Apple's AirPods Pro were first introduced in October 2019. The second generation is expected to see the light of day this fall. Now new details about the connection and mass production have been released.
In a new post on Twitter explained Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects mass production of the AirPods Pro 2 to begin in the second half of this year. Interestingly, he also points out that the AirPods Pro 2 will be manufactured in Vietnam, suggesting that Apple is no longer as reliant on China. Interestingly, the Wall Street Journal recently reported that Apple has informed some of its suppliers that the company plans to shift production from China to Vietnam and India.
Apple wants to get out of China
According to Kuo, Apple's decision to shift production of the AirPods Pro 2 from China to Vietnam was due to the product's "relatively straightforward supply chain and better manufacturing conditions in Vietnam." Currently, the AirPods Pro are manufactured and assembled in both China and Vietnam. However, Kuo seems to believe that the shift to Vietnam will continue on a larger scale with the AirPods Pro 2 this year. However, Apple is expected to continue testing and perfecting the AirPods Pro 2 manufacturing in China during the "New Product Introduction" phase.
AirPods Pro 2 and the charging port
As for the features and changes to expect, Kuo predicts that the AirPods Pro 2's charging case will still feature a Lightning port for charging, dashing hopes of a switch to USB-C this year. Kuo reported earlier this month that Apple is currently testing the iPhone 15 with a USB-C port. The analyst also predicted that when the iPhone switches to USB-C, Apple will also switch the AirPods and other accessories to USB-C. However, this switch does not seem to be planned until much later. Other rumors surrounding the AirPods Pro 2 include a new form factor, additional health and fitness tracking features, and support for lossless audio playback. Apple itself has even hinted that the AirPods could one day complement the Apple Watch's health tracking features by providing additional data points. (Photo by Eremin / Bigstockphoto)
