Photo: Stephen Lam (Getty Images)
Despite the fact that Apple’s wireless earbuds called Airpods were mostly ridiculed on the web when they were first presented, they’ve proven to be quite good. These earbuds brought along a number of useful features like pausing music when one earbud is out, contacting Siri with a double-tap, and obviously more freedom since they’re completely wireless. Now the rumors surfaced about the possible features in the second generation of Airpods that will be released this year along with hints of the third generation in 2019. Besides all that, it is said that Apple is actually working on brand new over-the-ear headphones to be released in 2018 as well. Here is what we know so far.
The first upgrade that will make Airpod 2 superior to its predecessor is the new wireless chip. Right now, the earbuds work on W1, which wasn’t that reliable when connecting via Bluetooth. Considering how the latest Apple Watch already has W2, it seems logical that the second generation Airpods will have that as well. The great thing about W2 is that it offers greater speed but not at the expense of battery life. All this being said, Apple might decide to skip a generation and offer earbuds with a whole new chip, but we still don’t know for sure.
Another feature that will reportedly find its place in Apple’s new product is the voice command option for Siri. Admittedly, tapping the Airpods twice to activate the personal assistant doesn’t sound like too much work, but they still decided to make it even easier. The users will now be able to activate the little helper simply by saying the phrase “Hey Siri.” However, should we be concerned about that? Does that mean that the microphone is actually constantly recording until it recognizes the phrase? It may sound like a conspiracy theory, but it’s certainly something to think about.
There’s also something that’s not a rumor but a fact — the new Airpods will also be released with the new battery cases that have the ability to charge wirelessly. These will work with Apple’s Air Power mat charger that is rumored to be shipped in March. Now, this is not the only wireless charger in the market but is, for now, the only one that allows charging of up to three different devices at the same time. So you can use it to charge your Apple Watch, your iPhone and Airpods all in one go. That is quite useful.
Of course, the third generation is still quite far away, but according to some rumors, Airpods 3 will finally introduce waterproof earbuds everyone is eagerly waiting. Before you ask, no, you won’t be able to dive in the ocean with them, but you won’t be bothered by the pouring rain.
Apple’s Upcoming Headphones
These earbuds are, interestingly, not the only product audio product Apple is currently working on. Rumor has it that the company is also creating their own over-the-ear headphones of the highest quality that will be available by the end of the year. Obviously the technology will be similar to Airpods, except that the sound quality will be much higher along with the price. Apple knows that some people just can’t stand earbuds and want to offer an alternative. This sounds somewhat unnecessary considering that the company already owns Dr. Dre’s Beats headphones but perhaps it’s just a matter of creating something with the distinct Apple mark.
In any case, we’re excited to see what other features the new Apple products might give us in the future. What is something you’d like to see? Feel free to share in the comment section below.
