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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.