Apple said to launch new AirPods, AirPods Pro to further boost wearables business

Apple is planning to launch new AirPods and AirPods Pro as soon as next year, Bloomberg reported Monday.

It’s a move that could help Apple continue to boost its “Wearables, Home and Accessories” business, which reported $6.45 billion in revenue last quarter, up more than 16% from the same quarter in 2019. The segment includes AirPods, the Apple Watch, Apple TV and accessories like cases and chargers.

The new AirPods are set to join the widely-anticipated, high-end over-ear headphones. The company stopped including wired Earpods with its new iPhones, which means more people may end up buying Apple’s wireless headphones instead.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The new regular AirPods reportedly look similar to the current model of the AirPods Pro, with a shorter stem and replaceable tips, but without noise-cancellation. Apple is aiming to launch them as soon as the first half of 2021, according to Bloomberg.

The report said Apple may eliminate the stem from the new AirPods Pro. It sounds similar to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live earlier this year. However, the new design has proved challenging and the company may stick to a more classic design, the report said.

Read the full Bloomberg report.