Apple will release water resistant third-generation AirPods in late 2019, says Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives.
In a research note, shared this week by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Ives said the new wireless earbuds will be released in time for the holiday shopping season.
The note states the new “AirPods 3” may also feature some unspecified design enhancements. (The earbuds outward design has remained the same through its first two generations.)
Ives’s prediction jibes with several other rumors of new AirPods that will launch within the next year. Digitimes, Ming-Chi Kuo, and Mark Gurman have all predicted new AirPods in the near future.
Kuo predicts one model is expected to offer an all-new form-factor at a higher price. The second model is expected to offer the same design as the Apple’s current earbuds at the same price.
Apple is said to be mulling a possible external design shift in manufacturing, shifting to a new SiP design to improve assembly yields, save internal space, and cut costs.
Kuo says the new models could lead to Apple’s selling 52 million units in 2019, and 75 million to 85 million units in 2020.