Apple could be releasing two sets of new AirPods later this year, according to a new report.
The company only just released an update to its smart earbuds. But a further update could come before 2019 is over, one of which might bring a whole host of features.
One of the new models of AirPods will include an “all-new form factor design”, according to usually reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. For that, there will be an increased price, according to the same report, which was first revealed by Macrumors.
It is not clear what features those new, upgraded AirPods could include. Rumors have suggested that Apple is working on health tracking through the ears, noise canceling to stop sound getting in the sides, and other features.
The current AirPods already cost $159 with their normal case or $199 with the wireless charging one. The other pair of AirPods will build on those existing earbuds and presumably cost the same.
Both of them will also come with new designs on the inside, which will allow Apple to make them more easily and cheaply. But it’s not clear what the new ones will look like or how much they will change.
Apple only released an updated version of the buds last month, though it did not refer to them as AirPods 2 and they stayed largely similar. The new earphones feature Apple’s brand-new H1 chip for improved wireless connectivity, increased battery power, and the ability to start “Hey Siri” at any time.
And Apple-owned Beats also introduced its new Powerbeats Pro earphones at the beginning of this month. Though they feature the Beats branding, they include many of the same features, at a higher cost and with improved battery life.