If we’re to believe a new report from the (usually well-informed) analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the third-generation AirPods will use the same charging case as the AirPods Pro.
If Kuo is correct, Apple intends to abandon the older case design in favour of the one used in the Pro model. The two cases are similar in appearance but the Pro case opens along the long side instead of the short one; when it first came out we worried that its hinge consequently felt more susceptible to damage, but it’s held up to heavy use without anything going wrong.
This all means that only features will separate Apple’s two sets of wireless earbuds. If you want active noise reduction, improved sound quality and increased water resistance, then AirPods Pro will continue to be the product to go for.
According to Kuo, the third-generation AirPods will be launched some time in the first half of 2021. The second-generation AirPods Pro, for its part, will be delayed until the end of next year or early 2022. Console yourself in the meantime with our roundup of the best AirPods deals.
Kuo also expects sales of AirPods headphones to grow by 65 percent in 2020 and 28 percent in 2021, MacRumors reports.
This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation by David Price.