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Apple is said to be prepping a massive overhaul of its audio wearable portfolio, and among them are plans to give a serious audiophile upgrade to the entry-level AirPods. According to Bloomberg, the company is working on the fourth-generation AirPods that will make their way to the market in 2024.
Interestingly, Apple will reportedly sell the base AirPods in two variants, a first for the company. The high-end version will offer Active Noise Cancellation, a tech usually reserved for premium wearables, and negates external noise to offer a more immersive listening experience. So far, Apple has kept the noise cancellation (and transparency mode) features limited to the AirPods Pro earbuds line-up.
Apple’s decision to bestow the vanilla AirPods with an ANC upgrade apparently comes in the wake of sub-par third-generation AirPods sales. Then there is the market factor. Brands such as SoundCore, 1More, Jabra, and JLab offer noise cancellation perks at a dramatically lower asking price than the AirPods, which currently go for $169.
AirPods Max are in line for an update
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Interestingly, Apple wants to phase out both second and third-generation AirPods next year as it launches the fourth iteration of its wildly popular wireless earbuds. Aside from noise cancellation, the upcoming AirPods will also serve a fresh design with a smaller stem hanging outside the ear canal, a USB Type-C port on the charging case, and an onboard speaker that sends beeps to help locate them in case they are misplaced.
There is no word how much Apple is going to charge for the fourth-generation AirPods, but one can safely assume an asking price of around $200, considering the $249 premium that Apple currently demands for the second-gen AirPods Pro. As far as Pro models go, the Bloomberg report mentions that an update is due for 2025 and that it will come with fresh looks and a new audio chip in tow.
Aside from the basic AirPods, Apple is also touted to be working on the second-generation AirPods Max headphones that will arrive next year. Naturally, they will also shift to USB Type-C port for charging and also get some new color options. The design likely won’t get an overhaul, but there could be some new audio improvements and health-centric features in tow.
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