Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple will not launch the second generation of AirPods Max wireless headphones until at least the second half of 2024 and may have to wait until the first half of 2025 to update its headphones.
In the latest in a series of tweets outlining his industry expectations, Ming-Chi Kuo said he thinks Apple’s “next major acoustic product update” will come between the second half of 2024 and the first half of 2025.
Kuo listed three products that will be updated in that time frame, including the HomePod mini 2, AirPods Max 2 and Apple AirPods “low cost” version. In previous predictions, Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was aiming for a more affordable standard version of the AirPods priced at $99. Currently, the $129 second-generation AirPods are the cheapest option for Apple’s wireless headphones, while the third-generation AirPods will cost $169 with a Lightning charging case and $179 with a MagSafe charging case.
As for what to expect from AriPods Max 2, Ming-Chi Kuo didn’t provide any other details about Apple’s high-end headphones with noise cancellation, the next generation of AirPods Max headphones is expected to include a USB-C port instead of Lightning, improved noise cancellation, a longer battery life, new color options, and a new headphone for use in The next generation of AirPods Max headphones are expected to include a USBC port instead of Lightning, improved noise cancellation, longer battery life, new color options, a U1 chip for precise searches in “Find My” and more. The Apple AirPods Max generation is due out in December 2020 for $549.
The Kuo report also said that investors were concerned about the impact on existing orders and future new orders after Goer shares lost orders due to AirPods Pro 2 quality issues. However, the latest survey suggests that investors are overly pessimistic. First, Goer expects to resume production of AirPods Pro 2, which will help it regain revenue and profit momentum. Secondly, orders for AirPods 2, AirPods 3 and other components have been confirmed unaffected. Finally, Goer has received orders for HomePod mini 2 NPI and assembly and expects to ship large quantities in 2H24. The conclusion is that the worst of the negative impact of the AirPods Pro 2 quality issue is over, and the current situation is far better than investors thought.
