Gurman: New AirPods Pro Will Be Announced at Apple Event This Week
Apple will be hosting a special event at Steve Jobs Theater on Wednesday to unveil the iPhone 14, Apple Watch Series 8, and more. Ahead of time, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman outlined his final expectations for the event in today’s edition of his Power On newsletter.
Notably, alongside new iPhone and Apple Watch models, Gurman expects Apple to announce second-generation AirPods Pro at the event. Gurman did not indicate when the new AirPods Pro would become available to order or share any pricing information.
“I reported last year that new AirPods Pro would arrive in 2022, and now I’m told that Wednesday will be their big unveiling,” said Gurman.
Several new features are rumored for the new AirPods Pro, including an upgraded H2 chip for improved audio quality, longer battery life, a new charging case with Find My support, improved in-ear detection, fitness tracking capabilities, and more. The new AirPods Pro also might support Bluetooth’s LE Audio specification, which would provide several benefits, including the ability for the AirPods to connect to multiple devices like an iPhone and Mac simultaneously.
Back in 2020, Gurman and Debby Wu reported that Apple had tested a more compact design for the new AirPods Pro that would eliminate the stems below the earbuds, similar to the company’s Beats Studio Buds. However, more recent rumors suggest that the second-generation AirPods Pro will not have any significant outward-facing design changes.
Gurman reiterated that Apple is planning to announce a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max, along with new Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Pro models. He also said that Apple “won’t be discussing” its AR/VR headset plans at this week’s event.
