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Apple reportedly eyeing June debut for new over-ear headphones

By Nick Woodard April 7, 2020

We’ve been hearing rumors about the upcoming debut of Apple over-the-ear headphones for a while now. The latest leak indicates we might not have to wait much longer.

According to a tweet from tech analyst Jon Prosser, Apple could be aiming for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June as a landing spot for its new headphones. Prosser also said a new pair of Apple earbuds could be coming in September or October.

You ready for this? ????

Apple Over-Ear Headphones
Codename: B515
(Think Beats 700)
$350
Aimed for WWDC

AirPods X
Codename: B517
For sports/running
(think Beats X)
~$200
Aimed for Sept/Oct

☝️ Probably what DigiTimes thought was “AirsPods Pro Lite”

End goal: phase out Beats ????

— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) April 7, 2020

Apple has not confirmed either of these rumors, and likely won’t, but the information Prosser provided about these potential new products is exciting.

The over-ear headphones, which Prosser said have been code-named B515 by Apple, could have a retail price of $350. That would put them in the same class as products like the Beats Studio 3 or the Bose 700.

The earbuds, meanwhile, are called AirPods X, according to Prosser, and have been given a code name of B517 by Apple. Prosser said these earbuds will be geared toward sports and running, and will cost about $200. There wasn’t an indication as to whether these earbuds will be connected by a wire or not, but Prosser noted that they would be similar to the current BeatsX earphones, which are wired.

Another interesting bit from Prosser: He believes Apple’s end goal is to phase out Beats. It won’t end the Beats brand immediately, he said, but the idea is to build up Apple’s self-branded lineup of products, then have them replace Beats entirely when the time comes.

We’ll have to wait until June (at least) to find out if these rumors are true. For now, we just have these details to work off of about what new listening devices Apple is working on.

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As an A/V Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Nick Woodard covers topics that include 4K HDR TVs, headphones…

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