Apple AirPods Pro 2 release date prediction

Last Updated: July 8th, 2022

There’s not been any official Apple AirPods Pro 2 release date publicly announced as of yet, but we can certainly make a good estimation based on what we do know, and on the predictions of reputable commentators and leakers. Read on for everything you need to know about the likely AirPods Pro second generation release date.

AirPods Pro 2 release date prediction

Reputable Apple commentator Ming-Chi Kuo has stated his belief that he expects the AirPods Pro 2 release date to be sometime in Q4 2022. Ultimately it’s obvious that Apple would want to release their new product in time for Christmas shoppers to pick one up, and the original AirPods Pro were released on October 30, 2019, so we think October – November 2022 is a good bet.

AirPods Pro vs AirPods Pro 2 design changes

As yet there are no definitive details on the AirPods Pro 2 design, but between the predictions of Ming-Chi, plus the undisclosed sources of 9to5Mac, the following are probable inclusions.

Form factor

There’s been conflicting reports about the form factor of the AirPods Pro 2, with Ming-Chi Kuo positing earlier in 2022 that he thought a full redesign was likely, with the end product looking more like the in-ear Beats Fir Pro from 2021 – a more aerodynamic appearance without the current ‘stem’ section.

More recently however 52audio leaked an image (shown below) that was apparently of the new AirPods Pro 2, looking much the same as the previous one, except with different ear tips. It pays to be a tad skeptical about such things, however, the site was right in the past when it came to predicting the AirPods 3 design ahead of release.

H1 chip update & LC3 codec

The current audio processor from Apple is the H1 chip, and the AirPods Pro 2 are likely to see an updated version of this processor. This new chip should allow LC3 codec support, meaning improved sound quality for both music and voice calls, as well as greater stability, power efficiency, and Bluetooth 5.2 support.

ALAC lossless support

Apple Lossless Audio Codec, or ALAC for short, is Apple’s proprietary audio compression technology, that enables the user to enjoy music with absolutely no loss of data and therefore audio quality, compared to the original recording. For this reason, it obviously takes up more bandwidth/storage space on your device. Up until now, this hasn’t been possible on Bluetooth earphones, but it’s thought that the AirPods Pro 2 will be the first to change this.

Will the AirPods Pro 2 support Lighting or USB-C ports?

Again there’s been conflicting reports on this matter. In the tweet below you can see that Ming-Chi Kuo has stated his belief that the charging case of the AirPods Pro 2 will continue to support Lightning connection, rather than upgrading to USB-C.

https://twitter.com/mingchikuo/status/1528980561049812993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener

However, 9to5Mac have stated that USB-C connection will be a reality for the new wireless earbuds. We should know soon enough one way or another.

Final Word

For all the latest updates on the Apple AirPods Pro 2 release date as they come out, plus for the iPad 2022 release date, iPad Pro 2022 release date, and iPhone 14 release date, stay locked onto WePC.