Apple’s long-rumored “AirPods Studio” over-ear headphones are said to have entered mass production ahead of an expected release later this year, according to a report from DigiTimes, following earlier claims that suppliers in Vietnam will begin shipping the completed Apple headphones from factories in June or July.
The report would suggest we could see Apple announce the new addition to the AirPods line as soon as WWDC in June, with the headphones believed to be priced at $349 with interchangeable components, similar to the various bands available for the Apple Watch.
DigiTimes suggest manufacturing is now underway, also touching on recent rumors that Apple will not include wired EarPods earphones in the box with the iPhone 12.
As Apple is likely to accelerate dropping its wired earphones, the vendor will resume normal shipments for AirPods 2 in the second half of the year and its new over-ear headphones, dubbed AirPods Studio, has also kicked off production, all securing growth momentum for rigid-flex boards suppliers for the devices, including Unitech Printed Circuit Board and Compeq Manufacturing, the sources said.
Despite claims from reliable leaker Jon Prosser, Apple isn’t believed to be updating its entry-level AirPods or premium noise-cancelling AirPods Pro this year, with speculation that Apple may discount or launch an AirPods bundle for customers purchasing this year’s new iPhone models to reduce inventory of the earphones ahead of the next-generation launching likely in March 2021.