Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (2024)

by Joe Rossignol

Apple plans to release lower-cost AirPods later this year, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain.

Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (1)
In a research note today with investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said a Foxconn subsidiary will be one of the suppliers of the lower-cost AirPods. Pu said Foxconn will ramp up AirPods assembly at a factory in India in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously said Apple plans to release two fourth-generation AirPods models in September or October, including entry-level and mid-tier models. He said both models will feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C port, while the mid-tier model will also feature active noise cancellation and a speaker for Find My location tracking. It is unclear if the lower-priced AirPods and the entry-level fourth-generation AirPods are the same product, but it seems plausible.

Pu also expects updated AirPods Max to be released in the fourth quarter of 2024. Gurman previously said a USB-C charging port will be the only new feature for the over-ear headphones, and new color options are also a possibility.

Related Roundup: AirPods 3

Tag: Jeff Pu

Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Don't Buy)

Related Forum: AirPods

[ 74 comments ]

Top Rated Comments

filmgirl

1 week ago

I have such a love/hate relationship with my AirPods Max. I refuse to charge my AirPods Max in the stupid bra (which I have also misplaced and I categorically refuse to buy a replacement from Apple…it is somewhere) so the battery life (which was never good at launch and is even worse years later, and this pair was replaced under warranty in December 2022 right before the AppleCare+ expired) is not great and I get to have the fun of manually re-pairing them every few days. I also don’t love the comfort and the noise cancellation isn’t as good as my Sony's. The sound quality is quite good, especially for spatial audio, but I have better headphones for serious listening. All things considered, these are absolutely the worst $550 headphones I own, and I own a lot of headphones in this price range.

That said, I’m counting down the days for the next generation, because even if the only change is a USB-C port, these are an instant-buy. The auto-pairing is just too good across devices and as much as it pains me, if my current pair died tomorrow, I’d be ordering a replacement immediately.

I do hope that whatever Sonos comes out with and whatever Sony's successor headphones are will encourage Apple to do a little more than just adding a USB-C port, but I doubt it. In any event, I look at my pink AirPods Max with disdain and look forward to replacing them with a pair I hate almost as much.

Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

vegetassj4

1 week ago

What is old is new again:

Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (4)

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

gigapocket1

1 week ago


What is old is new again:

Wow.. Can't believe those were 99.99....

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

JoeG4

1 week ago


I have such a love/hate relationship with my AirPods Max. I refuse to charge my AirPods Max in the stupid bra

I hate that stupid bra less than I thought I would, but I also don't understand why they insisted on it. I bought them because I loved how convenient using my gen 2 airpods is. But I really like over-ear cans and needed something with noise cancellation. But I can't just have it sitting on my desk, it has to be in that case. lol.

That said, the case. I don't really care about headphone cases because the headphones live on my desk. Quite the opposite: I don't want to have to use a case. I get that having a power button isn't very Apple, but this seems to have been the perfect situation to have a power button. Or at least make them go to sleep when you turn the earcaps sideways! although I don't care much for that one...

Or if they wanted to sell overpriced crap, they could've made them detect when they were placed laying down on their side and/or when someone sets them on a special "Made for Airpods Max" stand. (oo plus points if the stand charged the airpods wirelessly!)

While we're at it: They can't be serious about "being eco friendly" with that headband. The design doesn't allow you to easily swap the mesh out. Why?! Who thought this was a good idea?!

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

syklee26

1 week ago

Lower cost AirPods..... would the sound chip be sold separately?

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Jetson

1 week ago

Will Apple ever give us BACK our 3.5mm headphone jacks?

I really dislike these earbuds. They fall out, often they fail within days of purchasing them, the sound quality is all over the place, etc.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Read All Comments

Popular Stories

Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (9)

When to Expect the Next iPad Mini and Low-End iPad Models to Launch

Sunday April 7, 2024 6:45 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

While rumors have been focused on new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, some Apple customers are wondering when the next iPad mini will be released. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said new iPad mini and entry-level iPad models will be released in late 2024 at the earliest. "The company is also working on new versions of the low-end iPad and iPad mini, but those...

Read Full Article79 comments

Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (10)

Best Buy Introduces Record Low Prices Across Every 10th Gen iPad

Sunday April 7, 2024 8:01 am PDT by Mitchel Broussard

Following a few notable discounts on MacBooks yesterday, Best Buy today introduced a sale on the 10th generation iPad, including numerous all-time low prices on the tablet. Prices start at $349.00 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model, and include $100 markdowns on both Wi-Fi and cellular devices. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may...

Read Full Article35 comments

Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (11)

Gurman: New iPads Likely to Launch During Second Week of May

Sunday April 7, 2024 5:10 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple will likely launch new iPad Pro and iPad Air models during the second week of May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "For those looking for more specific timing, I'm told the launch will probably happen the week of May 6," said Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "Another data point to that end: Apple retail stores are preparing to receive new product marketing materials...

Read Full Article91 comments

Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (12)

When to Expect a New Apple TV to Launch

Tuesday April 9, 2024 8:30 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

It has been nearly a year and a half since the current Apple TV was released, so the device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade. Below, we recap rumors about the next Apple TV, including potential features and launch timing. The current model is the third-generation Apple TV 4K, announced in October 2022. Key new features compared to the previous model from 2021 include a faster A15...

Read Full Article119 comments

Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (13)

Alleged iPhone 16 Battery Details Show Smaller Capacity for One Model

Tuesday April 9, 2024 3:46 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup will feature bigger battery capacities compared to previous-generation models with the exception of the iPhone 16 Plus, which will have a smaller battery than its predecessor. That's according to the Chinese Weibo-based leaker OvO Baby Sauce OvO, a relatively new source of supply chain leaks with an as-yet unproven track record for accuracy. The iPhone 16 ...

Read Full Article40 comments

Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (14)

iPhone 16 Pro Expected Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday April 2, 2024 7:50 am PDT by MacRumors Staff

While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still months away from launching, there are already over a dozen rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected for the devices so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of April 2024:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with large...

Read Full Article

Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (15)

Microsoft Says Windows Laptops With Snapdragon X Elite Will Be Faster Than M3 MacBook Air

Monday April 8, 2024 10:00 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Microsoft will advertise that its upcoming Windows laptops with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processor are faster than the MacBook Air with Apple's latest M3 chip, according to internal documents obtained by The Verge. "Microsoft is so confident in these new Qualcomm chips that it's planning a number of demos that will show how these processors will be faster than an M3 MacBook Air for CPU...

Read Full Article432 comments

Lower-Cost AirPods and New AirPods Max Said to Launch Later This Year (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Francesca Jacobs Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 6035

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (68 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Francesca Jacobs Ret

Birthday: 1996-12-09

Address: Apt. 141 1406 Mitch Summit, New Teganshire, UT 82655-0699

Phone: +2296092334654

Job: Technology Architect

Hobby: Snowboarding, Scouting, Foreign language learning, Dowsing, Baton twirling, Sculpting, Cabaret

Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.