Bloomberg: AirPods 3 and new MacBook Pros are coming this year, AirPods Pro 2 and MacBook Air in 2022
As expected, Apple’s California Streaming event ended with no new MacBooks and no AirPods 3 announced. However, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, those are still on track to launch before the end of this year. New iPad Pros and new AirPods Pros will have to wait until 2022.
A couple of days ago DigiTimes reported that the AirPods 3 have entered mass production. From earlier reports, the new TWS headset may have active noise cancellation and spatial audio, though there are conflicting reports. The design should feature shorter stems than the second generation and the new features will bump the price up slightly.
Unofficial renders of the AirPods 3
Also in the final months of 2021, Gurman expects the upgraded MacBook Pros with larger 14” and 16” displays. These will be the first laptops with mini-LED displays to boot and could introduce the souped-up Apple M1X chipset.
The AirPods Pro 2 will not arrive until next year. They are said to incorporate stubby stems and sensors for exercise tracking. Next year will bring new iPad Pros too, with glass backs to support bidirectional wireless charging (meaning you can charge the tablet with MagSafe as well as use the tablet to charge your AirPods).
Apple will also upgrade the MacBook Air with new Apple silicon, according to the Bloomberg reporter, as well as introduce three new Apple Watch models. Perhaps one of them will be that rugged Watch we’ve been hearing rumors about.
Gurman has some out there predictions for Apple’s future launches, including a foldable iPhone and more and “true AR glasses” (which are 2-4 years away). Mixed Reality/Augmented Reality glasses with more limited functionality might arrive next year, though.
One of the more down to Earth devices is a combination of a HomePod with an Apple TV and a FaceTime camera to boot. The satellite connectivity that will allow users to send emergency text messages outside of cell coverage is still under development.
