Apple is expected to unveil its brand new “AirPods 2” at some point this year, and a brand new leak offers us new details about the updated wireless earphones. AirPods 2 will look just like the first-gen model, but they’ll pack additional features and maybe even new materials. But there’s also a bit of bad news: Because of the changes, the price is also expected to increase slightly.
The AirPods 2 will launch this spring, MySmartPrice has learned from a trusted source, although there’s no exact release date for the earphones at this time. The new earbuds will look almost identical to the current AirPods, but they will feature a new coating for improved grip. The coating will be similar to the one Google uses for its Pixel phones and could even be used on the high-end iPhone 11 later this year.
Apple’s AirPods 2 will also have more sensors than the original AirPods, which will likely be used for new health features. It’s unclear at this time what those features will be, although heart rate monitoring has been rumored in the past.
The new AirPods will be available in two colors instead of one, including white and black, and will supposedly feature roughly the same battery life as their predecessor. However, a new wireless charging case will have a slightly smaller battery, according to this new report. MySmartPrice notes that the AirPower universal wireless charging pad is also launching this spring.
The AirPower will cost around $150, the report says, while AirPods 2 will be priced at around $200.
Independent of the MySmartPrice report, a new Digitimes article also says that Apple is expected to launch a new AirPods generation this year, without specifying a firm launch date. Inventec, the report says, is a major assembler of AirPods and it expects shipments to increase in 2019 following the launch of the next-gen model.
Apple is widely expected to launch a bunch of other products this spring, including cheaper iPad and iPad mini models. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Apple unveil all these devices, including AirPods 2, AirPower, iPad, and iPad mini 5, during a press conference in the coming months.
