Apple to launch new AirPods this year, AirPods Pro in 2022, report claims

Apple is working on new versions of its AirPods earbuds. 

According to a new report by Bloomberg, the company is preparing to launch new AirPods sometime this year, and a new generation of the AirPods Pro next year. 

The report says the new AirPods will have a new case, and shorter stems at the bottom, while the AirPods Pro will contain updated motion sensors, likely to be used for fitness tracking. 

The update to the AirPods isn’t that big of a surprise, given Apple hasn’t updated them since the launch in March 2019. Notably, Bloomberg says the company originally planned to launch new AirPods Pro this year as well, but it changed its plans for reasons unclear. 

Bloomberg says Apple has also begun “early development” of a HomePod variant with a built-in display, as well as a device that combines the features of a HomePod, Apple TV, and FaceTime camera. 

Perhaps the most interesting part of the report is something that won’t happen in the near future: New AirPods Max. Bloomberg says apple has no immediate plans to launch a new version of the company’s most expensive headphones, though it might launch them in new colors (the AirPods Max are currently available in Space Gray, Silver, Green, Sky Blue, and Pink). According to the report, Apple caught up with the demand for the AirPods Max only recently, meaning it’s probably too soon to consider a followup. 

This is unfortunate, given that Apple is launching lossless and hi-res audio on Apple Music in June, and AirPods Max won’t officially support either, not even when connected to an iPhone with a cable.