Apple AirPods Pro 2 Massive Leak: Release Window, Form Factor, Specs And More

Apple may release its next best in-ear audio device, reportedly called AirPods Pro 2, this year. The new product will sport a refreshed design and be equipped with several other major upgrades, according to a new set of leaks.

The latest set of information about Apple's AirPods Pro 2 came from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In the latest note to investors, which was discovered by Macrumors, the analyst explained that the second-generation AirPods Pro will have major selling points, which will trigger a strong market demand.

These new features reportedly include a charging case that emits a sound to indicate its location when triggered and support the company's proprietary audio coding format, the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC).

The charging case will most likely work with the Find My App to highlight its location. Kuo's information seemingly supports previously leaked photos of the Apple AirPods Pro 2, which highlights the charging case with holes.

In terms of the support for ALAC, previous and current generation AirPods do not support this audio coding format because the devices play audio via Bluetooth, which restricts them to the AAC codec. But the latest detail may support what Tom Parsons of What Hi-Fi gathered about the next generation Apple earbuds when he interviewed Gary Geaves, the company's VP of acoustics.

"Reading between the lines, I reckon Apple has a plan for overcoming Bluetooth's current limitations. That could be as simple as switching to Qualcomm's recently announced aptX Lossless format, but I wonder if Apple might have its alternative to Bluetooth up its sleeve," Parsons said in an article.

Bloomberg had also reported that the next AirPods Pro could lose the traditional stem and sport a more discrete design having a resemblance to the Beats Studio Buds. The report said the tech giant is testing the design, so it remains to be seen if the final product would look like this.

Earlier rumors suggested that Apple might release the AirPods Pro 2 in the third quarter of 2022, which is a little bit earlier than Kuo's Q4 2022 release window prediction. While these details about AirPods Pro 2 are interesting, they are not official.

Consumers should take these details as highly speculative at this stage. The Cupertino-based tech titan released a Magsafe-compatible case last year, but so far, it has not updated the AirPods Pro after it was launched in the market in 2019.