KGI: Second-Generation Apple AirPods Coming in 2018

In a note to investors, the analyst said Cupertino might be working on hardware improvements for the next set of Apple AirPods, which could have a higher averaging selling price than its predecessor. The new model could feature a smaller quartz component from supplier TXC. However, externally Kuo doesn’t expect the new model to look much different than the original.

Despite launching one year ago, Apple AirPods remain in short supply. Kuo believes the critical bottleneck remains printed circuit boards for the popular earphones which are challenging to produce.

(On Monday, it was reported new Apple AirPods orders won’t arrive in time for Christmas delivery as demand once again exceeded supply.)

Previously, the analyst said he expected Apple AirPods supply to improve next year, allowing shipments to grow 100 percent year over year in the range of 26 to 28 million units. The analyst said Apple had improved non-holiday AirPods delivery times by adding assembler Luxshare into the supply chain. Until recently, Inventec was the sole manufacturer for AirPods.

With history as a guide, the second-generation Apple AirPods are likely to be announced next September, followed by a release before the end of next year.

What would you most like to see on second-generation Apple AirPods? Let us know below.