Apple tipped to be launching high-end over-ear headphones this year

Beats Studio 3 Wireless

Now that we've all got used to wearing wire-free AirPods in our ears, Apple has another audio product in the pipeline, according to reports – apparently the company is also working on some high-end, over-ear headphones to give you another option for upgrading your listening experience.

The tip comes courtesy of KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a man with a better-than-average record at predicting what Apple's about to do next. It's not definite until we hear directly from Apple, but such a move wouldn't be a huge surprise.

Remember Apple bought the Beats headphones company back in 2014 and has enjoyed plenty of success with its AirPods, so now would be a good time to bring out some Apple-branded cans so loyalists can go all-in on the hardware side. It's thought that the new headphones will be wireless, just like the AirPods.

Save the date

Ming-Chi Kuo doesn't specify an exact launch date in his note to investors, but does say the new gear is unlikely to appear before the fourth quarter of 2018, so make of that what you will. The aim is to provide something as convenient as AirPods, but with a better acoustic experience from bigger components.

This upgraded acoustic experience will come at a cost of course, and you can expect the Apple headphones to arrive with a premium price tag attached. An "all-new" design is apparently on the cards as well, though we don't have any more details than that.

It's possible that Apple will launch the new product at the same time as the 2018 iPhones, though we'll have to wait and see. The company is also rumored to be working on upgrades to its AirPods, which means you'll soon have a surfeit of options if you want to pay Apple for a better listening experience from your gear.

Via AppleInsider

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.