DigiTimes: Next-Generation AirPods to Enter Production as Early as October

Apple's suppliers are gearing up to assemble next-generation AirPods as early as October, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes, suggesting an updated version of the earphones could arrive in time for the holiday shopping season.

An excerpt from the report:

Apple's supply chain makers reportedly have kicked off volume production of related components for next-generation AirPods that will enable ODM production partners to begin mass assembly of the gadgets as early as October to meet year-end shopping season demand, according to supply chain sources.

Given the supply of current AirPods model still remains tight, it will remain an issue whether Apple could maintain sufficient supply of the next-generation AirPods, whose structural changes might affect yield rates at production lines, according to market watchers.

In April, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said two new AirPods models would likely go into mass production between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, with Luxshare, Goertek, and Amkor serving as primary suppliers.

Kuo believes one of the new AirPods models will feature an "all-new form factor design" and a "higher price" than the second-generation AirPods, which cost $159 with a standard charging case and $199 with a wireless charging case. The other model is expected to be a more iterative update with the same pricing.

If new AirPods do launch later this year, they will likely be the more iterative pair that Kuo referred to, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the higher-priced AirPods with water resistance and noise cancelation to launch as early as 2020. It's unclear what features would be part of the iterative update.

In March, Apple released second-generation AirPods powered by an Apple-designed H1 chip, enabling hands-free "Hey Siri" functionality and up to 50 percent more talk time compared to the original AirPods. The second-generation AirPods feature the same outward design as the original.

Related Roundup: AirPods 2

Tags: digitimes.com, AirPods Guide

Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Buy Now)

Top Rated Comments

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fokmik

2 weeks ago

I miss when Apple had reasonable prices.

Their prices started getting noticeably nutty ~3 years ago, and their response to falling sales was:
1 - Stop disclosing sales.
2 - Double down on increasing prices. Headphones contain $10 in components and plenty of competitors come in below $50? Forget about that! Charge $80! No wait, $160! No - $200! Wait, higher <insert new price here.>

Can we take a moment and remember - you’re buying headphones. They’re not a magical new product category. They come in the box with every iPhone. They came in the box with every iPod 18 years ago. Adding Siri lowered the quality. Adding batteries made them dramatically less reliable. And somehow people are okay with paying over double the price for an unquestionably worse product than what Apple offered a decade ago.

Yea sure...there are not in ear wireless no cords easy to use sound quality better than airpods under 100$
And yea the first macbook air was reasonable priced at starting price 1799$ and so on
Apple haven’t changed

Rating: 4 Votes

Maclver

2 weeks ago

It would make sense to announce AirPods Pro alongside the iPhone Pro, maybe?

I hope we get some sort of surprise in today's keynote... but im not holding my breath....

Rating: 4 Votes

Dave245

2 weeks ago

It would make sense to announce AirPods Pro alongside the iPhone Pro, maybe?

Rating: 3 Votes

ryanwarsaw

2 weeks ago

Just make something in the color black so my shares soar. I don't care what it is but black would make people here like moths to the flame.

Rating: 2 Votes

bstpierre

2 weeks ago

So I wonder if the all new design is to allow for noise canceling? I'm not sure how they'd achieve that with the current design where you're not guaranteed to get a good seal?

Active noise cancellation doesn't require a seal. The seal gets you some additional passive noice abatement. Active noise cancellation just makes a quiet zone around the error microphone. The quiet zone just needs to be big enough to fill your ear canal.
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Bout time. Runtime for my release day AirPods are down to 15/45 minutes L/R.

Looking forward to something new.

I am approaching the same situation. Am thinking about the Bose ear pods.

Rating: 2 Votes

brucewayne

2 weeks ago

Noise canceling would definitely get me to upgrade from my first gens. Almost bought the WF-1000xm3s but I am spoiled by the seamless pairing in the Airpods

Rating: 2 Votes

Don1985

2 weeks ago

I take it you haven’t owned a pair of Airpods? As that is not my experience with them.

Overpriced now, yes. But definitely not poor quality.

Rating: 2 Votes

Relentless Power

2 weeks ago

So I wonder if the all new design is to allow for noise canceling? I'm not sure how they'd achieve that with the current design where you're not guaranteed to get a good seal?

Noise canceling would be nice. Add a water resistance, a secondary color (Black), And Just maybe, a capacitive touch feature where you can slide your finger up and down the AirPod to control the volume. (<— Yes, I know, wishful thinking. :D)

Rating: 1 Votes

Cold_Beaver

2 weeks ago

Noise canceling would definitely get me to upgrade from my first gens. Almost bought the WF-1000xm3s but I am spoiled by the seamless pairing in the Airpods

Yea I couldn’t believe how difficult it was when I got a non Apple pair. I had to turn the Bluetooth on and press a button. Just so hard. Poor thing

Rating: 1 Votes