Apple's next-generation in-ear AirPods product will move to a more complex system-in-package chip solution, replacing surface mount technology used in current versions of the device, according to TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The Cupertino tech giant will introduce the chip packaging technology in its entry-level AirPods product for the first time in 2021, Kuo said in a research note Monday.

Kuo in Monday's note reiterates Apple's intent to transition the so-called "AirPods 3" to a design akin to AirPods Pro, a move that sunsets a long-in-the-tooth design first seen in 2016.

With "AirPods 3" expected in the first half of 2021, current-generation AirPods Pro part suppliers should see component shipments grow an estimated 50% to 100% year over year, Kuo notes.

Despite the new "AirPods 3" design, overall AirPods shipments are anticipated to slow in 2021, growing 28% year over year.