Apple"s AirPods have not seen any major upgrade over the past few years since its launch in 2016. In June, however, it was reported that the company"s in-house AirPower wireless charger was supposedly set to arrive in September, promising a completely wireless ecosystem for the iPhone, Apple Watch, and the AirPods charging case.
September came to pass without any announcement of the promised wireless charging mat, which was supposed to have been scrapped reportedly due to overheating issues. Now, a new forecast by Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst known for his Apple predictions, sheds light on what upgrades consumers might expect in terms of AirPods over the next two years.
According to Kuo"s note seen by AppleInsider, the wireless earbuds are expected to receive major changes including support for wireless charging, a Bluetooth 5.0 upgrade, and a refreshed W-series chip. These upgrades may likely arrive in the first quarter of 2019, the analyst claims, though there was no exact mention of AirPower support in the note.
Additionally, a major overhaul to the AirPods" design is supposed to be coming in late 2020. The note adds that the product will also offer a new user experience and incorporate a deep level of integration with iOS and Mac devices. It didn"t mention, though, whether the upgraded AirPods will include noise-cancellation and water resistance features as previously rumored.
AirPower is notably the highly anticipated upgrade for Apple"s wireless charging offering as it promised to charge the iPhone, Watch, and AirPods all at once. It now remains to be seen how the Cupertino giant will address the technology"s technical difficulties.
Source: AppleInsider