The wearables market is on the rise, and has been becoming a larger and larger part of Apple’s revenue every quarter. Thus, it’s no surprise that the company is looking to expand its lineup. As per a report from Bloomberg, tech and gadget giant Apple Inc. is working on launching its second generation AirPods Pro, sometime next year. Meanwhile, the company will also be launching an updated version of the AirPods, which will become available later this year.
The revamped version of the entry-level AirPods will be the first update to the product ever since it hit stores in 2019. The new design will have shorter earbud stems, as well as a completely new earbud case.
As for the much anticipated new version of the AirPods Pro, the second generation model will be the first tweak to the product design since the it came into being in October 2019. Having a greater focus on motion sensors, the buds will be adapted for better fitness tracking, which seems to be the focus with the wearables market (especially smart watches).
The design of the Pro offering might be different from what was originally envisioned. Previous reports, which had claimed that Apple was initially slated to be release them as early as this year, had expected the firm to completely forego the stems. This could have resulted in a design similar to Google Pixel Buds, for example. But now, it seems that design and manufacturing restrictions are causing problems, and the stem may, in fact, stay.
Once the two models are launched, they will probably serve to provide a boost to the company’s wearables, home and accessories segment, which has already seen a significant growth, now exceeding 10% of total sales.
Meanwhile, Apple will also soon be coming up with other audio devices, including the likes of the HomePod, which will come complete with a screen for easier access to videos. Another offering will be a device akin to the Apple TV, which will probably also have inbuilt speakers and microphones, to assist in video calling.
