AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max refresh coming in 2022, insider claims

Following the debuts of the Mac Studio and third-generation iPhone SE in March, Apple has been relatively quiet. Save for its regularly scheduled software updates, the company hasn’t shared much with the public other than its Q2 results. But we know that there are still plenty of major announcements to come. In the latest issue of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple has two AirPods updates in the works. In addition to launching the AirPods Pro 2, Apple will also reportedly refresh the AirPods Max line this year.

AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max color refresh

We have been hearing rumors about a new version of the AirPods Pro for years. The original model is now over two years old, and most of Apple’s product lines see updates within a year or two at most. Mark Gurman also points out that early adopters of the AirPods Pro are likely getting especially antsy as batteries begin to degrade. As a result, he expects Apple to debut the AirPods Pro 2 this fall, potentially alongside the iPhone 14:

Look out for new AirPods Pro in the fall. The current model has been on the market since fall of 2019, so the batteries are already probably in trouble for some early adopters.

But that’s not all that Apple has in store for the headphone market. Gurman also expects Apple to refresh its AirPods Max line with new colors. AirPods Max are currently available in Space Gray, Silver, Green, Pink, and Sky Blue. Perhaps we’ll see a purple model to match the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12. Gurman also pleads for a price drop, but he doesn’t seem to have any evidence that Apple is actually going to lower the price this year:

Also look out for an AirPods Max refresh with new colors (and, we hope, a price drop—$550 is absurd for those headphones).

Presumably, the AirPods Max refresh will also include new features and updated specs. After all, the original AirPods Max are also well over a year old now, and they lack some of the new features rumored to be coming to the second-generation AirPods Pro.

What do we know about AirPods Pro 2?

Save for new colors, we don’t know much else about the next AirPods Max. The same can’t be said about the AirPods Pro 2. Back in January, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo sent a note to investors in which he predicted that the next AirPods Pro would launch in Q4 of 2022 with “a new form factor design, support for Apple Lossless (ALAC) format, and a charging case that can emit a sound for users to track.” He was also optimistic about demand.

Previous leaks have suggested that the new AirPods Pro will be more compact than their predecessors. If the leaks are to be believed, Apple will do away with the stems entirely. The Beats Fit Pro might have been a secret preview of the new design.

More AirPods coverage: For more AirPods news, visit our AirPods Pro 2 guide.