A new version of AirPods have been anticipated for a while, and Apple came out with the first beta for iOS 12.2 that may give a hint to one of its features. The beta includes a setup interface for “Hey Siri” that mentions hands-free voice commands. This feature is definitely for the new AirPods as the the old ones have no way to listen to speech so new hardware would have to be the answer. No other leaks about new AirPods have been uncovered yet in the iOS beta. The original AirPods hit shelves over two years ago, but there have been rumors of an updated set for months. Bloomberg reported last June that Apple was preparing a slight AirPods revamp with a new chip and “Hey Siri” support for release by the end of 2018 probably to hit the holiday shopping rush. That never happened, but this new iOS info suggests Apple is still preparing for their launch, and it might be coming soon.

At the time, Bloomberg also said a high end version of AirPods with noise cancelation, water resistance, and extended wireless range are under development and planned for a 2019 release. Recently, DigiTimes claimed that Apple will launch second-generation AirPods with health-monitoring features in the first half of this year. Many people have also noted that Apple’s September event kicked off with a video where someone said “Hey Siri” while wearing AirPods.

No one knows when exactly iOS 12.2 will be available for consumer use, unfortunately, so it’s hard to predict when the new AirPods might show up. Each iOS update usually goes through several beta revisions before a wide public release, so it could be a month or two if not longer. It is also possible that any mention of this new “Hey Siri” feature could be deleted in the next beta. That being similar to the way Apple removed AirPlay 2 and Group FaceTime from prior iOS betas until they were fully ready in later updates. But again, the new setup interface isn’t visible to users, so it could be something Apple was purposefully trying to hide for now.

Apple recently released new Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. The company is also rumored to finally be approaching availability of its AirPower wireless charging mat for iPhones, the Apple Watch, and AirPods. Apple originally showed off an updated AirPods case with wireless charging capabilities when it first announced AirPower. If AirPower is also almost ready, that case could be part of the refreshed AirPods hardware when Apple eventually brings them to market. They’re definitely due for an update at this point, as battery life is not as strong for early buyers, and many would like a new and improved set when they get a replacement.