In October 2019, Apple released the AirPods Pro worldwide. Since then, fans haven't seen an updated headphone version, but that could change soon. 

Apple is said to be working on a new and upgraded version of the AirPods Pro called the AirPods Pro 2, and there could be some design changes and additional features in store. 

AirPods Pro 2 Design

The AirPods Pro has a shorter stem than the original AirPods, but the AirPods Pro 2 could have no stem at all. 

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple wants to make the new headphones more compact by removing the short stem that sticks out from the bottom. 

Apple is currently testing a more rounded shape, which would mean that the headphones might look more similar to something like the Google Pixel Buds or the Samsung Galaxy Buds, both of which are stemless, but the tech giant might not be able to make it. 

Also Read: AirPods Pro 2 Might Offer Heart Rate Detection, Find My, and Other Accessibility Functions 

Despite the rumors of a headphone redesign that eliminates the stem, leaked images of the unreleased headphone discovered by MacRumors suggest otherwise and, in fact, show that AirPods Pro could have a couple of design changes. 

The AirPods in the pictures do not have a stemless design, as has been rumored, and the source that leaked the images said that the headphone will not have the stemless design. 

The person that gave the images to MacRumors said they were from an internal source that works for the tech giant, and while they can't be verified, there are signs that suggest they are accurate. 

Pictures posted by MacRumors show a charging case with speaker holes on the bottom and a hole for a lanyard at the side.

The speaker holes are for the "Find My Feature" that will allow the case to be locatable even when the headphone is not inside, with the case able to play a sound when lost, according to 9to5Mac. 

Analysis suggests that the headphone have skin-detect sensors, similar to the third-generation AirPods. In fact, the sensors in the images are the exact same size and orientation as the third-generation AirPods, lending authenticity to the images and indicating an AirPods 3-like design. 

52Audio also reported that Apple would not significantly change the design of the AirPods Pro. The images on the site feature a chassis with a stem and a design that is similar to the AirPods 3. 

Updated H1 Chip on AirPods Pro 2

Reports also suggest that AirPods Pro will include a new H1 chip with an upgraded version of the SiP packaging system and a self-adaptive noise cancellation feature. 

The headphones are expected to offer better performance and improved power consumption thanks to the new chip.

Heart Rate Detection and Other Sensors Added to AirPods Pro 2

Reports also suggest that the headphone might be able to detect heart rate or body temperature from within the ear of the user, but other reports say that it is not going to happen.

Lossless Support on AirPods Pro 2

Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst, believes that AirPods Pro 2 will have support for Apple Lossless audio or ALAC, and this is considered a major upgrade. 

The current AirPods and AirPods Pro models do not support ALAC because the play audio of the headphones uses Bluetooth and is limited to the AAC codec.

The AirPods Pro 2 will be released in December. 

Related Article: Apple AirPods Pro 2 Unlikely to Introduce Rumored Body Temperature, Heart Rate Sensors 

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Written by Sophie Webster