Apple AirPods 2 may be released in 2H 2018

Not that it comes as a huge surprise, but Apple is going to release AirPods 2 next year, and, this coming straight from reputed analyst's Ming-Chi Kuo, should serve as a near certain assumption. While the analyst is mum on the new features that the updated AirPods would bring, save for a "smaller quartz component," whatever that means, he still divulged the release date, pegged for some time in the second half of 2018.

Apple announced a new wireless AirPods charging case to go with its AirPower mat way back in September, but neither the wireless charger, nor the case have materialized just yet. It should launch together with AirPower, if Apple wants users to take full advantage of the wireless charging craze that is sweeping its gadgets, and the launch date for this one is tipped to be some time in January.

Interestingly enough, that's exactly when Kuo predicts that Apple will have solved the current AirPods supply bottleneck, which he hints is due to the semi-flexible battery connector production yield issues.