With the promise of wireless charging and water resistance — and better Siri integration, of course — Apple’s future generations of AirPods wireless headphones seem sure to impress. Here’s everything we have heard about the upcoming iteration of these popular earbuds.<\/b>
\nApple\u2019s first-generation AirPods are, hands down, the best-selling true wireless in-ears on the market right now, but that doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t in dire need of an update.
Siri is already in your home, in your pocket, and on your wrist, so why not in your ears as well? Apple\u2019s wireless AirPods already let you summon the voice assistant by physically tapping them, but the next iteration of the in-ear device will allow you to simply say, \u201cHey Siri,\u201d as you would with your phone. Not only that, but a patent suggests that the AirPods case could become a portable media player \u2014 basically an iPod Nano in disguise. And they may be waterproof, too! What won\u2019t the next-generation AirPods 2 do? Read on to find out.
Apple\u2019s next-gen AirPods could include everything but the kitchen sink \u2014 heck, they could include a kitchen sink, too. A Bloomberg report from late June 2018 by Mark Gurman details Apple\u2019s efforts to improve the next generation of AirPods by adding noise-cancellation and water resistance. Apple also wants to ensure that these AirPods (should we consider them the AirPods 3?) can work even when relatively far away from their companion smartphone or tablet. And while you won\u2019t be able to jump into a pool wearing the AirPods, Apple hopes that you\u2019ll be able to go on a long run (even in the rain) without having to worry about sweat or precipitation damaging them.
Apple also is considering biometric functionality, such as a heart rate monitor. Such functionality would clearly come at an increased cost, Gurman noted.
The voice-control feature is currently being worked on for the next generation of the AirPods, Bloomberg reported in February, an update that is internally known as B288. Voice activation won\u2019t be the only new part of the upcoming AirPods either, as they will include an updated, Apple-designed chip for handling Bluetooth connections. The original AirPods included the W1 chip, while the most recent Apple Watch used the W2. It\u2019s not clear if these new AirPods will use a brand-new chip, or an updated W2.
Images leaked in July 2018 revealed what appears to be Apple\u2019s wireless charging case for the AirPods 2 \u2014 and it looks a lot like the current case, save for a tiny dot of color. The images, discovered in the release of the iOS 12 developer beta 5 by 9to5Mac, appear to indicate charging status. A green light presumably indicates that the devices are ready to rock, while a yellow light signals that the earbuds are actively charging. This supports information we\u2019ve been hearing for a while: Apple plans to incorporate some form of wireless charging feature into the AirPod case.
A patent filed by Apple earlier in the year adds legitimacy to those early rumors that the company would release some form of a wireless-charging AirPod case, alongside a potential wireless-charging mat, sometime in March. Illustrations in the patent show what appear to be a case that looks remarkably similar to the AirPod case we\u2019re already familiar with, but with the inclusion of wireless power receivers designed to interface with a charging pad. The literature and further illustrations detail the technology within the case and the wireless-charging methodology.
It\u2019s possible this is simply a new case for existing AirPods, but it bolsters the belief that a new version of the fully wireless earbuds is imminent.
A future generation of the Airpods could also feature a case that acts as a stand-alone playback device. According to a patent filed by Apple, the company has devised a case that has built-in storage and playback controls, plus the ability to play audio through its charging port.
This isn\u2019t the first time a company has added audio storage and playback capabilities to a charging case for fully wireless earbuds \u2014 we\u2019ve already seen similar tech from Bragi \u2014 but that doesn\u2019t mean it couldn\u2019t be a big addition to Apple\u2019s headphones. If paired up with Apple Music and a set of the company\u2019s rumored sweatproof wireless earbuds, the addition of offline storage could mean that users won\u2019t have to bring a bulky smartphone with them to their workouts. There\u2019s already a portable player called the Mighty that allows users to listen to competing streaming service Spotify offline, but if Apple builds theirs into the actual charging case of a pair of fully wireless headphones, it could make for a very nifty stand-alone workout accessory.
Speaking of patents, a pair of other patent filings suggest that we could see a refreshed design for its wireless buds \u2014 if not in the next generation, then in the rumored, water-resistant future model. The images associated with the first filing show an in-ear headphone that more closely resembles competitors like Jabra\u2019s Elite 65t and Bragi\u2019s The Headphone. It ditches the long, cylindrical sections that hang out of listeners\u2019 ears on the current-generation AirPods. The patent images also show three different potential designs for sports fins to keep the headphones secure.
The second patent details the internal circuitry and communication technology for potential iterations of the AirPod, and both patents also mention the addition of other sensors, such as biometrics, accelerometers, and a pulse oximeter, which suggests that a future AirPod iteration could be explicitly designed for sports, much like Jabra\u2019s Elite Sport .
The big question: When will we see Apple\u2019s next-gen AirPods? It\u2019s anyone\u2019s guess at this point. We frequently hear and report on rumors about what is happening inside the walls of Apple\u2019s Cupertino, California-based headquarters, but often those rumors are just that \u2014 and eager fans are left cooling their heels while waiting for something new. We thought the company would release the headphones at its fall 2018 product events, but Apple was oddly tight-lipped about any new AirPod models.
Acclaimed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has correctly predicted a vast assortment of Apple product updates over the years, claims an updated version of the AirPods will be available in 2019, with a larger update scheduled for 2020.
At this point, we have every reason to expect to see new AirPods at some point in 2019, as Apple recently got mandatory Bluetooth SIG certification for a new AirPod model.
Recent leaks also place the new model in production, with one Twitter user posting photos of what they claim are the new AirPods. The photos appear to show devices that are identical to the current models, so we can\u2019t confirm that they are AirPods 2 models.
What the new AirPods will cost is also anybody\u2019s guess, though we hope that Apple won\u2019t abandon the $150 price point, as it makes the company very competitive in the current market. For his part, Kuo says the enhanced features like potential heart rate monitoring, wireless charging, and a better Bluetooth chip may mean that Apple\u2019s popular accessory goes up in price.
Whether or not these updated models arrive as planned, it\u2019s a given that we will see some of them eventually, considering the current AirPods are selling like hotcakes. Luca Maestri, Apple\u2019s chief financial officer, has said that wearables are the second-largest contributor to the company\u2019s revenue, after the iPhone, and that sales in that category have jumped by 70 percent.
The idea of updated AirPods isn\u2019t bad for consumers either. While we called them the best fully wireless earbuds available at the time of our review, we did still have some issues with them. If Apple finds a way to help them stay in your ears a little better and bumps up the sound quality, while increasing the already fantastic battery life and wireless reliability, a great product could get even better.
Updated on December 3,2018: Noted a new prediction from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which places the release of new AirPods in 2019.<\/p>\n