Are new Apple-branded headphones in the works?
A new report suggests Apple may launch a pair of over-the-ear headphones under its own brand instead of Beats, the high-end headphone brand the company owns. The new model may debut as soon as this year.
According to a note from the typically reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities obtained by Apple Insider, the headphones will feature an "all-new" design with higher-quality audio components than those in the current Apple AirPods. Accordingly, the new model will likely be more expensive than Apple's wireless earbuds.
Given that AirPods are wireless, and that Apple's newest iPhone models lack headphone jacks, it's almost a given the new headphone model will be a wireless design. Apple's Beats by Dre have featured wireless headphones since 2014.
Kuo has previously predicted the company will release an updated version of AirPods later this year. The new AirPods will reportedly have a new Apple-designed wireless chip, and be water-resistant.
It's unclear if the new over-the year headphones will have the same features or what it will look like, although the design is said to be "all new." That's not much to go on, but it's enough to get our imaginations going.
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
