AirPods 2 could be here next month – and might even appear in black

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It's not easy trying to keep track of the AirPods 2 rumors: first they're said to be coming in the first half of 2019, then the next insider tip-off is late in 2019, and now a new report from China says the upgraded wireless earbuds could be here as soon as March.

Let's hope the Economic Daily News is right and the AirPods 2 are only a month away, because we can't take much more waiting. The outlet says supply chain sources point to an imminent launch – maybe at Apple's rumored March event.

The new report also echoes something we've heard before, that Apple is going to add a new black color option as well as white, giving you double the choice. The price will remain the same at $159/£159 apparently.

• Apple hasn't said much about the AirPods 2 so far
• Check out what we thought of the original AirPods
• Don't forget that Apple makes computers too

With Apple's March event tipped to be about digital services rather than hardware, we'd take talk of an early AirPods 2 launch with a pinch of salt for now. That said, the new report does match up with previous rumors we've heard.

AirPower to the people

The Economic Daily News also makes mention of Apple's long-awaited AirPower charging mat, which is now said to be almost ready for a launch after a lengthy delay.

With the AirPods 2 said to be coming with an upgraded wireless charging case that adds AirPower compatibility, it makes sense for the two devices to be unveiled at the same time. The mat was first teased by Apple back in 2017.

Since then a succession of engineering problems have reportedly been pushing the launch date further and further back – so let's hope 2019 is the year when we can finally charge our earbuds, phone, and Apple Watch on one Apple-branded mat.

Most rumors now seem to point to a 2019 launch for both the AirPods 2 and the AirPower mat, and it could be a very busy year for Apple in terms of new hardware.

• Here's everything we know about the AirPods 2 so far

Via AppleInsider

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