Apple plans to launch second-generation AirPods Pro in the first half of 2021, according to unnamed industry sources quoted by the Taiwanese publication DigiTimes in a report focused on the Winbond flash memory provider.
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From the report:
Winbond is also expected to be among the suppliers of NOR flash for the next generation Apple AirPods Pro to be launched later in the first half of this year, sources said. The Taiwanese chip maker will run its NOR flash production lines at almost full capacity utilization over a six-month period.
This follows a report on the Japanese blog Mac Otakara who claimed that the new AirPods Pro will be launched in April, along with a third-generation iPhone SE. That report did not provide any details about the new AirPods Pro beyond the claim that the wireless charging case will have slightly modified dimensions compared to the original.
BloombergMark Gurman previously reported that Apple aims to make AirPods Pro more compact by removing the stem that protrudes from the bottom of the headphones, but it’s unclear whether Apple will do that. Gurman said Apple had a design in the test with a more round shape that fills more of the ear, similar to Pixel Buds from Google or Galaxy Buds from Samsung. That report also mentioned a launch date in 2021.
Introduced in November 2019, the current AirPods Pro has an in-ear design with three sizes of soft and flexible silicone tips included in the box, along with shorter stems under the ear. AirPods Pro has several improved features over regular AirPods, including active noise cancellation, improved sound quality, and water and perspiration resistance.
Earlier rumors suggested that Apple plans to upgrade the standard AirPods in the first half of 2021 with a design similar to the AirPods Pro, but without actively canceling out the noise, allowing for a lower price. The current line includes standard AirPods with a wired charging case for $ 159 or a wireless charging case for $ 199, and AirPods Pro with a wireless charging case for $ 249.