‘AirPods Pro’ to be Announced Within the Next Two Weeks: REPORT

The elusive next-generation Apple AirPods with noise cancellation will reportedly arrive this month, not 2020 as recently suggested.

We’ve been hearing rumours of a third-generation AirPods with noise cancellation for several months now, but apparently the wait is almost over for Apple’s next-generation wireless earbuds, reads a new report from China Economic Daily (via MacRumors).

The new model, reportedly called AirPods Pro to match the new iPhone 11 lineup, will feature an in-ear design to aid noise cancellation and isolation, improving sound quality and bass response in the process. That will be enough to give these AirPods the “Pro” moniker, as will the $260 USD asking price.

It’s unclear how battery life might be affected by noise-cancellation. One of the advantages of Apple’s H1 chipset – which powers both the current AirPods along with the recently announced Beats Solo Pro headphones which feature active noise-cancellation – is its low power consumption, which Apple could rely upon to keep reasonable runtimes despite what’s still a relatively small form-factor.

A mention of noise cancellation appeared in the code of Apple’s iOS 13.2 beta earlier this month. A related icon discovered at the same time provided what could be either a placeholder or an indication of the actual look. If accurate, the new model will have short, stubby stalks and rubber ear tips. The charging case would also be different, with a shorter, squatter design. Some possible leaks and speculative renders based on these indications have also appeared online.

If these rumours are accurate, Apple could soon announce an event to be held before the end of October. The company has been expected to reveal a new 16-inch MacBook Pro and new iPad Pro models, but there could also be announcements of the company’s long-rumoured AR glasses and location tracking tags being announced.

The timing of the purported launch might also suggest that Apple wants to capitalize on the holiday gifting season in the US and other parts of the world. Truly wireless earphones have caught on across the world and sales are estimated to exceed 90 million units in 2019, reads the report.

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