DigiTimes: Second-Gen AirPods Pro to Launch in Second Half of 2021
Apple will launch a next-generation version of AirPods Pro in the second half of next year, according to a new report today.
According to DigiTimes' sources, at least some of the next-gen AirPods Pro models will be assembled by Inventec Appliances in Vietnam, with current generation AirPods Pro manufacturers Luxshare and GoerTek also taking a share.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often reliably predicts Apple's product plans, has previously said that Apple is working on a second-generation version of the AirPods Pro that will go into mass production into the fourth quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022, suggesting no AirPods Pro refresh in 2020 or early 2021.
Future AirPods could include light sensors, which could be used for health monitoring features. DigiTimes has suggested the new sensors could be included in AirPods in one to two years. Health monitoring features could let the AirPods monitor heart rate, step counts, and health conditions, as well as detect head movements.
Apple is also rumored to be working on a third-generation version of the lower-end AirPods, for a planned rollout in the first half of 2021. Kuo originally said the third-generation AirPods will look similar to the current AirPods with no design changes, but later said that the new AirPods will feature a form factor design "similar to AirPods Pro."
The third-generation AirPods are expected to adopt a more compact system-in-package (SiP) that's similar to the internals of the AirPods Pro, which will allow the audio features of the AirPods to be integrated into a casing more similar in design to the AirPods Pro.
Popular Stories
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
