AirPods are popular because they exemplify what Apple is all about: high-quality products with great features that work without fuss. And while you may not think of earbuds and headphones as the types of products that would be updated with new features on a regular basis, Apple does a great job of integrating them into its ecosystem, and new versions bring more functionality. Here’s what we know about the next AirPods releases.
April 5, 2022: A tweet by an account claiming to be that of analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple has trimmed AirPods 3 production by more than 30 percent. As a result, Apple will likely discontinue the current AirPods Pro instead of keeping it available as a lower-priced alternative once the new Pro model arrives later this year. Read more.
Availability: Apparently, Apple had planned on shipping the second-generation AirPods Pro in 2021, but Bloomberg reported in May 2021 that it won’t ship until 2022. Ming-Chi Kuo reported in December 2021 that the second-generation AirPods Pro won’t arrive until the fourth quarter of 2022.
Design: Bloomberg reported that the next AirPods Pro will not have any stems and could look a lot like the new Beats Fit Pro noise-cancelling earbuds (though likely without the wingtips). In December, Kuo also reported that the AirPods Pro would have a new design that rests flush in the ear.
The next AirPods Pro could take design cues from the Beats Fit Pro, left.
IDG / Jason Cross
Features: Apple will continue to differentiate the AirPods Pro with noise cancellation after the third-gen AirPods arrived without it. According to Bloomberg, the next AirPods Pro will focus more on fitness tracking and have updated motion sensors as well. In January 2022, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the second-generation AirPods may come with a case that can emit a sound to help locate it when lost.
Price: No reports of price have been made. The current model is $249, but they are frequently on sale. The new Beats Fit Pro retail for $200, so it’s likely Apple keeps the AirPods Pro at $249 to separate the models. Apple technically reduced the price of the 3rd-gen AirPods to $179 (the 2nd-gen model with the wireless charging case was $199) but eliminated the lower-cost option with the wired case.
Apple launched Lossless Audio and Lossless High-Res Audio for Apple Music in June, but due to the limitations of Bluetooth and the AAC codec, none of the current AirPods are able to stream the higher-quality tracks. However, Jon Prosser reported that Apple is working on a new audio codec that would allow lossless streaming over AirPods, which could get an introduction alongside the new models. In January 2022, Kuo offered a corroborating report (via 9to5Mac) that the second-gen AirPods Pro will bring “support for Apple Lossless (ALAC) format.”
None of Apple’s earbuds support Lossless audio due to the current limitations of Bluetooth. If the AirPods Pro support Lossless, it will need to enhance Bluetooth to enable Lossless audio over AirPlay 2.
The AirPods Max was released in late 2020, so it’s unlikely that a new model will launch until late 2022, based on Apple’s AirPods cadence. However, Bloomberg reported in May that while Apple is not working on any design or feature updates, Apple could release new colors to refresh the product mid-cycle. We haven’t heard any other rumors about the second generation of Apple’s over-ear headphones.
Apple released the third-gen AirPods at its “Unleashed” event in October 2021. We’re not expecting a new model until at least 2023.
