Ming Chi-Kuo: AirPods Pro Two Coming 2022

New AirPods Pro 2 will debut in 2022, according to a note from analyst Ming -Chi-Kuo seen by iMore. Indeed, he expects Apple’s earbuds to ship 100 million units overall that year.

Kuo says that while Apple’s AirPods business will “decline in the short term (2H21–1H22)” he expects that to be rectified by the second half of the year. Short term, however, lower than expected demand is thought to mean Apple will ship up to 75 million units which is 10 million down on the previous prediction. In terms of AirPods as a whole, Kuo says that he expects Apple to ship more than 100 million units in 2022, even if the new products don’t feature an “innovative experience.” Such an experience has been talked about before — previous reports have suggested some form of health tracking could be added to AirPods Pro specifically.

Speck Launches Presidio Clickflip AirPods Pro Case

Speck recently introduced a Presidio Clickflip AirPods Pro case. It provides 360-degree protection to secure against dust and debris. It is the first ever Speck product to have an IP5X dust protection certified rating. It was designed with a unique locking mechanism that keeps the AirPods secure in the case and prevents scattering when dropped. Grippy texture and vibrant color options make feeling or looking for your AirPods in a bag or crowded space easy. And like its line of iPhone cases, Presidio Clickflip contains built-in antimicrobial treatment from Microban. Microban delivers a 99% reduction in stain and odor-causing bacteria on the case, creating a cleaner surface. This AirPods Pro case comes in three colors and costs US$39.95.

What Does AirPods Pro Spatial Audio Mean for Augmented Reality?

Em Lazer-Walker digs into the AirPods Pro spatial audio feature announced at WWDC 2020. What does it mean for AR?

As Apple improves their indoor location technology, [spatial audio] could also easily become a big part of making indoor wayfinding viable before they ship AR glasses, since the ARKit model of “hold your phone out in front of you while you walk through a space” is both socially and physically awkward.

I can’t wait for spatial audio to arrive. I use an app I’ve mentioned before that uses 3D audio, and I wonder if Naturespace will make use of this technology.

AirPods and AirPods Pro Updates Coming With iOS 14

There is a lot coming with iOS 14. Some of the updates announced involved AirPods and AirPods Pro. AppleInsider has a good rundown.

Of all the new features coming in iOS 14, the most headline-grabbing is spacial audio for AirPods Pro. This works with 5.1, 7.1, and even Dolby Atmos encoded audio to create immersive sound that goes far beyond simple stereo playback. So much content is now coming in HDR Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio these days that it makes sense for Apple to continue to invest in these. Creating 3D sound from a set of headphones isn’t easy but Apple took it a step further.