Apple's 2024 AirPods Lineup May Pack New Entry-Level And Mid-Tier Models
Apple's audio lineup is expanding this year, offering more choices and features to buyers of its non-flagship earbuds. That's according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who claims that Apple is preparing an entry-level and mid-tier variant of the AirPods under the project names B768(E) and B768(M). Poised to replace the second and third-generation AirPods, the upcoming true wireless earbuds from Apple will reportedly enter mass production in May, weeks ahead of its annual developers conference.
However, it's going to be a while before these refreshed AirPods hit the shelves. With production reportedly scheduled to commence at GoerTek and Luxshare Precision Industry in the coming weeks, Apple is said to be eyeing a market launch for its new audio wearable line somewhere around September or October. It seems the updated AirPods pair will be introduced alongside the iPhone 16 series in the fall season. A previous Bloomberg exclusive claimed that the new AirPods will tag alongside the second-generation AirPods Max over-the-ear headphones (which pack a bunch of features you need to try). Notably, the same report also claimed that the upcoming AirPods will be "priced similarly to the current versions."
A stacked AirPods roadmap
With a two-model strategy, Apple may be targeting consumers across different price brackets and feature requirements. "Both will have a new design, improved fit, and charging cases with USB-C," claims the latest Bloomberg report. Apple already switched to a more ergonomic and AirPods Pro-like design for the 3rd generation AirPods, but it seems like more refinements are on the way for the fourth-generation earbuds.
Notably, the pricier version of the upcoming AirPods duo will stand out courtesy of the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) facility and speakers to help with detecting misplaced earbuds, according to recent reports. On the software side. Apple is reportedly testing a hearing test feature for its upcoming earbuds. There is not much credible information about this feature out there, but it seems to be another accessibility-focused addition.
AirPods already offer a feature called Live Listen that turns a paired iPhone into a makeshift mic, letting users listen to the conversation around them with more clarity. There's another feature called Headphone Accommodations that uses Audiogram data from the Health app to boost specific sounds and frequencies. Apple is reportedly working on a healthy bunch of audio-centric features for the AirPods in iOS 18 that will detailed in the coming months, and in 2025, the company is supposedly planning to update the 2022 AirPods Pro, as well.