AirPods Pro Successor Tipped to Launch in H2 2022, Apple May Discontinue Original Model: Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple is also said to be facing lower demand for its third-generation AirPods, according to the analyst.

By David Delima | Updated: 6 April 2022 11:00 IST

AirPods Pro Successor Tipped to Launch in H2 2022, Apple May Discontinue Original Model: Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple launched the first-generation AirPods Pro in October 2019

Highlights

Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro may replace their predecessor
The company launched the first generation AirPods Pro in October 2019
The upcoming AirPods Pro model is tipped to feature a new design

Apple could launch a successor to its popular AirPods Pro true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds later this year, according to noted industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The company's second-generation AirPods Pro is tipped to replace the original model, which made their debut in October 2019 — making these the first AirPods Pro model in over two years. While details of the company's purported successor to the AirPods Pro have been leaked in the past, Apple is yet to officially reveal any details of the second-generation AirPods Pro.

According to a tweet by Kuo, Apple could launch the second-generation AirPods Pro in the second half of 2022. The analyst also stated that Apple had cut orders for its AirPods (3rd generation) by more than 30 percent for the second and third quarter of 2022, as demand was “significantly weaker” than the second-generation AirPods model.

AirPods 3 orders for 2-3Q22 have been cut by 30%+. Due to the failed product segmentation strategy, demand for AirPods 3 is significantly weaker than for AirPods 2. AirPods Pro may get discontinued after Apple launches AirPods Pro 2 in 2H22 to avoid repeating the same mistake.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) April 5, 2022

While Apple did not discontinue the AirPods (2nd generation) after their successor was launched last year, the original AirPods Pro could be retired when the second-generation model makes its debut this year, according to Kuo. Apple's second-generation AirPods are currently priced at Rs. 14,100 on the company's website in India, while the third-generation AirPods are listed at Rs. 20,500.

The purported successor to the AirPods Pro was previously expected to launch last year, according to previous reports. The second-generation AirPods Pro is tipped to feature a new design that eliminates the “stems” for a more compact design and include updated motion sensors with a focus on fitness tracking, according to Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, Apple recently hiked the prices of its Apple AirPods Pro, AirPods (3rd generation), and AirPods Max‌ headphones in India by 10 percent. The updated prices mark an increase of Rs. 1,400 for the AirPods Pro, Rs. 2,000 for the third-generation AirPods, and Rs. 7,100 for the AirPods Max. While Apple is yet to specify a reason for the price hike in India, the revised pricing for these products is now available on Apple's website.

Looking to buy headphones? Listen to the experts on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Apple AirPods Pro True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Earphones

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design / Comfort
Audio Quality
Battery Life
Value For Money

Good
Improved design and fit
Superb sound quality
Very good battery life
Good active noise cancellation and Transparency mode

Bad
Expensive
No volume controls on the earphones
Lightning port for charging

Headphone Type In-Ear

Microphone Yes

Connectivity True Wireless Stereo (TWS)

Type Earphones

More Apple Headphones & Headset

Apple AirPods (3rd generation) True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Earphones

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design / Comfort
Audio Quality
Battery Life
Value For Money

Good
Comfortable fit, good controls
MagSafe wireless charging
Works well with iOS, Siri, and Apple Music
Good battery life
Very good sound quality and performance on calls

Bad
Expensive
Lack of noise isolation can be bothersome
Full feature set needs an iOS device to use

Read detailed Apple AirPods (3rd generation) True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Earphones review

Colour White

Headphone Type In-Ear

Microphone Yes

Connectivity True Wireless Stereo (TWS)

Type Earphones

More Apple Headphones & Headset

Apple AirPods MV7N2HN/A True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Earphones

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Colour White

Headphone Type In-Ear

Microphone Yes

Connectivity True Wireless Stereo (TWS)

Type Earphones

More Apple Headphones & Headset

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: AirPods Pro, AirPods, Apple, AirPods Pro Specifications

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More