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Report: Apple is planning new high-end AirPods with major upgrades
The Apple Inc. division responsible for accessories such as the AirPods wireless earbuds recorded $12.9 billion in revenue during the last fiscal year. This morning, Bloomberg reported that the company plans to double down with a set of new devices that could launch as early as next year.
The publication’s sources said one of the products in the works is a heavily upgraded AirPods model. According to the report, the next-generation earbuds are set to feature noise cancellation technology and will provide water resistance.
Apple is reportedly working on a number of more ambitious features as well. According to the tipsters, the company is trying to extend the maximum range from which a user’s AirPods can connect to iOS devices and has looked into adding biometric sensors. The latter enhancement, which is still on the drawing board, could potentially allow the company to harness the earbuds as part of its wearables-centric healthcare strategy.
The biometric sensors and extended range may not make it into the next AirPods should Apple move to release it in 2019. Nonetheless, one of the tipsters said the model is still “likely” to cost more than the current $159 version.
On top of the upgraded AirPods, Apple is reportedly planning to bolster its audio portfolio with two more product additions. The first is a new series of over-ear headphones said to be a higher-end alternative to the company’s Beats line, while the other is an enhanced version of the HomePod smart speaker. There’s no information yet about what specific features users can expect.
From a competitive standpoint, the HomePod upgrade could carry a great deal of significance. The music-focused speaker is Apple’s answer to Amazon.com Inc.’s Echo devices and Alphabet Inc.’s Google Home, which boast tens of millions of users.
The iPhone maker has lagged behind its rivals partially because of the HomePod’s comparatively limited capabilities. A future iteration of the system that addresses these shortcomings could make Apple more competitive in the increasingly important smart speaker market.
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