Kuo: AirPods Pro 2 to Launch Next Year, AirPods Shipments to Exceed 100 Million

by

Apple plans to release its second-generation AirPods Pro next year, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

airpods pro in case
In his latest investor note, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo says that demand for AirPods is thought to be "lower-than-expected" for the remainder of this year, revising his forecast to 70-75 million, compared to 75-85 million. According to Kuo, the release of the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ next year will boost shipments to more than 100 million.

Bloomberg reported last month that Apple's second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ will include "updated motion sensors with a focus on fitness tracking." Apple is reportedly exploring the possibility of using a design similar to the recently launched Beats Studio Buds for the new ‌AirPods Pro‌, which would eliminate the stem.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Tag: Ming-Chi Kuo
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Top Rated Comments

Hammerd Avatar
Hammerd
4 weeks ago
Every product now seems health-related. Can’t wait for Apple iImplants
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tenjikuronin Avatar
tenjikuronin
4 weeks ago
I just want damn headphones. Play music and podcasts make them sound good. Give me noise cancelling. That’s all I want. That’s all I ever want. I don’t need or want health garbage in my headphones. Even the AirPod Max is overpriced, too heavy, and can’t use a physical connection for higher audio quality.

Except for not having Apple’s easy pairing (with apple products at least) and the stupid product names; Sony’s latest WFs and WHs really beat out apple’s headphones across the board (and this is from someone who uses the AirPods like 2/3s of the day).
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MJaP Avatar
MJaP
4 weeks ago
Phew, thank goodness for that, I'm not interested in my earbuds providing me fitness information all I care about is sound quality so I can safely save some money, not upgrade, and not feel like I'm missing out.

Also is it just me or is saying "your headphones will provide fitness information" like saying "your underpants will tell you the weather forecast", normally those two things are not related.

p.s. weather predicting underwear copyright 2021 MJaP (just in case... well you never know...)
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
infinitejest Avatar
infinitejest
4 weeks ago

Every product now seems health-related. Can’t wait for Apple iImplants
MacBook Pro Fitness. Tracks all the hours you could have spent exercising while you were sitting in front of your laptop.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
daniesy Avatar
daniesy
4 weeks ago
The current generation airpods pros are crap when it comes to phone calls. The person you're talking to can hear the background noise louder than your voice. I'm surprised no one is talking about this.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mymacrumorsname Avatar
mymacrumorsname
4 weeks ago

The current generation airpods pros are crap when it comes to phone calls. The person you're talking to can hear the background noise louder than your voice. I'm surprised no one is talking about this.
I am using them daily for calls and meetings. Never had any issues.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Top Stories

AirPods3

Gurman: AirPods Pro 2 With Fitness Tracking Coming in 2022, AirPods 3 With 'Pro' Design to Launch Later This Year

Friday May 28, 2021 4:29 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch third-generation AirPods this year, and plans to release second-generation AirPods Pro next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In line with previous leaks and rumors, Gurman explained that Apple is readying third-generation AirPods for launch later this year. The updated earbuds will apparently come with a new case and feature shorter stems, broadly...
Read Full Article • 64 comments
airpods 3 5

New AirPods Expected Later This Year as Suppliers Begin Component Shipments

Wednesday June 23, 2021 11:06 am PDT by
At least seven Apple suppliers have reportedly kicked off circuit board-related shipments for upcoming Apple products, and this notably includes third-generation AirPods, which are expected to be released later this year. "Suppliers including Semco, LG Innotek, Kinsus, Unimicron, Nan Ya, Zhen Ding and AT&S have all kicked off their BT substrate shipments for Apple's next-generation products...
Read Full Article • 51 comments
airpods 3 gizmochina Feature

AirPods 3 Rumored to Launch Alongside iPhone 13 at Expected September Event

Friday July 23, 2021 12:54 am PDT by
The third-generation AirPods will likely launch at the same event revealing Apple's upcoming iPhone 13 lineup, according to a report from DigiTimes, which makes the claim citing sources familiar with the matter. The report as a whole echoes previous reporting that production of the third-generation AirPods will kickstart in August, meaning a launch shortly after can be easily expected. DigiTi...
Read Full Article • 19 comments
airpods 3 gizmochina Feature teal

AirPods 3 Mass Production Said to Kick Off in August

Tuesday July 20, 2021 8:40 pm PDT by
Mass production of the third-generation AirPods will kick off in August, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia. They will reportedly join a number of other products such as the iPhone 13 lineup and redesigned MacBook Pro models as launches coming before the end of the year. Renderings of rumored third-generation AirPods design Rumored launch dates for the third-generation AirPods have...
Read Full Article • 49 comments
maxresdefault

Beats Studio Buds vs. AirPods Pro

Thursday July 8, 2021 11:27 am PDT by
Apple in June unveiled new Beats Studio Buds, which are $149 noise cancelling earbuds that are stemless and smaller than the AirPods and AirPods Pro. There are some key differences between the AirPods Pro and the Beats Studio Buds that make them unique for different use cases, so we thought we'd compare them in our latest YouTube video. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Read Full Article • 57 comments
airpodsprodesigncase2

Third-Gen AirPods With AirPods Pro Design to Cost $200 and Launch in First Half of 2021

Wednesday December 16, 2020 3:00 am PST by
Apple's third-generation AirPods, which are expected to adopt the AirPods Pro design but lack noise-cancelling and transparency features, will launch in the first half of next year for around $200, claims a new report from TheElec today. Not for the first time in the rumor sphere, today's report refers to the earbuds as a "Lite" version of the AirPods Pro, but TheElec additionally suggests...
Read Full Article • 102 comments
maxresdefault

Video: Sony's New WF-1000XM4 Earbuds vs. Apple's AirPods Pro

Tuesday June 22, 2021 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's AirPods Pro are the flagship earbuds in the company's lineup, but there are plenty of other third-party truly wireless earbuds out there on the market. Sony is one of the main contenders in the space, so MacRumors videographer Dan took a look at the brand-new WF-1000XM4 earbuds to see how they stack up. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The awkwardly named...
Read Full Article • 107 comments
airpods 3 1

New AirPods Expected to Launch in Third Quarter as Production Gets Underway

Thursday March 25, 2021 8:44 am PDT by
Taiwanese supplier ASE Technology has started production of optical sensors for next-generation AirPods slated to launch in the third quarter of 2021, according to industry sources cited in a paywalled DigiTimes story preview today. The full report has yet to be published, so there are no further details at this time, but the timeframe lines up with information shared by Apple analyst...
Read Full Article • 26 comments
AirPods Combo Discount Feature Triad

Deals: Get AirPods Pro for $189.99 ($59 Off) and Regular AirPods for $119.99 ($39 Off) in Newest Sales

Monday July 19, 2021 6:16 am PDT by
Amazon is offering up to $59 in savings on Apple's AirPods this week, including the regular model and the AirPods Pro. If you're shopping for the AirPods Pro, you can get these for $189.99 on Amazon, down from $249.00. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. This...
Read Full Article • 2 comments
airpods 3 1

Is This What the New AirPods Will Look Like?

Friday April 16, 2021 4:24 am PDT by
Amid continuing signs that third-generation AirPods are in the works, a number of images of the new design have purportedly leaked online. Images recently shared by 52audio claim to reveal the updated design of the third-generation AirPods, perhaps giving us the first clear look at Apple's next-generation wireless earbuds. The images depict AirPods with a shorter stem and a design very...
Read Full Article