AirPods remain a major financial windfall for Apple. It is not in vain that the brand has divided its range into two categories: the AirPods, which have democratized the wireless headphones market, and the AirPods Pro, the high-end version that stands out for the spatialization of sound, adaptive audio and noise . reduction.
Apple had blurred the lines a bit with its AirPods 3 that sat between the AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro 2, borrowing from both with the addition of audio spatialization and a design close to that of the AirPods Pro, but without the presence of noise reduction or even silicone. tips. And all for a price that had increased by 50 euros.
A strategic choice that doesn’t necessarily pay off and the AirPods 3 have generally been less attractive than their predecessors. Therefore, according to Mark Gurman, it is time for change.
Everything for USB-C
The Bloomberg journalist explains it in his latest newsletter Switched on that Apple would consider launching two models of the future AirPods 4 scheduled for 2024. If the two versions modify their design and that of their casing, undoubtedly leaning towards the AirPods Pro 2 (2023) equipped with USB-C, the detection speaker In case of loss and fast charging, the most sophisticated version of the AirPods 4 would be enriched with active noise reduction.
This would allow Apple to offer noise reduction in a more affordable model. Therefore, redesigning the design would be essential with the addition of silicone tips or other materials to offer de facto passive and active software noise reduction. Significantly improved audio quality, the strong point of the AirPods Pro 2 Lightning and USB-C, would also be needed.
The arrival of these advanced AirPods 4 would also mean the end of the AirPods 2, still in the catalog, as they lack the new, more compact design and wireless charging for the case. Apple would undoubtedly also take advantage of this to replace the AirPods 3 with the new headphones. Far from having been abandoned, the AirPods Max headphones would be entitled to an update, but this would mainly involve abandoning the Lightning charging port – one of the last in the catalog – to add USB-C and, undoubtedly, new colors.
Health-oriented headphones
Because, if the Californian giant intends to focus on iPhone accessories next year, the changes will also come from the new hardware features added. It’s been rumored for years that Apple will add advanced hearing aids to its wireless earbuds among the many whispered health features. The iPhone is already compatible with several medical devices and offers many features in its configuration for the hearing impaired.
Apple would thus benefit from its own integrated system, enough to revolutionize the sector in which Masimo also wants to establish itself, a medical specialist that bought Nura and Sound United (Denon, Bowers & Wilkins, Polk, etc.) to promote health. advances its next headphones such as the Denon PerL Pro. A temperature sensor, quite similar to that of the Apple Watch, could also be part of the AirPods reactivation program. And we are still waiting for this sensor that would allow us to follow the user’s position and correct it, another metric that takes into account the connected watch and that would then be more precise.
Source: BFM TV
