AirPods Pro 2 to Launch Later This Year as Suppliers Reportedly Prepare Shipments

The second-generation AirPods Pro are widely expected to launch in the second half of this year. In preparation for the launch, Apple's suppliers are getting ready for shipments of the new high-end AirPods, according to a new report from DigiTimes.

AirPods Pro Gen 2 Feature
The new second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ are widely expected to feature a new design, improved audio, the ability to play back Apple Music lossless audio, and more. The new ‌AirPods Pro‌ are scheduled to launch this year — specifically in the second half of 2022. Ahead of the release, today's report said that suppliers are beginning to prepare for shipments of the new wireless earphones.

The latest information about the new ‌AirPods Pro‌ comes from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who recently reported they would feature a redesigned charging case that can emit an audible noise for use with Find My. With ‌Find My‌ integration, only AirPods themselves emit a sound when pinged by a user. With the new ‌AirPods Pro‌, the case will have a speaker, allowing for a louder noise, making it easier to find.

airpods pro 2 2
MacRumors had previously received pictures depicting what a tipster claimed to be the case for the upcoming ‌AirPods Pro‌. Those pictures show speaker holes and possible accessory attachments in the case itself. MacRumors cannot verify the accuracy of the images, but they do fall in line with new information shared by credible analyst ‌Ming-Chi Kuo‌.

Alongside a new case, the new ‌AirPods Pro‌ will also support playback of lossless ‌Apple Music‌ audio. Due to limitations in Bluetooth bandwidth, none of Apple's existing AirPods models can playback lossless audio from ‌Apple Music‌. In a recent interview, an executive for the company admitted that the limitations of Bluetooth are hindering the potential of the AirPods experience and said the team wants "more bandwidth" than what Bluetooth alone can provide.

To catch up on everything we expect from the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 27, 2024 5:05 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in early December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as...
iphone 16 pro models 1

12 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Friday November 29, 2024 5:17 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Rectangle Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Already Rumored to Have These 8 New Features

Wednesday November 27, 2024 12:19 pm PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch for 10 more months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. An imaginative iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models so far: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro ...
Whatsapp Feature

WhatsApp to Drop Support for These iPhones Starting May 2025

Monday December 2, 2024 2:57 am PST by
WhatsApp is set to end support for iOS versions older than iOS 15.1 from May next year, removing the chat platform's compatibility with several iPhone models in the process. From May 5, 2025, WhatsApp will no longer be compatible with iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus models. Users with those devices won't be able to access the encrypted chat service after the specified date unless they ...
Apple AI Command Center Concept Mock 3

Apple Expected to Launch This All-New Device Next Year

Wednesday November 27, 2024 1:05 pm PST by
Apple is expected to kick off 2025 by launching an all-new smart home hub, also referred to as a "command center," as early as March. The hub is expected to feature around a six-inch display that can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. The device is said to run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and it is expected...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17 Designs Revealed!

Friday November 29, 2024 9:34 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the recently leaked design of the iPhone 17 "Air" and iPhone 17 Pro. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Earlier this week, a report from The Information's Wayne Ma revealed that the iPhone 17 Air will have a thickness of between 5mm and 6mm, which would make it the thinnest iPhone ever. In comparison, iPhone ...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Thursday November 28, 2024 3:30 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
Cyber Monday Deals Feature 2022

Apple Cyber Week Deals Available Now: AirPods, iPads, and More

Sunday December 1, 2024 7:52 am PST by
Although Black Friday has ended, Cyber Week is here and you can find great deals on numerous Apple devices right now. This includes big savings on AirPods, Apple Watch, MacBook Air, iPad, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically,...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
38 months ago
Wonderful - I hope Apple will be introducing newer colors this year. Jet Black or Matte black would be awesome.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bandaman Avatar
38 months ago
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nimrad Avatar
38 months ago
I don't need the speaker if it doesn't include proper AirTag functionality. The Find My functionality for AirPods are useless IMHO.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
System603 Avatar
38 months ago
Dear (Tim) Apple, learn from your own Beats brand. This time with a USB-C, please.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bandaman Avatar
38 months ago

Wonderful - I hope Apple will be introducing newer colors. Jet Black or Matte black would be awesome.
Black would be lovely. If they don't release black this year, I might get a custom pair from ColorWare. I don't mind the white ones, but I've always preferred black headphones. I guess I'll wait until I see the redesign. Might look nice the way it is.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lazyrighteye Avatar
38 months ago

Wonderful - I hope Apple will be introducing newer colors this year. Jet Black or Matte black would be awesome.
Matte please. Thanks.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)