According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Apple Insider, Apple could be working on a brand new pair of wireless headphones for later this year. While the company already owns Beats, those over-the-ear headphones could be sold under the Apple brand.
It seems like the AirPods are a success, and the company wants to capitalize on this market. The new headphones would feature the same convenience of the AirPods, but with better sound quality. Apple could ship them at some point in Q4 2018, just in time for the holiday season.
Some users also can’t use the AirPods because of the shape of their ears. This new pair of headphones should solve this issue. Headphones are usually more expensive than wireless earbuds, so this new accessory could cost even more than $159.
Kuo has heard that Apple is working with metal injection molding company SZS. That’s probably how KGI managed to learn about this project. It’s unclear how different they’re going to be from Beats-branded wireless headphones.
In particular, you can already find Beats Solo3 with an Apple W1 wireless chip. It uses the same wireless chip as the one that you can find in the AirPods.
But if you combine today’s rumor with previous rumors, Apple could unveil a brand new lineup of wireless accessories later this year. There could be new AirPods with always-on “Hey Siri” as well as those new headphones. They could run the same improved W chip.
Apple also announced a wireless charging case for the current AirPods. Slowly but surely, Apple is building a new product line of audio accessories.