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The more affordable option could arrive with a new generation of AirPods Max, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says.
Andrew Blok
Associate Editor
Andrew Blok has been an associate editor at CNET covering HVAC and home energy, with a focus on solar since October 2021. As an environmental journalist, he navigates the changing energy landscape to help people make smart energy decisions. He’s a graduate of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State and wrote for several publications in the Great Lakes region, including Great Lakes Now and Environmental Health News since 2019. You can find him in western Michigan watching birds.
These could be getting a cheaper update.
James Martin/CNET
A tech analyst is predicting cheaper AirPods and a new generation of AirPods Max could ship as early as late 2024 or early 2025. Apple is aiming for a price of $99 for its budget earbuds, Ming-Chi Kuo said on Twitter Wednesday.
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The next-generation AirPods will likely begin mass shipments in 2H24 or 1H25, including more affordable AirPods (with Apple targeting a price of $99) and new AirPods Max, which will be assembled by Luxshare ICT and Hon Teng.— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) January 12, 2023
That price would beat Apple’s suggested price for its most affordable AirPods (second generation) by $30. The second-generation AirPods have regularly retailed for $99 from other sellers, like Amazon, in recent months. The current generation of AirPods Max headphones have a suggested retail price of $549.
Apple sells its third-generation AirPods for $169 and its second-generation AirPods Pro for $249.
Apple did not respond to request for comment.
