Apple is planning to debut its second-generation AirPods Pro this fall. The new wireless earbuds are rumored to feature a new design, improved audio quality, and some possible health integration says Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter.
“Look out for new AirPods Pro in the fall. The current model has been on the market since fall of 2019, so the batteries are already probably in trouble for some early adopters,” said Gurman. “Also, lookout for an AirPods Max refresh with new colors (and, we hope, a price drop—$550 is absurd for those headphones).”
Apple’s AirPods Pro hasn’t been refreshed since it launched in 2019. We’ve seen multiple rumors suggesting a launch sometime this year. Gurman’s expectations of seeing a fall launch jibes with a previous prediction by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said a launch would occur sometime in the second half of 2022.
Kuo said the new AirPods Pro 2 will offer attractive new features, including support for Apple Lossless (ALAC) audio and a charging case that users can trigger a sound from to highlight its location.
Currently, none of Apple’s AirPods products, including the third-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, do not support Lossless audio. This is due to the Bluetooth connections used by AirPods play audio via Bluetooth, limiting them to the AAC codec. However, it is possible that Apple could develop an alternative solution.
The sound-emitting case could be integrated into the Find My app, which would work similarly to how users can currently emit a sound from their individual AirPods inside the case to help find them.
Kuo also said that Apple’s next-generation earbuds will feature a new design and launch in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Gurman also said that Apple is not currently working on a second-generation of its over-the-ear AirPods Max headphones that launched in December 2020. However, it is said to be working on new color options.