What’s next for AirPods?

There’s growing speculation that Apple will be launching their next generation of AirPods sometime this year, so I thought it would be interesting to try to predict what might be in their next generation of earbuds.  The hearables market is moving very quickly and there’s no shortage of technology for Apple to choose from.  But the AirPods are a little different to anything else that Apple has ever brought to market.

The biggest difference is the way it has changed their development model.  Historically, Apple is a follower.  They don’t invent product categories – they wait for other major companies to create the market, then come in with a slicker product which delights customers.  They concentrate on everything which is needed for people to feel that Apple invented the experience.  After that, they create clear water between themselves and their competitors by constantly increasing the level of delight.  The AirPod is arguably the first product where Apple have made the market themselves.  There was a smattering of crowdfunded earbuds before the AirPods were announced, but they were only shipping in tens of thousands.  In contrast, AirPods are shipping in the millions.   For once, Apple wasn’t competing with established industry giants, but small, often poorly funded startups.  That’s what makes the question of what might be in an AirPod 2 or AirPod 3 so interesting.

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