Apple AirPods Max.
Todd Haselton | CNBC
Apple plans to release new versions of several AirPods models next year, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Apple’s wireless headphones business has become a moneymaker for the company and requires regular updates to keep the product fresh and demand high. Since they were first announced in 2016, Apple’s wireless white buds have become ubiquitous on big-city mass transit and inside offices and schools around the country.
Apple’s most high-end $549 noise-canceling headphones, the AirPods Max, could get a refresh with a USB-C charging port and new colors, according to the report. The $129 entry-level AirPods and the $169 middle-tier model will reportedly be replaced with “fourth-generation” models with a new design, short stems and, on some versions, noise canceling.
Apple’s AirPods Pro, which cost $249, got minor updates last year, and this fall added a model with a USB-C port. They could be updated in 2025, according to Bloomberg.
In the fall, Apple updated the AirPods Pros with a new software feature that uses artificial intelligence to make it easier for users to leave their earbuds in all day by automatically turning down noise cancelation when a user talks.
Apple reports AirPods sales under its Wearables, Home and Accessories product line, which reported $41 billion in revenue in Apple’s fiscal 2022. That figure also includes Apple Watch sales.
The Wearables segment was Apple’s third-largest line of business in 2022 after iPhone and Services.
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