Apple’s range of wireless headphones has arguably never looked or sounded better. And if the latest rumors are anything to go by, there could be a few interesting additions on the horizon.
Well, when we say horizon, we’re talking a little further away than a month or two. At least that’s what we’re led to believe by renowned analyst (and leaker) Ming-Chi Kuo. He posted on Twitter that he believes a new pair of in-ear AirPods will likely ship in the second half of 2024 or the first half of 2025.
(4/5) The next-gen AirPods will likely start shipping in bulk in 2H24 or 1H25, including more affordable AirPods (with Apple targeting a price of $99) and new AirPods Max, which will be assembled by Luxshare ICT and Hon Teng.January 12, 2023
He also suggested they cost $99, which would be a new cheaper price for Apple’s wireless earbuds. Currently the cheapest pair on sale through Apple is the AirPods 2, which retail for $129 / £139 / AU$219. Launching a sub-$100 pair would certainly raise some eyebrows and uncomfortable reading for some rival manufacturers who have fought hard to secure their own share of the budget earbud market.
The news follows a report in early January from analyst Jeff Pu who also claimed that Apple is working on a cheap pair of earbuds he called “AirPods Lite.”
But back to Kuo, who also claims that a new version of the AirPods Max will likely appear around the same time as the earbuds. The original AirPods Max launched in 2020, so it’s not unreasonable to expect a new AirPods Max 2 or possibly a cheaper version, as the current pair officially cost £549 / $549 / AU$899. That would certainly give Sony, Bose et al even more food for thought.
LAKE:
Read our Apple AirPods Max review
And our Apple AirPods 3 review
Our pick of the best AirPods you can buy
And, if you want more choices, the best wireless headphones