Apple fans will most likely approve of what Ming-Chi Kuo has to say about their beloved devices. For years, the TF International Securities analyst has been predicting all things Apple; Kou emits a feeling of accuracy in his forecasts that he could be mistaken as someone who works at Apple. In other words, Kuo's laser-guided insights are as good as it gets.
If we are to believe Kuo's latest exploit, we could see Apple releasing two new AirPods in the months leading to the later stage of the fourth quarter of this year to quarter one of 2010. 9to5Mac quoted Kuo's "4Q10-1Q20" roadmap as Apple's tentative date to release their next-generation wireless earbuds.
According to the website, one of the new Airpod models will be an "iterative update" of an existing model, while the other will be a relatively new version. It will handle an "all-new form factor" and as such, Apple will also be giving it a higher sticker price. The former model, on the other hand, will duplicate the same value of the current AirPods, which costs between $150 and $199.
9to5Mac's report came in just hours after Digitimes proposed that Apple is contacting "assemblers and suppliers" to develop the "AirPods 3." It added that the main feature of the new AirPods will be noise cancellation, while Bloomberg's Mark Gurman added that it would also be water resistant.
The same website rallied on a certain aspect by Apple to use SiP, or "system-in-package" design. This will modify how "AirPods are manufactured" and in the process improve assembly rate, save space and reduces production cost. CNBC meanwhile sees that a new set of AirPods with a new price will play a vital role in Apple's average sales price. A new version can also open for a new market and entice new users to buy the wireless audio device.
Kuo's "bullish" prediction can also be a factor and a dividing line on Apple's current vision of having a new pair of AirPods in the market. The analyst estimated 52million AirPods will be shipped this year and around 75million to 85 million next year. On a separate study, independent analyst Neil Cybert projected that Apple will sell 40million pairs this year.
If Kuo is again spot-on on this endeavor, the next-generation AirPods are expected to come out of Inventec and Luxshare Precision's factory. This will be the last step of Apple in 2019 and an early stride next year to carry on their dream to promote a "truly wireless earbuds." Microsoft and Amazon also working on their own wireless devices and this should keep Apple on their toes.
