A report by reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo states that the rumoured Apple launch event on March 23 will not feature any audio products, and Apple will only launch refreshed AirPods by the third quarter of this year. Kuo thinks that mass production of the next AirPods will only begin by Q3, as the product is still under development. Kuo also notes in his report that the AirPods Max, wireless over-the-ear headphones that are the company's most expensive audio product, have not seen very high demand. Apple is expected to see declining performance for its audio division this year, going to 78 million shipments as compared to 90 million last year.