The wireless future won’t be cheap if you want to listen to music on Apple’s upcoming Bluetooth earbuds.
Apple’s long-rumored AirPods could be revealed at tomorrow’s keynote for the iPhone 7 and according to one of the best Apple analysts in the game, they’re going to cost more than a set of Beats headphones.
“We believe Apple will position Beats in the midrange market once it launches Apple’s own-brand Bluetooth headphones, in order to maximize profit with a dual-brand strategy,” said Ming Chi Kuo at KGI Securities in a note to investors.
It’s unclear if Kuo’s statement means AirPods will cost more than the $300 price tag of the Beats Solo2 wireless headphones. Or if the price of Beats is set to drop.
Kuo told investors that he believes Apple’s AirPods will come with a Bluetooth communication chip designed in-house that will have better power-saving features. Hopefully, it will also pack higher audio fidelity than most Bluetooth earbuds too.
The iPhone 7 packaging reportedly won’t include a free set of AirPods, but Apple will give users a free set of Lightning EarPods, along with an adapter so you can also use your old headphones when you’re not charging your device.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
