Apple is reportedly looking to match the success of its in-ear wireless AirPods with an over-ear headphone alternative after three placeholder listings appeared in the database of retailer Target over the weekend.
The new product, which was spotted by YouTube vlogger Jon Prosser, was named ‘Apple AirPods (X Generation)’ and featured a $399 price tag.
Apple is believed to have been working on branded over-ear headphones for some time now as renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first broke the news of a potential release back in 2018.
Kuo said at the time that Apple wanted to release the accessory before the end of that year, but Bloomberg subsequently reported that the date had been pushed back indefinitely due to “development challenges”.
Chatter about the headphones went quiet thereafter until Kuo predicted in January that Apple would launch a premium set of Bluetooth headphones before June 2020.
The fact that the product has now been spotted in Target’s product database suggests that a release is imminent.
The listing had three different SKUs, which points to the possible release of three different-coloured headphones, with Prosser speculating that they could be called ‘StudioPods’.
Apple has enjoyed huge success with its affordable AirPods, so it’s perhaps no surprise that it wants to launch an over-ear set for professional music makers and enthusiasts.
The $399 price tag is $150 more than the higher-end AirPods Pro model that launched late last year and comes in at around the same price as other premium headsets from Bose and Sennheiser.
Apple already offers a range of Beats-branded wireless headphones, but this would be the first time that it has launched such a product under its own branding.
The arrival of the new headphones could coincide with the launch of the iPhone SE successor and updated MacBook and iPad devices, which may be unveiled at a private event in March or April.