New AirPods Pro and iPhone SE Rumored to Launch in April 2021
After sharing potential details about upcoming iPad mini, iPad, iPad Pro, and iPhone 13 models earlier this week, Japanese blog Mac Otakara now claims that Apple plans to release both second-generation AirPods Pro and a third-generation iPhone SE in April 2021, with the information once again coming from Chinese supplier sources.

The report claims that the new AirPods Pro will come with a slightly redesigned charging case. Specifically, the report claims the case will remain 21mm thick, but will have a height of 46mm and a width of 54mm. The current AirPods Pro charging case has a height of 45.2mm and a width of 60.6mm, so the new case will apparently be slightly narrower.
The report does not offer any further details about either the AirPods Pro or iPhone SE. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that Apple is aiming to make the second-generation AirPods Pro more compact by eliminating the stem that sticks out from the bottom, but it's unclear if Apple will achieve this. Gurman said Apple had a design in testing with a more rounded shape that fills more of the ear, similar to Google's Pixel Buds.
As for the iPhone SE, most rumors have centered upon a larger Plus-sized variant of the device with a 5.5-inch or 6.1-inch display, which analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said will launch in the second half of 2021. Given that Mac Otakara refers to the upcoming model as a "third-generation" iPhone SE, however, it is possible that Apple plans to stick with a 4.7-inch display like the second-generation iPhone SE — it's unclear.
Apple released the current AirPods Pro at the end of October 2019, while the second-generation iPhone SE launched in April 2020.
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