Apple should release a pair of redesigned AirPods Pro earbuds with fitness tracking and a significantly upgraded chip at the end of 2022.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The next AirPods Pro may launch in the fourth quarter of 2022
- AirPods Pro 2 should run a more powerful Apple chip
- A radical redesign said to include much shorter stems
AirPods Pro 2 coming at the end of 2022?
Analyst Ming Chi-Kuo made this prediction in a research note distributed to clients, a copy of which was seen by AppleInsider, MacRumors and 9to5Mac. This analyst made similar predictions in the past, but this is the first time he’s mentioning the chip powering the next AirPods Pro.
Kuo previously said the next AirPods Pro would have shorter stems and rock a design similar to the new Beats Fit Pro. A release date for AirPods Pro 2 has been a moving target so far, with various sources mentioning various potential launch windows in 2022.
The “end of 2022” part is the narrowest forecast Kuo has proposed so far.
Of course, Apple usually unleashed its most important product updates in the fall. AirPods are high on holiday shoppers’ wish lists so Apple would be wise to have the next model ready by the time the 2022 holiday shopping season rolls out.
AirPods Pro vs. AirPods 3
If true, this will be the first update to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ line since its debut in 2019. In 2021, Apple updated the regular AirPods by releasing a third-generation model with an AirPods Pro-like design and features such as noise cancellation and adaptive EQ.
Comparing the technical specifications for AirPods Pro with those for AirPods 3, we see AirPods now look nearly indistinguishable from AirPods Pro while offering many of the advanced features found on AirPods Pro like spatial audio support. AirPods Pro, however, support active noise cancellation that the regular AirPods do not.
With the AirPods line crossing the AirPods Pro territory, it’s only logical for Apple to alter the AirPods design significantly. And with the rumored health and fitness tracking sensors, and maybe other new features, the next AirPods Pro should continue addressing the upper segment of the market for true wireless headphones with advanced features that the regular AirPods lack.