A new report suggests that we will soon see the launch of AirPods 2 – a successor and more expensive version of Apple’s popular earbuds.
AirPods 2
Bloomberg reports that individuals close to the company believe that Apple is currently working on the AirPods 2, and that they will ship with both noise-cancellation ad water resistance. Apple is also reportedly seeking to increase the range at which the AirPods 2 can function – allowing iPhone or iPad users to stray further away from their device while still staying connected to their favorite tunes.
It’s important to note that the water resistance with the AirPods 2 won’t allow you to start swimming with your earbuds in – rather serving to better protect the headphones from the elements in day-to-day use. While the existing AirPods are already decently easy to shield from rain, it will be nice to not have to worry as much about getting their successors wet.
One of the biggest features of the AirPods are the ability to quickly charge them in their case, and the AirPods 2 will apparently feature a redesigned charging case that will work with the AirPower charger when it finally hits the market.
Another interesting tidbit that may set the AirPods 2 apart from other earbuds on the market are the potential inclusion of biometric sensors. These sensors may be able to add relevant health information such as heart rate just by being in your ears. This represents an effort from Apple to expand their health capabilities beyond the Apple Watch and into their other product families. Considering that many people will use the AirPods 2 primarily while exercising, these health features could certainly make the product more attractive to buyers who are on the edge and unsure if they’re willing to shell out enough for the likely-significant asking price.
AirPods 2 Release Date
The AirPods 2 will likely release in 2019, so we have a while to wait until we can get our hands on the device. As far as the price goes, Apple has stated that they will likely cost more than the existing $159 pair, which may price a lot of customers out from the luxury earbuds.
One of the people close to Apple stated to Bloomberg that this more expensive price may actually cause Apple to segment their product line similar to how they do with their iPhones – perhaps offering various tiers of AirPods to appeal to a wider range of customers and ensure that everyone can get their hands on a pair of Apple headphones.
Also rumored is a set of over-the-ear headphones that are intended to be a higher-end version of Apple’s subsidiary Beats headphones. These luxury headphones will be marketed towards audiophiles and are intended to compete with top-of-the-line models from the likes of Sennheiser and Bose.
