What you need to know
- Another report predicts the 2nd generation AirPods Pro release in the first half of 2021.
As reported by DigiTimes (via MacRumors), more sources are claiming that Apple will release the second generation of its AirPods Pro headphones in the first half of 2021. The report from today points to Winbond, a Taiwanese chipmaker that is ramping up production to meet demand from the company.
Winbond is also expected to be among the NOR flash suppliers for Apple's next-generation AirPods Pro slated for launch later in the first half of this year, the sources indicated. The Taiwan-based chipmaker will be running its NOR flash production lines at nearly full capacity utilization during the six-month period.
The report today matches another from Mac Otakara in the beginning of January. That report claimed that Apple would release both the second generation of AirPods Pro as well as the third generation of iPhone SE in April.
Chinese suppliers have told us that the AirPods Pro (2nd generation), which will be released in April 2021 at the same time as the iPhone SE (3rd generation), will have a new design for the charging case, which will remain 21mm thick, but will be 46mm high and 54mm wide, sources said.
Apple's next generation of AirPods Pro is expected to feature a new design that could remove the stems entirely from the earbuds, opting for a look more similar to that of the Galaxy Buds Live (lovingly called the Galaxy Beans) or Pixel Buds.
The company is also expected to release a new generation of its regular AirPods which make take the form of the current generation of AirPods. That may also come in the first half of the year, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
