Apple Might Be Working on New AirPods & AirPods Pro For Early Next Year: Report

Apple is reportedly working on a new third generation entry-level AirPods and a second generation AirPods Pro model for next year, a report said quoting people familiar with the company’s plans. The report also said that Apple might also be looking to launch another smart speaker that will sit between the HomePod Mini and the HomePod. The new earbuds are said to be the most affordable AirPods in the lineup and are likely to come with an AirPods Pro-like design with the silicone ear tips and a smaller stem. The model, however, won’t have high-end features like Active Noise Cancellation.

For the new AirPods Pro, Apple is aiming to eliminate the stem that currently sticks out from the bottom. The report said that the design in testing has a more rounded shape similar to the latest designs from Samsung, Amazon, and Google. The report, published in Bloomberg, said that integrating noise cancellation, wireless antennas, and the microphones into a smaller AirPods Pro casing has proven to be challenging, which might result in a less ambitious design. The report further says that Apple has internally discussed bringing a new low-end AirPods model during the first half of 2021 and also plans to make a new wireless chip to power the new AirPods models. It said that Luxshare Precision Industry and Goertek will handle the production for the new AirPods model.

The Bloomberg report said that the Cupertino-based giant has also internally considered a new HomePod smart speaker that will sit between the HomePod Mini and the standard HomePod.

All of this comes amid report of Apple working on its own noise-cancelling over-the-ear headphones. The headphones are said to be announced soon and are speculated to be named AirPods Studio. A lot of reports about the AirPods Studio have surfaced in the past, and we know what the headphones might look like upon launch. The Bloomberg report said that Apple AirPods Studio were due to go into production weeks ago, but has been delayed due to problems with the headband.

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