AirPods have an iconic design and one that's been copied by several other brands, but that look is apparently going to get a drastic overhaul with Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro when they arrive later in 2022. Apple makes earbuds under two brands - the popular AirPods and Beats lines. While there are similar features between the different lines, the design is one of the major differences.

AirPods are one of the best-selling earbuds with the company understood to be shipping millions of units each year. At the moment, Apple offers three models - the AirPods 2 that are sold for $129, the AirPods 3 priced at $179, and the $249 AirPods Pro. In late 2020, the company also extended the AirPods brand name to its first over-the-ear headphones, the AirPods Max which sell for $549.

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Apple's AirPods are known to have a stem that sticks out of the wearer's ears. However, when the AirPods Pro launched in 2019, they had shorter stems. The 2021 AirPods 3 also arrived with stems as well, but that might not be the case with the upcoming AirPods Pro 2. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who often shares details about Apple's plans, the next-generation AirPods Pro will completely ditch stems in favor of a design that more closely resembles the Beats Studio Buds. If correct, this will be quite a radical change considering the stem was originally popularized by Apple.

More Than Just Design Changes

Galaxy Buds Series

The AirPods Pro 2 are expected to launch later this year, possibly alongside the iPhone 14 series. However, a new design is just one of the rumored features. An earlier report stated that the wireless earbuds will have a new chip that replaces the H1 chip inside the current model. It has also been rumored that the earbuds will support Lossless Audio via a new connectivity method, as Bluetooth doesn't support the codec. Another reported feature, this time design-related, is a new carrying case with a built-in speaker. The speaker will emit sounds when a user tries to find their earbuds using the Find My app.

While Apple appears to be embracing a new stem-less design for the AirPods Pro, there are multiple brands that have been offering stem-free earbuds for years. Among the most popular are Samsung's Galaxy Buds line, the Google Pixel Buds A-Series, and Sony's WF-1000XM series. Of course, even if Apple does join the stem-less design train, that's not to say the selection of AirPods Pro colors will be any better than now.

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Source: Bloomberg