Apple’s next-gen true wireless earbuds will arrive under the name AirPods Pro – and come with a suitably ‘Pro’ price-tag, according to a report from the Far East.
The Chinese Economic Daily reports the AirPods 3 buds, expected to benefit from noise cancellation tech for the first time, will go on sale around the Christmas period for an eye-watering $260.
That would be a full $99 price increase on the price of the $150 second-generation buds, and a $60 increase on the option with a wireless case. It’s not clear whether that $260 price-tag quoted in the report includes the wireless case, but it’s a significant increase. Those prices are likely to be reflected in sterling, with the current-gen on sale for £159/£199 respectively.
The report (via Apple Insider) goes onto say Apple plans to launch the AirPods Pro before the month is out, perhaps alongside new iPad Pro models tipped to arrive later this year. A new version of AirPods was outed within the code of a recent iOS 13 beta, seeming confirming they are on the way.
Related: Best true wireless earphones 2019
Recent reports have indicated they will boast noise cancelling / noise isolation technology and perhaps a redesign in order to accommodate it. Rubber ear tips have been tipped as a means of facilitating a more secure fit in this instance.
We’ve also heard speculation Apple could integrate biometric sensors that could include heart rate tracking, while adding an IPX rating could give wearers more faith they would be capable of surviving a downpour of rain or sweat. All of this might just justify the prohibitive increase in price tipped by today’s report.
Apple only launched its second-gen AirPods this spring, bringing hands-free Hey Siri functionality into play and adding the wireless charging case.
Our reviewer afforded AirPods 2019 a 4/5 star score and praised the great battery life and charging case, fantastic connectivity and the addition of wireless charging. However, we still had reservations about the fit and the inability to address complaints about the first-gen product.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
