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airpods pro? airpods pro lite? airpods 3?

There are more reports that new AirPods Pro are on the way

The moniker 'Lite' has rightly been met with some skepticism...
Stephen Warwick

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What you need to know

  • There are fresh reports suggesting that Apple is working on a new version of its AirPods.
  • A DigiTimes report claims Taiwan manufacturer USI will obtain orders for "the upcoming AirPods Pro".
  • Previous reports have alluded to AirPods Pro 'Lite'.

There are fresh reports suggesting that Apple is working on a new version of its AirPods Pro, however, there's some confusion about what exactly that could mean.

As reported by MacRumors, a recent DigiTimes report states:

USI likely to enter supply chain of AirPods Pro, sources say Taiwan-based Universal Scientific Industrial (USI), a unit of ASE Technology, is likely to obtain system-in-package (SiP) orders for the upcoming AirPods Pro, according to industry sources.

Previously, a report from DigiTimes suggested that Apple was working on AirPods Pro 'Lite', a designation that has been met with some skepticism.

That report stated:

Apple, maintaining partnerships with supply chains in both Taiwan and China, may have its Taiwanese partners handle more production of new-generation ‌iPad‌, ‌Apple Watch‌, AirPod Pro Lite and ‌iMac‌ devices to be released later.

A new set of AirPods Pro could perhaps mean an entry-level, dumbed-down version of the AirPods Pro, perhaps without Active Noise Cancelation. It could also, however, be a misnomer, and might actually refer to Apple's third-generation AirPods, as Mark Gurman suggested above.

https://twitter.com/reneritchie/status/1230520996035207168

Just a couple of days ago, it was suggested that Apple's 'AirPods Pro Lite' release had been delayed because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Previously, they had been touted for a release in Q2 of 2020:

Production of the AirPods Pro Lite, an entry-level version of Apple's AirPods Pro series, is unlikely to kick off in the second quarter as originally planned, according to industry sources.