pro, scheduled to launch in the first half of this year, the sources said. The Taiwan-based chipmaker will be operating its NOR flash production lines with almost full capacity utilization over the six-month period.
This follows a report from the Japanese blog Mac Otakara who said the new AirPods Pro will be released in April along with a third-generation iPhone SE. This report offered no details about the new AirPods Pro other than stating that the wireless charging case will have slightly adjusted dimensions compared to the original.
BloombergMark Gurman previously reported that Apple intends to make the AirPods Pro more compact by eliminating the stem that protrudes from the bottom of the headphones, but it is unclear whether Apple will achieve this. Gurman said that Apple had a test project with a rounded shape that fills the ear more, similar to Google’s Pixel Buds or Samsung’s Galaxy Buds. That report also mentioned a launch date of 2021.
Launched in November 2019, the current AirPods Pro features an in-ear design with three sizes of soft, flexible silicone tips included in the box, along with shorter stems below the ear. AirPods Pro has several updated features compared to regular AirPods, including active noise cancellation, improved sound quality and water and sweat resistance.
Previous rumors have suggested that Apple also plans to update standard AirPods in the first half of 2021 with a design similar to AirPods Pro, but without active noise cancellation, allowing for a lower price. The current line includes standard AirPods with a $ 159 wired charging case or $ 199 wireless charging case and AirPods Pro with a $ 249 wireless charging case.