Apple entered the hardware business of making earphones when it purchased Beats for around $3 billion. The Cupetino company did sell its earpods prior to buying Beats but it was not a very serious business for the company. It now appears that Apple is planning to release full fledged over the ear headphones in the near future.
A product listing on the retail store Target’s database has shown an Apple over the ear headphone. It was Jon Prosser, a YouTuber that the listing which reads “Apple AirPods (X Generation” along with a price tag of $399.
At present, the costliest music accessory Apple sells is $249 – its recently released AirPods Pro with support for noise cancellation. The listing in Target’s database suggests that the AirPods Pro will not remain the costliest for a very long time. The shift to wireless audio has helped Apple push its audio accessories hardly.
The talk about Apple’s over the ear headphones is not new. In early 2018, the noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities reported that Apple would release a pair of over the ear headphones before the end of 2018. The same was reported by Bloomberg as well, however it was later re[prted that due to “development challenges” the release of the product was postponed.
Recently again, Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the first half of 2020 will see Apple release a pair of over the ear wireless headphones. In regards to Target’s listing, according to employees of the retailer, it is a very common practice to have placeholder for products that could ship within a month.
All the reports, predictions, and now the listings suggest that Apple will indeed release a pair of over the ear wireless headphones. The company has been selling over the ear wireless headphones under the brand Beats but if the reports turn out be true, it will be Apple’s first such accessory under its own brand name.
