The current wireless headphone lineup of Apple AirPods is pretty great. It has pretty much for everyone. Want an over-ear headphone?
You have the Max with an attractive space gray color. Want high-fidelity audio but on wireless buds? There’s the AirPods Pro 2.
However, the entry-level AirPods are just not entry-level enough. Well, that is exactly where the new AirPods will slide in.
Apple plans to launch affordable wireless buds, which will go by the name of AirPods Lite. And according to recent reports, it will have most of the features you generally find in the non-pro AirPods.
The report comes from a reputable analyst and a reliable leaker, Ming-Chi Kuo. In a tweet, he posted that a new pair of in-ear wireless buds is about to ship in the second half of 2024 or the first half of 2025.
In the tweet, he also suggested that the affordable wireless buds from Apple could come under $100. That is a pretty cheap price tag for an Apple AirPods.
Currently, the cheapest one that you can get is the AirPods 2. And Apple launching something under $100 is undoubtedly a thing to raise eyebrows.
This move from Apple could make the Apple AirPods lineup more accessible to people. And if Apple does launch the Lite that offers good listening time with a single charge, the buds will indeed threaten the current budget-friendly wireless buds in the market.
However, do not expect the Apple AirPods Lite to come with high-end features. For example, Transparency and Active Noise Cancellation modes. Those will not make sense for Apple in this price bracket.
Even so, an AirPods Lite that performs like the Apple AirPods 2 would be a great entry-level option. It can indeed take on the current affordable offerings from Anker, Xiaomi, and OnePlus.
In other news, Apple is also launching a new AirPods Max pretty soon. It can launch alongside the AirPods Lite. And given the fact that the original AirPods Max debuted back in 2020, we are pretty much due for an upgrade.
As the naming convention goes, the new headphones can come with AirPods Max 2 name. Or, as it is launching with the AirPods Lite, it can be a cheaper option than the current AirPods Max.
We do not know much more about the upcoming Apple AirPods devices. However, we do expect to get more leaks in the forthcoming weeks.
And they appear; hopefully, more things about the upcoming affordable wireless solutions from Apple will become clear.
Slava is a man of mystery and no-one seems to know exactly where he is at any point in time. When he isn't enjoying writing about all things audio and technical he can be found researching his next project of interest. The man never rests.