Apple gears up for its biggest AirPods launch, plans for a September release

Apple AirPods manufacturers are reportedly starting production for the next lineup of AirPod models. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company plans to produce 20 million to 25 million units of the TWS earbuds, an increase over the previous fresh models.

“Production will formally kick off in May at GoerTek Inc. and Luxshare Precision Industry Co., setting the stage for a release around September or October. As I’ve written several times, the new AirPods are a renewed push into the lower end of the market,” he said in the latest edition of his weekly newsletter.

The new models are expected to replace the second-and third-generation AirPods currently selling for ₹12,900 and ₹19,900 respectively on Apple’s website. Gurman believes that these will feature a new design, improved fit and a USB Type-C charging case. Moreover, the mid-tier version — which will replace the third-generation AirPods — is also likely to get active noise cancellation and Find My speakers on the case, both of which are currently only available on the AirPods Pro models.

AirPods are also expected to get major software updates with the release of iOS 18 later this year, including the hearing aid mode for the AirPods Pro, which Gurman first hinted at in July 2023. The AirPods already have features like Conversation Boost and Live Listen but do not have regulatory approval for them yet.

Previously, Gurman had said that Apple is also working on adding sensors to the earbuds to measure the user’s body temperature, which reportedly will be more accurate than the wrist temperature that the Apple Watch 8 Series and Ultra are capable of collecting.

Additionally, Gurman said that new AirPods Pro models can hit the market as soon as 2025. A longer-term plan for the TWS earphones also includes low-resolution cameras that can scan the environment around a user, but that is years away.