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posted by martyb on Wednesday June 27 2018, @03:21AM   Printer-friendly
from the Hear!-Hear! dept.

It turns out that the $159 earbuds that Apple was selling weren't actually "high-end":

Apple Inc. is about to pump up the volume on its audio-device strategy, planning higher-end AirPods, a new HomePod and studio-quality over-ear headphones for as early as next year, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Cupertino, California-based company is working on new AirPods with noise-cancellation and water resistance, the people said. Apple is trying to increase the range that AirPods can work away from an iPhone or iPad, one of the people said. You won't be swimming in them though: The water resistance is mainly to protect against rain and perspiration, the people said.

Slated for 2019, the earbuds will likely cost more than the existing $159 pair, and that could push Apple to segment the product line like it does with iPhones, one of the people said. Apple is also working on a wireless charging case that's compatible with the upcoming AirPower charger.

Related: "Finder for Airpods" Not Allowed in Apple's Walled Garden

See also: Google's Pixel Buds are the company's first wireless headphones


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 27 2018, @05:58PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 27 2018, @05:58PM (#699395)

    Remember when Apple was the default choice for audio producers? I do.

    Time was, Apple machines were kind of expensive, but not a terrible deal for what you actually got. Combine that with good vendor support from serious software makers, and decent audio interface hardware, and you're in decent shape.

    Now, they have no price competitive offerings - you can assemble a desktop for thousands less than a comparable Apple computer - and they don't have a lock on the software market outside of Logic.

    This is just one corner of the whole truth, that Apple isn't even trying for the creative audience that was once their key market. I mean, sure, a little lipstick on the old pig, a few handwaving remarks about movies and stuff ... and behind the scenes the big boys use Linux.