New AirPods Pro are going to look very different, report says

No more stem.
By Stan Schroeder  on 
A pair of white AirPods Pro on a white background.

Apple's upcoming AirPods Pro — possibly named AirPods Pro 2 — are getting a big redesign, a new report claims.

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via Macrumors), Apple plans to launch the new earbuds in the last quarter of 2022.

But Kuo also has some details on the new AirPods Pro design; he says that the earbuds will not have the stem, which has been a defining design characteristic of Apple's earbuds from the start. Instead, the AirPods Pro 2 will have a design similar to the Beats Fit Pro (see picture below).

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A Beats Fit Pro inside an ear.
The AirPods Pro 2 might look similar to the Beats Fit Pro (pictured). Credit: Apple

The new AirPods Pro will likely have a new chip that will provide better connectivity with other devices, as well as fitness tracking capabilities, thanks to built-in sensors.

Kuo also shared some details about the second-generation Apple VR/AR headset, coming in 2024 (yes, despite the fact that the first-generation headset hasn't even launched yet). He says Apple is already working on making the new headset lighter, smaller, and with an improved battery and processor.

As for the first generation of the headset, Kuo claims it will weigh between 300 and 400 grams, and that it will be able to "seamlessly switch" between AR and VR modes. That one is coming in 2022, according to recent reports.

Topics Apple

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.


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