AirPods Pro 2 could be just a few months from launch – perhaps even in April – according to a report by Taiwanese publication DigiTimes.
Although the report focuses mainly on Winbond, Apple’s flash vendor, it misses the point that the second generation of AirPods Pro is “scheduled to launch at the end of the first half of this year.”
This is much earlier than previous leaks and rumors have suggested, so if you are an iOS user looking for a new pair of headphones, you may not spend $ 549 on AirPods Max yet.
DigiTimes had previously stated that the AirPods 3, not yet announced, will be launched in the first half of 2021 as well. But this is the first indication that the more sophisticated AirPods Pro 2 can arrive in the same amount of time.
“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,” a source told DigiTimes. “The Taiwan-based chip maker will be operating its NOR flash production lines with almost full capacity utilization over the six-month period.”
In addition, the Japanese publication MacOtakara states that we could see the AirPods Pro 2 as early as April.
Bloomberg had reported that AirPods Pro 2 would target the second half of 2021, not the first. And prolific informant LeaksApplePro tweeted: “expects them to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2021 or the first quarter of 2022.”
However, this latest report cites sources apparently involved in Apple’s flash memory manufacturing process that a new pair of premium wireless headphones will arrive long before that. Considering that the original AirPods Pro are well over a year old now, and knowing Apple’s propensity for annual updates, it appears that a follow-up is delayed. Therefore, a release date in the spring or early summer would not be outrageous.
The recent launch of major competitors for premium headphones, such as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, may also be pushing Apple to reveal the new AirPods Pro 2 sooner or later.
In any case, we will have to wait for an official announcement to see what Apple has actually planned. AirPods Pro is still among the best headsets you can buy, so we hope it is worth waiting for AirPods Pro 2.