Apple supply partners in Asia are about to begin mass production of two new AirPods models that would comprise the fourth-generation AirPods lineup, reports Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman in the latest weekly edition of the Power On newsletter.
As reported earlier, Apple is planning two new fourth-generation AirPods to replace the current second and third-generation models. The higher-end fourth-generation AirPods codenamed B786M will feature Active Noise Cancellation and built-in speakers in the charging case for Find My. The lower-end model, codenamed B786E, is intended to replace the second-generation AirPods but will miss out on those features. Nevertheless, all fourth-generation AirPods iterations are expected to feature a new design with an improved fit, and USB-C charging cases.
The report adds that mass production of the fourth-generation AirPods will be handled by GoerTek and Luxshare and is set to kick off sometime in May. Apple expects particularly strong demand for the new earbuds, instructing its suppliers to produce as many as 25 million fourth-generation AirPods this year. This would be a significant increase in sales over the current third-generation AirPods, which reportedly didn’t sell quite as well as Apple had hoped.
Apple plans to unveil the updated AirPods lineup sometime in September or October. This would be consistent with previous releases, including the most recent second-generation AirPods Pro which was first unveiled in September 2022 alongside the iPhone 14. Apple updated the high-end earbuds again last September with the iPhone 15, adding a USB-C charging case, additional dust resistance, and Lossless Audio support for Vision Pro.
Apple is also rumored to update another AirPods model this year, albeit on a much smaller scale. The company plans to refresh the AirPods Max with new colors and a USB-C port, but the over-ear headphones are not expected to gain Apple’s H2 audio processing chip. The third-generation AirPods Pro is not expected till next year and is rumored to come in a new design and potentially feature health technologies, including body temperature sensors.
