Anonymous sources have told Nikkei that Apple plans to start production on a new set of AirPods in August, suggesting they might see a release in the latter half of 2021. Details on the next Apple AirPods are still scarce—mostly speculation or rumors—but if Nikkei’s sources are correct, we won’t have to resort to educated guesses for much longer. Along with the rumblings of new AirPods production, Nikkei’s sources also say that Apple is planning to drop 4G altogether for 2022, instead making all new iPhones 5G-capable. This 5G capability would be extended to a new version of its popular iPhone SE model, which hasn’t seen an update for the past couple of years. The expectation is that the new iPhone SE will use a 4.7-inch LCD display (sorry, no OLED) and physically resemble the iPhone 8. It’s also being said that Apple will begin ramping up production of its iPhones (both current and new) in August. This would put it on pace to potentially release both the new AirPods and the new iPhone SE by early 2022. It’s worth noting that these are all projected goals, and that it is possible for things to take longer than expected due to a number of factors. It’s presumed that the new iPhone SE will continue the model’s trend of carrying a price tag that’s a couple hundred dollars less than its contemporaries. However, with no official word from Apple on the matter, we can’t be sure of specific numbers just yet.
