Apple AirPods 2024: $99 AirPods Lite And New AirPods Max Coming, Reports Claim

Apple looks set to introduce new AirPods this year, with two new versions of AirPods fourth generation predicted by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman—full details here. Now, a new report suggests there will be a new pair of over-ears, that is a second-generation version of AirPods Max, along with something called AirPods Lite.

These reports don’t necessarily contradict Gurman’s predictions. In a new research not from respected analyst Jeff Pu, picked up by 9to5Mac, there are plenty of details of who will build the next AirPods (a subsidiary of Foxconn) and where, suggesting that some of them will be assembled in India this fall.

But the most interesting details is what Pu refers to as “AirPods Lite”.

The analyst also refers to these earbuds as generating increased production levels, “thanks to the launch of a low-cost model.”

Pu believes the new earbuds will launch this year because in 2024 overall, Apple will see a drop in demand by 4% to 55 million units, due to “muted demand” for the models currently on sale.

Back in January, Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the new AirPods would be the cheapest Apple has ever made, saying, “The next-generation AirPods will likely begin mass shipments in 2H24 or 1H25, including more affordable AirPods (with Apple targeting a price of $99) and new AirPods Max.”

So, what can we deduce from all this?

First, whatever they are called, I think it’s extremely unlikely that the low-priced model will be called AirPods Lite. It’s just not Apple to call something with a name that suggests it’s not a great, fully-rounded product in its own right.

Second, this latest report seems to dovetail perfectly with Gurman’s thinking. While it is theoretically possible that the $99 pair is a third option, alongside his predicted AirPods 4 in entry-level and medium versions, it seems unbelievable to me. To introduce AirPods 4 in two versions and a lower-priced one would lead to an uncomfortably crowded product range.

No, assuming Gurman is right, then Pu’s prediction is of the more affordable of the two options, not a third one.

The price of $99 is very punchy. But it’s not impossible: when Apple announced the HomePod mini, its smaller version of the HomePod smart speaker, the price on that—also $99—was deemed a surprise by many.

Pu’s report that AirPods Max will arrive this year tallies with Kuo’s previous claim, and for sure the timing makes sense. The original over-ears went on sale in late 2020, so any new model would be the first update for almost four years. There are no details of what these new headphones might be like, though presumably there would be no point in replacing the originals if there weren’t upgraded audio and features on offer.