It has been reported that Apple is working on a new version of its AirPods called “Airpods Lite” to compete with less expensive wireless earbuds.
The current lineup of AirPods includes four models, from the second-generation AirPods to the technically sophisticated AirPods Max. While they’ve gained a lot of popularity, AirPods aren’t exactly cheap earphones.
Analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong Intl Tech Research claims that his industry sources have informed him that Apple is going to release an AirPods Lite model that will serve as an entry-level option. This information was obtained by 9To5Mac. Consider it to be the iPhone SE counterpart of Apple’s earbuds and earphones.
It is believed that Apple is considering this as a response to weak demand for the third-generation AirPods, and overall shipments of the earbuds are anticipated to fall by 10 million units this year. The reason for this is not quite clear (63 million down from 73 million in 2022). When you consider that there are currently no indications that a fourth version of AirPods will be released any time soon, it is very evident that Apple wants or needs an attractive new product that it can push.
According to the article, even though it is not quite clear what this product is or what features it will have, Pu has described it as an earbud with a lower price point that will compete with products that are not made by Apple.
Apple introduced the second iteration of its AirPods Pro earbuds the previous year. This model featured various improvements, one of which was an upgraded H1 Chipset that was designed specifically for this model.