With the money, what will you receive?
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Rumor has it that Apple plans to introduce two additional pairs of AirPods later this year. However, a recent rumor implies that they might not live up to our expectations. Indeed, according to analyst Jeff Pu (via MacRumors), two inexpensive AirPods may be released later this year along with the AirPods Max 2.
According to the earlier Bloomberg speculation, both the mid-range and low-cost AirPods should be released later this year. We anticipated that would manifest as the AirPods 4 and AirPods Lite. But Pu's assertion raises the possibility that this isn't really the case.
According to Pu's latest research report from Haitong International Securities, Foxconn will be the supplier of the less expensive AirPods. It appears that assembly will "ramp up" in the current year's fourth quarter. Pu, meantime, says that the AirPods Max 2 will be available before the year is over. It's unclear if that implies the AirPods Lite would also launch in Q4 2024.
However, it makes likely that Apple would want to make sure its newest versions are out before the holidays, considering how well-liked AirPods are. Since Black Friday 2024 usually coincides with some of the best deals on AirPods models, it makes more sense to make the announcement before that day.
There is undoubtedly some inconsistency between these two rumors. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the two pairs of AirPods earphones will come with a ton of extra features, such as USB-C, better sound quality, updated design, and charging capabilities. It was also reported that the mid-range AirPods 4 will include a speaker for Find My device tracking in addition to active noise suppression.
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Gurman has asserted in the past that there won't be many changes to the next AirPods Max. Rather than any significant internal improvements, we're talking about the addition of USB-C charging and maybe some new colors. which, to be honest, isn't a release that should be celebrated too much.
We can only hope that Apple will just create USB-C AirPods Max to replace the versions with a Lightning connector, much like it did with the USB-C AirPods Pro 2. In the meanwhile, there can be a bit more ceremony surrounding the simultaneous introduction of the AirPods Lite and AirPods 4, assuming they are coming.
Gurman stated that these two earbud sets will be available in September or October, which implies that the iPhone 16 may be introduced alongside them. We'll just have to wait and be patient to find out what Apple is truly planned, though.