The following era of Apple’s well-liked AirPods headphones might launch within the second half of 2024, or first half of 2025, in line with a brand new prediction from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The lineup will reportedly embrace a extra reasonably priced pair of AirPods priced at $99, in addition to a brand new mannequin of Apple’s over-ear AirPods Max headphones (launched in 2020).
The rumored $99 AirPods would undercut the value of Apple’s present most reasonably priced AirPods (its second-generation mannequin) by $30. In the meantime, the third-generation AirPods presently promote for $169 for a mannequin that prices through a wired Lightning cable solely, or for $179 with a case that may cost wirelessly through MagSafe. Decreasing the value of the entry-level AirPods mannequin mirrors what Apple did with its Apple TV lineup final 12 months, when it launched a brand new set-top field that was $50 cheaper than its previously most affordable version.
Kuo beforehand reported that Apple can be launching a brand new USB-C charging case for “all” its AirPods models in 2023, round a 12 months sooner than he’s now predicting the arrival of the next-gen headphones. However the two stories don’t essentially contradict one another. In spite of everything, Apple might refresh its AirPods charging {cases} in 2023 however go away the precise earbuds unchanged till 2024 or 2025.